K I N N A U R : The Land between Heaven & the Earth in eastern Himachal Pradesh

K I N N A U R :

It is known for its scenic beauty, mesmerising landscapes with lush green valleys and rocky mountain with Sutluj , Baspa & Spiti rivers flowing through it. A brotherly fusion of Hinduism & Buddhism at one place reflects the existence of a culture of a different sort which is well preserved by its people in this era of rapid modernisation. Hindus visit Kinnaur Kailash (6050mts) believed to be home of Lord Shiva and a 79 ft rock resembles a Shivlinga which changes colour as the day progresses.Other ancient traditions speak of the exile of Pandavas and the time they spent in Kinnaur as per the episode from the epic Mahabharata. There are Buddhist monastaries and temples which hold a special importance for the religious followings of the people.At Saharan,40 KMs from Rampur, is the sacred Bhimkali mata temple. Apart from religion,Kinnaur has a vast scope for adventure sports like trekking & skiing.There are a variety of fairs and festivals and traditional dances organised all the year round. Baisakhi is celebrated in the month of April.Fishing of Trout fish is common in Baspa river .Kinnaur is famous for its delicious apples,Chilgoza,Apricot ,handlooms and handicrafts. Slight traces of modernisation can be seen in the town ,its culture and people but the area continues to be pristine ,pure and magnificiently beautiful like the towns Bhabanagar, Kalpa, Nichar, Pooh, Wangtu and Sangla.Some other places of significance are Recong peo, Rampur Bushahr,Kamru fort,Nako lake,,Chango, Raksham & Chitkul valley.

About KINNAUR :

It is one of the 12 administrative distts. of HP located in the NE corner of HP bordering Tibet in the East. It is devided into 3 administrative areas -Pooh,Kalpa and Nichar and has 6 Tehsils- Kalpa,Pooh ,Sangla,Moorang, Hangrang and Nichar. Administrative headquarter is RecongPeo. Its second least populated distt. of HP (84121 persons) after Lahaul & Spiti(31564 persons). As per 2011 census – population speaking Kinnauri-72%, Nepali-8%, Hindi-3.5%, Pahari -3.5%, Bhojpuri and Punjabi about 1%each .Literacy rate is 88.37%male,71.34% female.Sex ratio is women 818 to 1000 males.Its 225 KMs from Simla .3 mountain ranges Zanskar,Greater Himalayas and Dauladhar enclose valleys of Sutlej ,Spiti and Baspa whose slopes are covered with thick woods, orchards,fields and hamlets.It is famous for Mt. Kinnaur Kailash located here( with a peak of 79 mts),Mt 6473mts,and Mt.Raldang (5499mts.).The distt. was opened to public in year 1989.The old Hindustan Tibet Road, constructed by Lord Dalhousie in 1850,passes through Kinnaur valley along the bank of Sutluj and finally enters Tibet at ShipliLa pass.Best time& weather to visit is April to june.At 3000mts ,Sutluj enters India from Tibet near village Namgia and divides Kinnaur roughly into two parts.Area-6401sqkm. There are 3 blocks, panchayats-65 and police stations -6.Its a mountaineous area with altitude between 7612 ft to 22362 ft.

HISTORY of KINNAUR :

Kinnaur was part of erstwhile Chini Tehsil of Mahasu distt.It became a separate distt. on 01/05/1960.It was a part of erstwhile princely state of Bushahr principality which had its capital at Kamru.Later the capital was shifted to Rampur Bushahr.After the fall of Kannauj empire the ruler of Kamru annexed adjoining territories by force and laid the foundation of the state of Bushahr to which the region of Kinnaur belonged till the dissolution of the state after Independence of India.In the early 19th century the Gurkhas of Nepal captured large part of present day HP including Bushahr.Later on the British intervened and expelled them and the Treaty of Sagauli was signed in 1815-16.With the Indias Indepence in 1947and creation of Himachal Pradesh in 1972 ,geographic isolation steadily eroded.With setting up of Hydro projects,spread of education and economic growth with scientific horticultural practices began bringing their own changes.Relaxation of ILPs in mid 90s opened the area for tourism. In the absence of authentic records the early history of Kinnaur region is obscure and reference of kinnaur is by a large confined to legends and mythological beliefs.

MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS :

(1) RAMPUR :

It is located on the banks of Sutlej river and was a seat of former princely state of Bushair .Being prosperous located on the old trade route,Rampur benefitted from a wide range of economic and cultural exchanges.It is a bustling town retaining substantial measure of its past.Has proximity to the Nathpa Jakhari Hydel project.Coming from Simla, the town of Rampur and Saharan are entry points to kinnaur. (2) SAHARAN :

At 40 km from Rampur,it is a legendary place with remarkable hill architecture and natural beauty.Below the valley river Sutlej,across lie the snow covered Shrikhand peaks which devide Satlej and Beas valleys.Legend says that area is closely linked to the epic Mahabharat and exile of Pandavas.It is regarded as one of the 51 Shaktipeeths and Temple Bhimkali is built with indigenous skills. This was the capital of stateofBushair . (3)BHABA :It is 9km downstream of Wangtu between Taranda and Nathpa Jakhari Dam on the side of Bhaba river.Wangtu bridge is the gateway to the valley link road takes you to the last village of Kafnu. (4)Wangtu :it is close to Indo-Tibet border located on the Hind-Tibet road (5)RecongPeo is the capital of Kinnaur distt.,7km from powari and 8 km from Kalpa.Kothi is 3 km from RP and has a temple dedicated to Godess Chandrika Devi. (6) KALPA :It is a small town in the Sutlej river valley above Recong Peo famous for the Golden Apple variety-a major cash crop of the region.There is the Narayani Ragini temple here .There are some very good Hotels here : perfect view of the valley as well as the majestic Kinnaur Kailash peaks. (7)RAKSHAM:Its a very beautiful village with very charming views of the surrounding landscapes near the Baspa river. (8)CHITKUL :It is the last village having temples dedicated to the local Godess Mathi.(9)NICHAR is a town in kinnaur at an altitude of 2100mts.Its located between Taranda and Wangtu.(10)Pooh is a small town at 6736ft at 58 km from Powari along the NH-22.Itas known for its green fields ,apricot orchards,vineyards and almond trees.It was an important trade centre in early 11th century.Pooh has a Devata temple at Kanam.(11)SANGLA village is set above the right bank of Baspa and has a main market of the valley where essentials are available along with some hotels and Guesthouses.(12)KANAM is 40 km from Powari with a Buddhist monastary of considerable significance and is on the trade route leading to Tibet. (13)NAKO at 3662mt is a town built around a lake 115 km from powari.It has a Buddhist monastary with picturesque hamlets.Pargial peak trek starts from here.(14)KAMRU FORT -A km from Sangla village stands the tower like fort of Kamru. Main gate has the image of Buddha.A series of low gates leads to the 5 stories high tower and is an excellent example of unique architecture.The village has Badrinath temple of the 15th century. The wood and stone structure are the original seat of rulers of Bushahr.Has an image of Kamakhya Devi brought from Assam. (15)CHANGO at 3058 mtsis just on the border of Spiti surrounded by high hills and is famous for quality of Apples that grow in its aridity and low temperatures.(16)MOORANG is an village surrounded by Apricot orchards 15 km from Powari.

OUR TOUR OF KINNAUR:

On 12/10/2013: We , 3 members of family, set off on an enchanting 5-day tour of Kinnaur district hiring a two- way Taxi from Chandigarh.We started and reached Saharan in the evening via Simla and Rampur. Took a hotel and got refreshed after the long journey.Before Dinner and a good nights sleep managed to have some panoramic views of mountain ranges with their magical cascading shades.It was the beginning of the exciting journey to bliss.

13/10/2013: We went for darshan of the Bhimkali , Bhairavji and Lakdavirji temples and offered our prayers. Afterwards we started for Kalpa via Powari and Recongpeo having our lunch at Tapri.On reacing Kalpa we took a room in hotel Kinnaur kailash which had a very clear view of the Majestic Mt. Kinnaur kailash looming large on the horizon. We felt speechless sighting the breathtaking spectacle .After some refreshment we proceeded to visit the Rodhi village monastery,the Vishnu temple and the famous Narayan Nagini temple. Had delicious dinner and deep nice sleep after the days tour.

14/10/2013: Started for Sangla and took hotel room in Rupin River View hotel at Raksham village and were mesmerised by the greenery ang refreshing environment devoid of any pollution.We visited the Kamru fort and proceeded to Chitkul to witness the breathtaking sights of the picturesque landscape.Offered our prayers at the Goddess Mathi temple.It was a devine feeling of tranquility and calmness.

15/10/2013: After having a look at the Kinnaur kailash parikrama route (it is a 8-days trek undertaken by pilgrims every year) at Raksham, we proceeded for an exciting tour of Chango and the Nako lake .It was an experience of a lifetime & enjoyed it thoroughly.

16/10/2013: After our morning refreshments we started our return journey back to Chandigarh trying to savour inside us some of the reminences of the magical tour of the “LAND BETWEEN HEAVEN AND THE EARTH”- KINNAUR