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The state of
Himachal Pradesh came into being in its present form with the
partition of the Punjab into Punjab and Punjab and Haryana in
1966. Himachal Pradesh is essentially a mountain state it
takes in the transition zone from the plains to the high
Himalayan and in the trans Himalayan region of lahaul and Spit
actually crosses that mighty barrier to the Tibetan plateau.
Shimla
General
Information
 Altitude:
2130 meters, above sea level.
Temperature: Between sub zero in winter and 30c in summer.
Best season : Throughout the year. Snowfall in winter.
Clothing : Light woolens in summer, heavy woolens in
winter.
Air: Linked by air to Delhi Chandigarh, Kangra and Kullu. The
airport at Jubbarhati is 23 km from Shimla.
Rail: It is
linked by a narrow gauge line to Kalka which is connected to
Delhi Calcutta and Amritsar by broad gauge.
At an
altitude of 2130 meters, Shimla sprawls along a crescent
shaped ridge with its suburbs clinging to the slopes. Along
the fidget runes the mall from which the British not only
banned all vehicles but also, unto theses days the mall is a
busy scene with throngs of holiday-makers in the evenings.
It's lined with stately English looking houses bearing
strangely displaced English names. bearing strangely displaced
English names. Shimla's English flavors is enforced by
buildings like Christ Church with dates from 1857, Gorton
Castle, and the former Vice regal Lodge Rashtrapati Niwas on
Observatory Hill which dated from 1888. Shimla
was one a string of hill stations that the British established
to escape from the scorching heat of the plains. The 12 km
crescent shaped ridge on which it is located was first
occupied by the British troop in the earl part of the 19th
century, during the AngloGurkha War Places
to Eat: Tripti's Vegetarian, Krishna Bakers, Chung Far Chinese
Food Shop, Park cafe, Ashiana & Goofa restaurants,
Baljee's & Fascination Restaurants, Alfa Restaurant,
Indian Coffee House, Shere-e-Punjab, Triple Restaurant.
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Mandi
 General
Information
Altitude: 760
meters, above sea level.
Temperature: Warm in summer, cold in winter.
Best season : Throughout the year.
Clothing : Light woolens in winter.
Air: The nearest airport is Bhuntar, near Kullu (59 km).
Rail: The nearest railhead Joginder Nagar is 55 km from Mandi.
Road: Well connected by road and on the main highway between
Chandigarh and Kullu.
Mandi, at the
lower end of the Beas Valley, 760 m above sea level, is a 400
year old town strategically located on an old trade route into
Tiber. It has picturesque old buildings, narrow streets and
colorful bazaars. Formerly
an important junction o the salt route to Tiber, Mandi is the
gateway to the Kullu Valley. From here you climb up the
narrow, spectacular gorge to the Beas River and emerge from
this gray and barren stretching to the green and inviting
Kullu Valley. Mandi's
biggest attraction is the Sivarati Festival held in February/
March. This is one of the most interesting festivals in
Himachal Pradesh It lasts for a week and deities from all over
Mandi district are brought here .
Rawalsar lake: The rawalsar
lake, a pilgrimage center for Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs, is
high up in the hills 24 km south of Mandi.There is mountain
cave refuge near here. the Dalai Lama does a puja in the
Monastery and than does a circuit round the lake in the
festival of Tso-Pema.
Kangra
Valley: This beautiful valley starts near Mandi, runs north
then bends west and extends to Shahpur near Pathankot.To the
north the valley is flanked by the Dhauladhar mountain range,
to the side of which Dharamsala clings.
Baijnath: It
is only 16 km from Palampur.It is small pilgrims place.
Palampur: A
small town surrounded with tea plantations, it is 35 km from
Dharamsala
Places to
stay & eat: The HPTDC hotel T-Bud is about a km from the
bus stand. for cheaper try Silver Oaks Motel or the Hotel
Sawney, near the bus stand.
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Dharamsala
 Population
: 18, 500
Dharamsala is
the main hills station in the Kangra Valley-a fertile,
undulating valley lying between the gentle Shivalik Hills and
the foothills of the mighty Dhauladhars- a valley noted for
the beauty of its scenery lush terraces, woods hills,
manicured tea gardens and sparkling streams.
Dharamsala
was to Dharamsala that the Dalai Lamba and his followers fled,
and this hill station is now best known as the seat of Tibet's
government in exile and the temporary home of His Holiness.
It's a popular destination for travellers, particularly in
March when the Dalai Lama gives public lectures. The
town is actually in two completely separate parts. Dharamsals
in the lower section a three km walls away and 500 meters
above it is the higher settlement McLeod Ganj which the
Tibetans have made their home.
Places of
Interest:
Macloedganj:
Up in Macleodganj is a charming Tibetan settlement with
bustling bazaars that sell carpets, handicrafts and delicious
Tibetan food.The Dalai Lama resides in Macleodganj, which is
now a major center of Tibetan culture.St.Johan in the
Wilderness: A stone church with delicate stained glass windows
and a memorial to Lord Elgin.
Triund (2, 975 m) Just below the snow line is the scenic
picnic spot at Triund with its spectacular views and pleasant
forest rest house.Dal Lake: A popular picnic spot surrounded
by forests of fir. An annual fair is held here, every
September.
Dharamkot: (2, 100 m) Above Upper Dharamsala is the
Dharamkot Hill with a panoramic view of the majestic
Dhauladhars.
Around
Dharamsala:
Trilokpur: A
natural cave temple at Trilokpur, which is dedicated to Lord
Shiva has stalactite and stalagmite formations.
Masrur: Beautiful temples at Masrur, carved out of monolithic
rocks in the style of the Kailash Temple at Ellora, date to
the 8th century AD.
Nurpur: The
ruined fort and Krishna temple at Nurpur are noted for fine
wood carving.
Places to
Eat: Green Restaurant, McLLo Restaurant, Friend's Corner, Cafe
Shambala, Tsongkha Restaurant, Snow land & Gakyi
Restaurant, Tibet memorial Restaurant, Aroma Restaurant, Yak
Restaurant, Rising horizon Restaurant, Ashoka restaurant,
Dreamland Restaurant.
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Kullu
The road from
Mandi to Kullu meanders along the Mandi-Larji gorge. Here the
river is a rushing torrent flowing between high walls of
crumbly rock.
The Town of
Kullu is famous for its colorful Dussehara festival.
Decorated palanquins and processions convey gods and goddesses
from temples all over the valley to Kullu. to pay homage to
the reigning deity Raghunath ji.
At an
altitude of 1200 meters, Kullu is the district head quarter of
the valley but it is not the main tourist center that honor
goes to Manali.
The fertile
Kullu Valley rises northward from Nandi at 760 meters to the
Rohtang Pass at 3978 meters, the gateway to Lahul and Spiti.
In the south the Valley is little more than a narrow
precipitous gorge, with the Beas River sometimes a sheer 300
meters below the narrow road.
The people of
the Kullu Valley are friendly. devout, hard working and
relatively prosperous. The men wear the distinctive Kullu camp
a pillbox with a flap around the front in which they may stick
flowers.
Around Kullu:
Raison
(1,433m) Not far away is the camping site at Raison on the
grassy banks of the river. This can be the starting point for
a number of interesting walks of treks in the area.
Katrain (Katrain
is situated at the Beas Widest part of the Kullu Valley. There
is excellent fishing hear and a trout hatchery nearby ensures
a well stocked river. (19m)
Naggar:
(1,768m) On the opposite bank of the Bees, across a bridge at
Patli Kuhl, the road climbs sharply through groves of dark
green deodar to the little town of Nagger, high above the
valley.
Temples: In
the north of the town, and dedicated to the principal god in
the valley, is the Raghunath Temple. Three km away from Kullu
in the village Bhekli, is The Jaganathi Devi Temple. Four km
along kullu to Manali road is the Vaishno Devi Temple, a small
cave with an image of the goddess. ON the main road 15 km of
Kullu in Bajaura, the famous Temple of Basheshar Mahadev
can be seen it has got some fine stone carvings.
Bijli Mahadev
Temple: The interesting Bijli Mahadev Temple is close to Kullu.
Its temple tower with a 20m road on top, attracts lightning
which shatters the stone lingam in the sanctum.
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Manali
 Population
4000
Altitude:
1915m
Temperature: Very cold in winter, cool in summer.
Season: April to June and Sept. to Oct.
Clothing: Light woolens in summer and heavy woolens in winter.
Air : Bhuntar airport is 50 km from Manali.
Rail: Chandigarh is the nearest railhead.
Situated at
the northern end of the Kullu Valley, Manali has spectacular
views of snowcapped peaks and wooded slopes. The Beas rushes
along its rocky course amid grassy meadows carpeted with wild
flowers and wagtails hop along from stone to stone along the
stream's edge. There are marvelous walks too, through dappled
orchards and fairy-tale forests of deodar.
The Manali
market is crowded with myriads of interesting shops selling
Tibetan carpets and crafts and the appetising aroma of
steaming noodles hangs about the little restaurants.
Manali, with
its Mountaineering Institute, is a popular base for trekking
and mountaineering in summer and skiing in winter. Interesting
routes into the surrounding valleys, over the high passes, are
provided with tourist huts and rest houses for trekking
enthusiasts.
Around
Manali:
Hadimba
Temple: A pretty path leads to the Hadimba Temple standing
tall among the stately deodars. The ancient temple is built
like a pagoda and its lintel and door frame have intricately
carved wood.
Vashist
Springs: A above Manali are the subpart springs at Vashist.
Near the modern baths is an old stone lined pool.
Jagatsukh: At
Jagatsukh, in the midst of a picturesque village, are old
temples.
Arjun Gufa:
Legend has it, that it was here that Arjun Practised
austerities to get the Pashupata Ashtra, the sacred
weapon from Lord Indra.
Nehru Kund: A
spring of cold clear water is along the road to the Rohtang
Pass.\
Solang
Valley: Enrooted to Kathy, close to the Rohtang Pass is the
beautiful Solang Valley.
Rahalla
Falls: This splendid cascade is about 4 km form Kothi (16km)
Rohtang Pass:
Manali is also a goose starting point for visits to the Lahaul
and Spiti valleys over the Rohtang Pass.
Beas Kund:
Easily accessible from the rohtang pass the Beas Kund is the
origin of the River Beas.
Places to
Eat: Cafe Rohtang, Sa-Ba Restaurant, Chandratal Restaurant,
Peter's Restaurant, Adarsh Restaurant, Swami's Madras Cafe,
Mayur Restaurant, Mona Lisa Restaurant, Moc Restaurant's
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Kasauli
 This
pleasant little hills station at 1927 meters is only a short
distance north of Kalka. It's an interesting 15-km trek from
Kalka to Kasauli, or you can get there from Dharampur, which
is on the narrow gauge railway.
Only four km
from Kasauli is Monkey Point a picnic spot and lookout with a
very fine view over the plains to the south and to the
mountains in the north. 'sabathu 38 km from Kasauli has a 19th
century Gorham built fortress.
Around
Kasauli:
Sanawar: A
tiny hill town noted for the famous public school that is
located there (5.6 km)
Sabathu (1,
437 m): There is an old Gurkha fort built the early years of
the 19th century in this little cantonment town. (28 km)
Dharampur: on
the Kalka-Shimla road and railway line, Dharampur is serenely
located amidst groves of pine (15km)
Naldera: At
2044 meters, Naldera is 23 km from Shimla and ahs a golf
course supposed to be the oldest in the country. There is
cheap accommodation at the Golf Club & Hotel Golf Glade.
Chabba: The
rest House, 35 km from Shimla, is a pleasant 5km walk from
Basantpur, on the road to Tattapani.
Tattapani:
There's direct bus to this sulphur hot spring (655meters),51km
from Shimla You can get double beds in Tourist Bungalow at a
economical rate.
Fagu: Fagu at
2150 meters has very fine views. It's 21 km from Shimla.and
receives lots of snow in winter. This town also has potato
research center. The Hotel Peach Blossom is good for a stay.
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Chail
This was once
the summer capital of the princely state of Patalia. Today the
old palace is a luxurious hotel. Chail is 45 km by bus from
Shimla via Kufri, or you can reach it via Kandaghat on the
Shimla to Kalka road or narrow gauge railway line.
Chail at an
altitude of 2150 meters is build on three hills one of which
is topped by the Chail Palace, and one by the ancient Sikh
temple.
 Chail
has lovely walks and trails that meander through the dense
pine forests-the home of barking deer, wild boar pheasant and
a variety of birds. It has got the highest cricket pitch in
the world. The Chail Palace Hotel is a class one with rooms
and suites of maharaja and maharani class. The Hummel Hotel is
a bit cheaper.
Solan: This
deary town is between Kalka and Shimla, on both the railway
line and the road. Its best known as the home of Golden Eagle
beer, the Mohan Meakin Brewery is about four km from the town
along the road to Shimla.
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Dalhousie
 Sprawling
over and around five hills at around 2000 meters, Dalhousis
was in the British era, a sort of second string hill station
mainly used by people who lived in Lahore. It was a place
frequented by those who could not aspire to Shimla. The town
was founded by Lord Dalhousie, and has some pleasant walks.
Things to See
& Do:-Kalatope is 8.5 km from the Go and offers a
fine view over the surrounding country There so Forest Rest
House here Kakhi Mandi 15 km out and at around 3000 meters has
stupendous mountain views.
Around
Dalhousie:
Subhash Baoli:
Not far from the GPO Square is the spring at Suhash Baoli with
panoramic views of the snow-capped mountains.
Satdhara: Sparkling springs close to town, rich in mica and
other minerals, are noted for their medicinal properties.
Panjpulla: beyond Satdhara is another pretty spot where the
water from a natural tank flows under five little bridges.
Bakrota
Hills: The Bakrota Mall, a popular walking circuit around
these hills aha a spectacular view of the mountains.
Kalatope: An ideal weekend retreat with forest rest houses and
beautiful spots for picnics, in a little wildlife sanctuary.
Bara Panther: Enroute to Kalatope is the temple of Bhulwani
Martha, in the village of Ahla.
Dhainkund The high peak of Dhainkund offers a bird's-eye view
of the verdant valleys of the Beas, Chenab and Ravi rivers.
Getting there
and away: Pathan
Places to
stay: The HPTDC has two tourist bungalows : the Hotel Champak
with doubles, and the more up market Hotel Iravati, The hotel
Akhand Chandi on college road has A/C Rooms. Hotel Janta is a
cheaper option. The Gupta Dhaba is a good joint for food, The
Olive Green Restaurant on Temple road is also recommended. At
the Koalas tea stall you can get the actual tea and toast with
butter taste.
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Khajjair
This grassy
marg is 22km from Dalhousie, and you can get here by bus or on
foot, a day's walk. Over a km long and nearly a km wide. it is
ringed by pine trees with a lake in the middle There's a golf
course here and golden domed temple. The woodcarvings in the
temple are very impressive and date back to the 14th century.
While
it is possible Togo by road, Khajjiar is just a pleasant on
day walk from Dalhousie. An emerald, saucer shaped meadow at
Khajjiar, surrounded by dense deodar forests, has la lake at
ties center with a floating island. a forest rest house, a
little temple with a golden spire and a golf courses
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Palampur
 Palampur
(1,219 m) close to Kangra (35 km), is a quiet, unspoilt town
situated on a little plateau with the dramatic Neughal chasm
of the Bundla stream cutting across one edge. It is surrounded
by verdant tea estates. with forest of pine and deodar on the
higher slopes Palampur has lovely walks and trails. Some of
the paths that wander off into the hills are used by the
Gaddis-the nomadic shepherds of the area. A number of
interesting places closeby opportunities for angling in the
River Bundla and for hang gliding and para gliding at Bir-Billing
35 km away, make Palampur an interesting destination..
Around
Palampur:
Neughal Khad:
Close to Palampur is the dramatic Bundla chasm a deep 1000 ft
wide gorge where the River Bundla becomes a raging torrent
during the monsoon.
Andretta:
This exquisite village once the home of the painter Sardar
Shobha Singh and the playwright.
Baijnath: An
ancient temple (804 AD) to Shiva Vaidyanatha at Baijnath, is
beautifully sculpted in stone.
Alhilal: Very close to Palampur, it was once the summer
retreat of the Dogra rulers of Jammu. The Taragarh Palace at
Alhilal is now a splendid hotel.
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Kinnaur
 General
Information:
District
Kinnaur
Altitude:
High altitude valleys 2, 000 m or more.
Temperature: Cold with temperatures well below zero in winter.
Season: June to OCt Ideal for treks.
Clothing: Heavy woolens.
Air: Shimla (200km) is the nearest airport.
Rail: Nearest railhead is Kalka.
About 200
km away form Shimla is the strikingly beautiful district of
Kinnaur, where the icy waters of the River Sutlej and its
tributaries have carved deep gorges through the high ranges.
The landscape varies from the lush green orchards of the
picturesque Single Valley to the stark magnificence of the
Hang rang Valley.
Karcham: The
N.H. 22 that follows the old Hindustan -Tibet route goes past
the villages of Jeori, Wangtu and Tapri to Karcham located at
the confluence of the Sutlej and Baspa rivers a beautiful
village and the start of the picturesque Baspa or Sangla
Valley.
Sangla: The
largest village in the area scenic Sangla is 18km from Karcham.
Chitkul (3,
450m) The last and the highest village in this valley, chitkul,
26 km from Single, noted for its alpine meadows and snows
capes. It has a rest house.
Power: Power,
70 km form Rampur is the last major stop on the N.H. 22 with a
petrol station.
Recong Peo
(2, 670) Located 260 km form Shimla and 7 km from Powari,
Recong Poem is the headquarters of the district.
Kothi: Just 3
km from Recong Peo Kothi has temple to the goodess Chandika
Devi.
Kalpa (2,759)
Beyond Recong Peo on the link road, is the main village of the
district Kalpa.
Mooring: This
village set amidst orchards of apricot is 26 km form Power on
the ANN..
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Narkanda
At 3143
meters, 64 km from Shimla, this is a popular spot for viewing
the Himalaya, particularly from the 3300-metre Hattu peak.
Narkanda has recently been developed as a skiing center. The
season lasts from late December to early March, there's a
600-metre slope and a 110-metre ski lift. From Narkanda
you can maek trips to Bagi and Khadrala, which are on the road
lading to the Tibetan border. Alternatively you can visit the
apple-growing area at Thandedhar or continue to the Kully
Valley via Luhri. |
