Blessed
with some of the most spectacular and beautiful landscapes anywhere,
it is a travellers paradise -lofty snow peaks, deep gorges, lush
green valleys, fast flowing rivers, enchanting mountain lakes,
flower bedecked meadows, beautiful temples and monasteries steeped
in time. May it be for relaxing, sightseeing, trekking, mountaineering,
fishing, para-gliding, skiing, ice skating and golf, Himachal
has it all...Come Explore Himachal with Tour my India....
The
remains of the fort of the rulers of Kangra are located on a strategic
height, overlooking the
'Ban Ganga' and 'Manjhi' rivers. A saying goes, "He who holds
the fort, holds the Kangra" that is why many invaders sacked
it. It once used to be the seat of power of Katoch Rajas. Inaccessible
cliffs surround the fort on three sides. Once it was an imposing
structure of stone. In its highest part were the residences and
temples of the old Katoch Kings.
The
earthquake of 1905 proved too much for the fort. Its entire structure
collapsed and now nothing but its surrounding wall is left. Among
its ruins, besides the temple of goddess Ambika Devi, there are
two Jain temples too. One of them represents the Tirthankar Adinath.
The partly obliterated inscription on it bears the year 1466 AD.
Legend
has it that the fort was built by Raja Susharma Chandra after
the Mahabharata war. At one time the fort, which occupies a long
strip of land, was enclosed with high ramparts and walls covering
a circuit of about 4-km. The fort is located at the end of Old
Kangra town and is a protected monument maintained by the Archeological
Survey of India.
Location:
530 km from Delhi, 125 km from Pathankot.
Height asl: 1000 metres.
Route: Chandigarh - Ropar - Nangal - Una - Kangra - Palampur
- Taragarh.
Nearest Town: Dharamshala (50 km). Rail: Pathankot (115
km), then Palampur by Kangra Queen (11 km).
Air: Jammu (5 hr drive).
Other places of interest: Mcleodganj (67 km), Dharamshala
(50 km), Dalhousie (183 km),
Pragpur (95 km), Jwalamukhi (102 km), Chintpurni (150 km), Manali
(192 km
KINNAUR
Located in the dizzying heights of the Himalayas, with passes
that remain closed for six months linking them with the rest of
the world, Kinnaur, is the land of fairytale and fantasies. Today,
this area has been opened for the daring and adventurous, to discover
what had been hidden from the world for centuries. Kinnaur has
got the spectacular terrain of lush green valleys, orchards, vineyards,
snow clad peaks and cold desert mountains. This border district
of Himachal Pradesh is also rich in flora and fauna and its culture
and languages is different from other parts of the state. Also
known as the tribal district of Himachal Pradesh, Kinnaur is situated
250-km away from Shimla and is situated on the National Highway
No.22.
The
landscape varies from the luxuriant green orchards of the scenic
Sangla valley to the stark magnificence of the of the Hangarang
valley. The massive snow clad ranges that provide a regal dignity
to the scene, are dominated by the peak of Kinner Kailash and
Kalpa is one of the biggest and beautiful villages of Kinnaur
district.
Location:
589 km from Delhi, 238 km from Shimla, 267 km from Kullu.
Height asl: 2700 metres.
Route: New Delhi - Chandigarh - Shimla - Narkanda - Rampur
- Karcham - Sangla (Kinnaur).
Nearest Railheads: Shimla.
Nearest Airport: Shimla.
Taxis: Available from Delhi, Chandigarh, Shimla, Kullu
and Manali.
Temp: April & Oct - Min 6 deg C.
June - Max 29 deg C.
Clothing: Days from April-Oct are warm, early morning &
evenings being colder, light woolens May-July and heavy woolens
in rest of the season.
PRIME
ATTRACTIONS:
Recong Peo (2290 mts, 38 Km from Sangla village): Recong peo is
Kunnaur's district headquarters and has recently built a gompa,
where His Holiness the Dalai Lama conducted a 'Kalchakra' ceremony
in 1992. The ancient settlement of Kalpa with spectacular views,
lies just above Recong Peo.Here is the Hu-Bu-Lan-Kar gompa said
to have been founded by Rinchensang-po in 950-1055 A.D.
Kalpa
(2759m): Beyond Recong Peo, 14-kms from Powari, on the link
road, is the main village of the District-Kalpa. Across the river,
facing Kalpa is the majesty of the Kinner Kailash range. This
is a spectacluar sight early in the morning as the rising sun
touches the snowy peaks with crimson and gold light.
Baspa/Sangla
Valley: This valley starts 57-kms short of Kalpa, which has
been named after a beautiful & populous village Sangla. Sangla
is situated on the right bank of Baspa river 17-kms from Karcham.
Journey from Karcham onwards is enjoyable and adventurous throughout
the valley. The natural scenery all around and the eternal snow
view are picturesque and charming. It is also known as Baspa Valley
since Baspa river flows through this area. This is the most charming
valley in the entire District of Kinnaur.
Chitkul
(3450m): This is the last and highest village in the Baspa
valley. Situated on the right bank of Baspa river and there is
a road along the left bank from Karcham. There are 3 temples of
local goddess Mathi, the main ones are said to have been constructed
about 500 years ago.
Nichar
(2150m): This village is situated between Taranda & Wangtu
on the left bank of Satluj about 5-kms above Wangtu. The scenery
is enchanting and Ghoral, antelopes, black & red bears are
seen sometimes in higher ranges.
Chail-kufri
Chamba
Dalhousie & Kajjiar
Dharamshala
Kalpa & Sangala
Kasauli
Kinnau & Kangra
Kullu-Manali
Lahul Spiti
Nahan & Solan
Naldera
Parwanoo & Masorba
Shimla
