Kinnaur Cosmic Connections
Hi friends! Here I am, back again with you to unfold a visual narration and the destination is Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh. My Jewel in the crown for this month.
Kinnaur a slightly remote region in Himachal Pradesh is a district comprising parts of the Dhauladhar, Greater Himalayas and Zanskar ranges and the valleys of river Sutlej, Baspa and Spiti.
The mountains – lofty and stark and the valleys boasting a beauty which is quite ethereal.
Though the district is a vast one with many beautiful towns , I will concentrate on the three major tourist attraction of Kinnaur – Kalpa, Chitkool and the Sangla Valley.
As I always say internet is a vast source of information and you will obtain many detailed note of its history, geography and Biosphere. So I will include only my personal tidbits which I think you might not find easily and those which are first hand verified.
First of all foreigners need to obtain permit to travel to kinnaur which can be acquired from Shimla.
The district headquarter of Kinnaur by the way is Rekong Peo, 235 Km from Shimla.
The altitude in most of the places is 2000m plus.
The nearest Airport is in Shimla so the only way to travel there (barring aside choppers) is by Road-Shimla-Rampur-Powari-Recong Peo. Sangla valley and Chitkool are situated near by. You can also travel in from Manali Kaza (Spiti).If you do that I salute You. The highway from Shimla runs along the river Sutlej
The best period to travel is in April- May and September. The winters are subzero and the late summers may impede your progress with rainfall and landslide
But the highway is maintained throughout the year by BRO and you may find construction when you go there
Kalpa and Rekong Peo- They are the two most important towns of Kinnaur and beautiful to boast too
A word of caution- if you plan to travel to the interiors fill up your tank as petrol pumps are few. Only in Powari and Rekong Peo.
The region has a rich cultural history and there you will find temples and monasteries with interesting architecture.
From Kalpa the peak Kinner Kailash can be seen not to be confused with Mt Kailash. But Kinner Kailash also has a religious significance as it is supposed Mythically to be the winter abode of Lord Shiva. The parikrama or trek to Kinner Kailash is famous. The local people say that you can see a Shivling on top of Kinner Kailash from Kalpa or Rekong Peo but may be it was a case of the elephant and six blind men I am not sure of what I saw.
Kalpa and Rekong Peo has no dearth of accommodation and HPTDC has a beautiful property situated in Kalpa. As mentioned earlier reservation into it is no problem due to the facility of internet booking
Sangla valey and Chitkool are a bit off way from Rekong peo and Kalpa but still assessable and the trip made in a day itself if you make your base in Kalpa or Rekong Peo.
Sangla Valley is a beautiful valley situated at an whopping altitude of 2621 m by the bankk of Baspa River. In fact beautiful is a understatement
Chitkool is a frontier village and the last and the highest village in the Baspa Valley.
The drive to Chitkool is a scenic one though slightly rocky.
Now for some general infos-
- You need sturdy and new tyres for Kinnaur.
- You may not get a vast choice in your menu so you might stock up some food of your choice.
- Clothing should be heavy woolens
- Net and phone connection might be a problem
And now if you please you may continue with the slideshow which is a mere representation of Kinnaur through my eyes. But as I always say- Kinnaur is much more than these.
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Waah ! Loved the slide show esp. Destination kannur
*kinnaur
Just one word – Incredible India, Beautifully executed post. Tx mani.
your travelogues are gathering steam this winter!!!:-)
Superb. Brilliant presentation. Loved the slideshow as well as the style of article presentation.
Thanks ! your enthusiasm eggs me on. watch out for Spiti in my next(probably)
I wish I had taken some still photographs when I WENT to kinnaur. This was one of the most thrilling experiences I had and I am a n avid traveler. Wonderful pix as usual. The article is worth all the reading. will be coming here often to get informed .Best