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Himachal Pradesh - The Himalayan State of India

Kaza, Spiti Valley

On the way from Kaza, Spiti Valley to Key Monastery, Spiti Valley

Key Monastery, Spiti Valley

Chicham Bridge over Spiti River in Himachal Pradesh

Spiti Valley is also known for it's vegetable farming and these farms look stunning with snow covered mountains in the background.

A colourful gate for Key Monastery against snow covered mountains in Himachal Pradesh

A view from road connecting Kaza with Kibber Village in Himachal Pradesh

A view from road connecting Kaza with Kibber Village in Himachal Pradesh

Dhankar Village with 360 view of mountains covered with snow and Spiti River in the middle

Dhankar Village in Spiti

Dhankar Village - A spectacular village in Himachal Pradesh overlooking Spiti river and Pin river, with very old Gompa, stunning lake and a wonderful fort telling tails of Tibetan Culture

Dhankar Village in Spiti

Dhankar Village - A spectacular village in Himachal Pradesh overlooking Spiti river and Pin river, with very old Gompa, stunning lake and a wonderful fort telling tails of Tibetan Culture

Monasteries of Spiti

Pooh in Kinnaur region of Himachal Pradesh

Apple Orchards of Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh

Rewalsar in Mandi region of Himachal is a beautiful lake town with Monasteries, Temples and Gurdwara !

Usually Himachal Pradesh has lot of these water reservoirs known as 'Taal' and name of this village is Taal only, which is in Hamirpur region of Himachal Pradesh

Kalpa Village in Kinnaur region of Himachal Pradesh

Chandika Devi Temple in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh

A crazy view of Roghi Village in Himachal Pradesh...

Govind Sagar Lake which spreads in Una and Bilaspur districts of Himachal Pradesh

Rewalsar in Mandi region of Himachal is a beautiful lake town with Monasteries, Temples and Gurdwara !

Rewalsar in Mandi region of Himachal is a beautiful lake town with Monasteries, Temples and Gurdwara !

Cloud play around Naina Devi Temple in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh

Rewalsar Lake, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh

Garli is a Heritage Village in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh with beautiful old Havelis

Pong Dam, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh

Kangra Fort in Himachal Pradesh

Yulla Kanda, Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh

800 years old Ram Temple in Haripur, Himachal Pradesh

Monolithic Temples of Masroor, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh

St. John's Church, Mcleodganj, Himachal Pradesh

World's Highest Altitude Cricket Stadium in Dharmshala, Himachal Pradesh

Langza, Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh

Khajjiar, Chamba, Himachal Pradesh

One of the cafes on Mall Road overlooking Town Hall Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

Dhomri, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

Bhimakali Temple, Sarahan, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

Bagha Sarahan, Kullu, Himachal Pradesh

Jibhi, Kullu, Himachal Pradesh

Abandoned houses on the way to Sarolsar Lake, Kullu, Himachal Pradesh

Bathu Temples which are only visible during Summers in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh

Rampur Bushahr, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

Chulai Fields, Himachal Pradesh

Sarolsar Lake around Jalori Pass, Kullu, Himachal Pradesh

Satluj River, Himachal Pradesh

Barot Valley, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh

World's Highest Hockey Stadium, Shilaroo, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

Shrikhand Mahadev Trek in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh

Sarahan Palace, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

This is how Gue Monastery looks from a distance when you are driving towards it. This mummy is places in a room near this Monastery. Gue village comes on the way, so if you are planning to visit the place just take a pause in village to check if the room is open. If not, you need to take someone with you so that room can be opened to see this mummy. Related Post - Morning walk around Nako Lake and the village in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh

Gue Monastery, Spiti, Himachal Pradesh

Recently I was in Dalhousie to visit my niece and during one of the days we planned to walk around the mall road in Dalhousie town This Photo Journey shares about some of the interesting places on mall road and few tips for folks planning to visit Dalhousie.Gandhi Chowk is probably the most happening place in Dalhousie town. Dalhousie town is comparatively a smaller town as compared to other popular hill stations and that's why it's a peaceful place. Although don't expect this peaceful enviornment during summers :), which lot of folks from Punjab come here with their kids to spend vacations. Gandhi Chowk is a good place for shopping in Dalhousie. Check out Apple products and some fruit wines produced in Himachal. We also bough few packs of apple pickle, which is yet to be tasted :)These beautiful snow covered mountains of Pir Panjal can be seen from Gandhi Chowk. First two photographs are clicked at Gandhi Chowk. The popular St John's church is situated on Gandhi Chowk and the very first photograph in this Photo Journey shows the same.Mall road connects Gandhi Chowk with Subhash chowk on other side of the town. This whole road overlooks at the beautiful Pir Panjal mountain ranges covered with snow. These hills had got fresh snowfall few days back and they were looking awesome. In above photograph, the bottom part shows cantt area of Dalhousie which is next to Banikhet. The clouds around these snow capped hills were continuously changing the hues and every shade was looking brilliant. Throughout the mall road, various seating arrangement are done. All these places are quite cleaner. These places are so beautifully designed that you feel like taking a pause and sit there to enjoy the brilliant of nature around Dalhousie. Above is one of the views from Mall road. This is Ravi river which keeps changing her views during the day. Many times, it's not even visible because of dense clouds all around Dalhousie town. During 3 days stay, we saw Ravi 2 times for short span of time.Mall road in Dalhousie has some of the exceptional private properties, which are quite expensive as well. Above is not a house but a school near church. I intentionally avoided clicking any personal property there.Clouds keep playing around the town and within minutes you see very contrasting enviornment. Completely hazy view at one moment and bright/clear view after a few minutes. Imagine clouds passing by you and indicating that be ready for showers in a while, so plan accordingly :).After walking through the Mall road we finally hit Subhash Chowk which exposes you to the green valley on the opposite side of snow covered Pir Panjal mountain ranges. St. Francis church is located on Subhash chowk, which is much bigger than the one on Gandhi Chowk. There is a small space in this campus, which is dedicated to colorful birds, rabits, ducks. We had a quick round of this church and got down to the Mall road for tea. Urvi, my niece, was sleeping by that time and we wanted to head back now. We called our taxi guy and headed to the home which is 4 kilometers from Dalhousie town.Apart from the Mall road, there is another smaller and beautiful pathway which connected Subhash Chowk with Gandhi Chowk. This is supposedly the preferred route for local folks who want to same time and energy :), but tourists love the Mall road walk because it exposes you to brilliant views of Himalayas. The whole Mall road is surrounded by Deodar trees which add more to the beauty of this town. Dalhousie has been one of my favorite towns and I like the fact that it's not becoming concrete jungle like other hills stations (Shimla, Mussourie etc.)Do drop us a comment, if you want know more about the place or have some specific queries.

Few weeks back we planned to visit Mandi from Delhi and this time we thought of taking a little different route. We planned to visit Naina Devi temple and Bhakhra dam . I visited Naina Devi 15 years back and wanted to know how this part of Himachal has changed over the years.So instead of taking right from Kiratpur Sahib, we went straight towards Una and took right from Anandpur Saheb . Naina Devi temple is 12 kilometers from the cut from main highway.Road condition is good, even when we drive in monsoons. And it's not steep. It' goes up steadily and offer great views from top.After reaching near Naina Devi temple, you have 2 options to park the car. One is near bus stand, which is paid parking and from here you need to walk up for 1.5 kilometers to reach temple.Other way is to park near ropeway station, take ropeway and reach at the top of the hill. Main temple is 5-10 walk from here. We realized it after we parked the car at Bus stand, climbed up and came down through ropeway. Taxi also goes up till ropeway station near temple, so that's 3rd option if you have driver. I didn't check this place, so not very sure if there is parking there.Weather was lovely so walking up went smooth, but we realized that it's bad idea to come down on feet as we saw few folks slipping down badly.I found this very interesting - this boy was giving 9 coins for 10 rupees and it seems that he does good business. So usually people keep the change and keep giving on the way to folks cleaning the compound.Overall it was nice experience to take a break at Naina Devi and started our next journey towards Bhakhra Dam.Be prepared with papers of your vehicle and an identity card. There would be 3 places near dam where your car and documents would be checked.This drive is beautiful with Govind Sagar Lake on right side.crossing Bhakhra Dam and driving for few kilometers, we stopped Sea Rock hotel for food. Food was nice but we found it little expensive w.r.t. portion size. All the prices were matching to good restaurant in Delhi, but portions were small. But overall we enjoyed what they served.Anyways, the journey continued without any break after that. And we reached when it was dark. The day had started early at 4am, but it was day well spent around natural beauty and Naina Devi.

Few weeks back we planned to visit Mandi from Delhi and this time we thought of taking a little different route. We planned to visit Naina Devi temple and Bhakhra dam . I visited Naina Devi 15 years back and wanted to know how this part of Himachal has changed over the years.So instead of taking right from Kiratpur Sahib, we went straight towards Una and took right from Anandpur Saheb . Naina Devi temple is 12 kilometers from the cut from main highway.Road condition is good, even when we drive in monsoons. And it's not steep. It' goes up steadily and offer great views from top.After reaching near Naina Devi temple, you have 2 options to park the car. One is near bus stand, which is paid parking and from here you need to walk up for 1.5 kilometers to reach temple.Other way is to park near ropeway station, take ropeway and reach at the top of the hill. Main temple is 5-10 walk from here. We realized it after we parked the car at Bus stand, climbed up and came down through ropeway. Taxi also goes up till ropeway station near temple, so that's 3rd option if you have driver. I didn't check this place, so not very sure if there is parking there.Weather was lovely so walking up went smooth, but we realized that it's bad idea to come down on feet as we saw few folks slipping down badly.I found this very interesting - this boy was giving 9 coins for 10 rupees and it seems that he does good business. So usually people keep the change and keep giving on the way to folks cleaning the compound.Overall it was nice experience to take a break at Naina Devi and started our next journey towards Bhakhra Dam.Be prepared with papers of your vehicle and an identity card. There would be 3 places near dam where your car and documents would be checked.This drive is beautiful with Govind Sagar Lake on right side.crossing Bhakhra Dam and driving for few kilometers, we stopped Sea Rock hotel for food. Food was nice but we found it little expensive w.r.t. portion size. All the prices were matching to good restaurant in Delhi, but portions were small. But overall we enjoyed what they served.Anyways, the journey continued without any break after that. And we reached when it was dark. The day had started early at 4am, but it was day well spent around natural beauty and Naina Devi.

When it comes to Hill Stations in Himachal Pradesh you will quickly list down Shimla, Dalhousie, Mcleodganj, Dharmshala, Spiti etc, but places like Barot will not come in that list. It's good in one way, but bad for people who like True Natural Beauty with least commercialization and quite peaceful. Nature Lovers want such places to be isolated from tourists more interested in commercial hill-stations with hustle-busstle all around. Let's check out some of the landscapes from Barot Town, which is in Mandi District of Himachal Pradesh (India).Barot is a small town and a popular picnic spot along with a famous tourist location in Mandi district in Himalayan State of India. It is situated 40 km from Jogindernagar, which is one of the big towns in Mandi having historical importance and 66 km from Mandi, which is district headquarters. The road to Barot branches off at Jogindernagar-Mandi highway... The road to Barot branches off from Ghatasni before JoginderNagar while coming from Mandi leading to Jatingri. Further ahead of Jatingri lies Barot at a distance of 14 km. (Info Courtsey - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barot_%28Himachal_Pradesh%29)It is sometimes possible to use the trolley from Jogindernagar which reduces the distance to 13 kilometers, but we were going via car and during that time Trolley was not working due to some technical problem. The route includes terraced fields and thick cedar(Deodar) forests, rising to Jhatingri at the hilltop. The remains of the summer palace of the former rulers of Mandi are located at this place. Through the little village of Tikkan, the road carries on to Barot Town with some hydro plants with beautiful dams under high security. The town has a range of outdoor activities, including a trout breeding center from where fish are released into the Uhl.One can have license to do fishing in this water stream by paying 100 Rs for one day. Tourt Fish of Barot is very popular and there are various places you can get it. There is a Trout Farm and some local folks also sale it in small market of Barot. There are some decent Home-Stay options who have different cooking styles of Trout and we tried some of them during two days stay. Trout Fish of Patli-Kuhl/Preeni in Kullu is also very popular where former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee used to go for enjoying fish with wonderful weather all around. It seems Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee is staying around Manali onlyBarot Town also forms the gateway to the Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary which lies across the Uhl. The sanctuary is home to the monal, black bear and ghoral. Within this are forest rest houses at Thaltuckhod and Silbandhwari. One Guest House is controlled by DFO Jogindernagar and other by DFO Hamirpur, but be cautious about bookings there. Because high Political pressure may lead to cancellation any time, which happened with us as well :) . Through woods of cedar and pine a trek route cuts across the sanctuary to KulluHistorically Barot region formed part of the Mandi riyasat before and during British times & was governed by the King of Mandi. Pre-Independence, Barot was also on the mule trail connecting Kullu valley to Kangra valley. The importance of this route declined once Kullu was connected to a road from Mandi. There is decent habitat now, but it seems some part of Barot comes in Mandi and other in Kangra.Barot Town is a frequent backpacker and day tourist destination now. Many trekking trails pass through Barot town, including trails to Bada Bhangal, Manali and Kullu etc. Most of the day tourists are attracted by the serene surroundings and cheap availability of accommodation. Although the place can be boring for some folks who also want to do some shopping..The Uhl river, which flows through Barot Town, supports Trout breeding and Barot has a few fish farms as well. Across the river Uhl is the Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary, home to Ghoral, Himalayan Black Bear and a variety of pheasants. While coming back many of pheasants crossed our car from hill-side towards water streams on rightHere is a photograph of HPPWD Guest House of Barot, which is quite decent with 5 rooms in good conditionThe adventurous can also make a part of this journey by the PSEB (Punjab State Electricity Board) run haulage trolley, which may not be functioning all the times. So ensure that you have prior information about it for better planning. This trolley was originally used to haul material upwards for the power houses but is now used to transport peopleIf you planning one day trip to Barot, there is a better option to stay in Jogindernagar town. It's a HPTDC Hotel on main highway - UHL. if you plan to stay at Barot only, there are few decent Homestay at nominal charges apart from three government guest houses - HPPWD & 2 Forest Guest Houses.

Pnachpula waterfalls are very refreshing and a nice walk from Dalhousie.

Panchpula Waterfalls, Dalhousie, Chamba, Himachal Pradesh

Green view of Chamera Valley in Himachal Pradesh

Chamera Lake, Chamba, Himachal Pradesh

Wonderful sunset at Dalhousie

Few weeks back we shared a post about planning road trip to Spiti via Shimla and after multiple queries through our form, we intend to share day-wise plan and how we did it. What worked well and what could have been planned better from our side. This would certainly help you understand some of the finer details about the route, places for break, good places to eat on national highway 5 and places where you can night halts. This post shares some moments from road trip on first 2 days from Shimla to Nako. Let's check out, what all you can expect on this route and how we did it.

I know I have not been able to give much time to the blog because of other engagements in office and I want to focus on other priorities, but other guest-bloggers have assured me to bring at least one blog-post in a week. So we started a little late from Shimla and Sunset moment encountered as we crossed Narkanda. We didn't have any plan for stay. This was an indicator to start thinking about the place where we want to spend the night. Rampur was one obvious option and there are multiple hotels in Rampur. Apart from Jeori was another we were thinking about. Both these places are part of Shimla region and Jeori us near to Kinnaur border.

This was our second break at the sunset point. Before that we had a tea break near Kufri. We could manage to book 2 rooms in one of the guest-houses in Jeori. Jeori has one HPPWD guest and 2 guest houses by Electricity department of the state Himachal. Overall experience of HPPWD guest houses is better and cost effective. If not available, there are some budget hotels in main market of Jeori. And in case of uncertainty, it's recommended to take a halt at Rampur.

Above photograph shows 2 men in Kinnauri dress and carrying devtas with them. This photograph was clicked from moving car. In hills, there is very high probability of finding smiling people and that makes your trip more joyful.

It's usual to encounter these herds of sheep on National Highway 5. We were excited when we encountered in first time, but gradually it became a pain as you easily waste 15 mins if the leader of this heard is not an expert. Trained herd can manage traffic themselves as they know where to move and how to create path for vehicles coming from both the directions.

Gaddi Community on migration from colder places to relatively warmer areas before winters in Himachal Pradesh

The famous lama mummy of Samgha Tenzin is there in Gue Monastery. I found it pretty interesting because I had only heard of mummies and this is first time I saw one. And believe me, it’s very different experience to witness something like this. During my visit, I also got a chance to know about it from locals. And the guy shared that, it’s a practice in different parts of the world when a lama figures out or wants to lead towards death. In such case, they start following a specific diet and gradually there are other processes followed to preserve the body. Using candles to dry the skin is one of the processes. and after a time, this body is kept in basements with extreme temperatures & air conditions. Interesting this is a unique mummy in India and many such can be found in Japan. I will be sharing a separate post on this as I found it pretty interesting.

500 years old mummy in Gue Monastery, Himachal Pradesh

Today Mr. Shankar Rajaram came to meet us at Noida. He was here in Delhi after Chadar Trek last month. Shankar has been trekking around Himalayas for more than 20 years now. His passion for trekking started when he used to visit various pilgrimage places. Today's discussion with Shankar reminded me of my Shrikhand Mahadev trek, which I did with my friends in 2008. This post is just a refresher of #LifeLessOrdinary experiences at the height of 18,700 feet with snow covered Himalayan ranges. Shrikhand Mahadev Trek is one of the most difficult treks I have done and Shankar also agrees with me on this. Shankar, who has done many more treks in his life considers Shrikhand as something he will not even dream of attempting in future. While we can still think of Kailash Mansarovar, Chadar Trek, Lamkhaga Pass, Rupkund, Pin Parvati etc. At the same time, it's said that treks can't be compared and they change every year and experiences can be drastically different which usually depend upon the weather conditions.When we started from Delhi, we had never thought that next 7 days would be very different and exciting as compared to regular life we live in Metro cities. After reaching the base-camp of Shrikhand Mahadev, we lost connectivity. It was the time to inform everyone that we would not be reachable for next few days. This trek starts from Jaon village. After long drive from Delhi to Jaon, through Chandigarh, Shimla & Baghupul, it was time to have some rest and be ready for the real adventure from next morning. Shrikhand Mahadev was not a popular trek in 2008, but lot of local pilgrims used to go till the top of Shrikhand peak. Shikhand is basically a huge rock standing still on snow covered hills. It's a very unique thing and that's the reason that local folks from Himachal consider it very auspicious. But for us, it was an adventure and a good break from routine life.First day of this trek was mainly about crossing some rivers, water-streams and dense forests full of fog & high trees. We were trekking in the month of July, which is the only time to trek till Shrikhand peak. Rains and low visibility are two main challenges in this trek. This is what we thought on day-1 but we were not prepared for other challenges we experienced in subsequent days.During this trek we had some exceptional experiences which are hard to describe through words. I would recommend you to see photograph above, as it is very difficult to explain what we were experiencing. We were walking on the clouds and I do not mean metaphorically. It was surreal, though day dreaming was very risky owing to the steep gorges just one misstep could lead us to fall into.Sustained by Maggi, fresh air, and an adrenaline rush, we carried on in spite of the biting cold, mortal danger, and exhaustion. With only the rock, the Mahadev, in sight, we carried on. Never have I felt more in touch with myself as I did amongst those invincible mountains and the rolling valleys.At times the next step felt as if it could be my last, and at times I felt as if I had transcended mortality. Reality and dreams merged and I seemed to be slipping in and out of reveries. Being one with nature does this to you. There are no more questions. Amidst such pristine surroundings, it is just the Truth, The Ultimate TruthI don't know what it is about these treks but they are immensely emotional experiences. By the time we reached the summit, all of us were overflowing with emotions. I tried and blinked fast to fight them, but at last I had to gave in and the tears flowed. Once they started, I couldn't stop and soon I was sobbing. No one asked me why. Because all of them were experiencing something unique. And I wasn't the only one crying. And let me now treat you to some ethereal sights from the trek...

Today Mr. Shankar Rajaram came to meet us at Noida. He was here in Delhi after Chadar Trek last month. Shankar has been trekking around Himalayas for more than 20 years now. His passion for trekking started when he used to visit various pilgrimage places. Today's discussion with Shankar reminded me of my Shrikhand Mahadev trek, which I did with my friends in 2008. This post is just a refresher of #LifeLessOrdinary experiences at the height of 18,700 feet with snow covered Himalayan ranges. Shrikhand Mahadev Trek is one of the most difficult treks I have done and Shankar also agrees with me on this. Shankar, who has done many more treks in his life considers Shrikhand as something he will not even dream of attempting in future. While we can still think of Kailash Mansarovar, Chadar Trek, Lamkhaga Pass, Rupkund, Pin Parvati etc. At the same time, it's said that treks can't be compared and they change every year and experiences can be drastically different which usually depend upon the weather conditions.When we started from Delhi, we had never thought that next 7 days would be very different and exciting as compared to regular life we live in Metro cities. After reaching the base-camp of Shrikhand Mahadev, we lost connectivity. It was the time to inform everyone that we would not be reachable for next few days. This trek starts from Jaon village. After long drive from Delhi to Jaon, through Chandigarh, Shimla & Baghupul, it was time to have some rest and be ready for the real adventure from next morning. Shrikhand Mahadev was not a popular trek in 2008, but lot of local pilgrims used to go till the top of Shrikhand peak. Shikhand is basically a huge rock standing still on snow covered hills. It's a very unique thing and that's the reason that local folks from Himachal consider it very auspicious. But for us, it was an adventure and a good break from routine life.First day of this trek was mainly about crossing some rivers, water-streams and dense forests full of fog & high trees. We were trekking in the month of July, which is the only time to trek till Shrikhand peak. Rains and low visibility are two main challenges in this trek. This is what we thought on day-1 but we were not prepared for other challenges we experienced in subsequent days.During this trek we had some exceptional experiences which are hard to describe through words. I would recommend you to see photograph above, as it is very difficult to explain what we were experiencing. We were walking on the clouds and I do not mean metaphorically. It was surreal, though day dreaming was very risky owing to the steep gorges just one misstep could lead us to fall into.Sustained by Maggi, fresh air, and an adrenaline rush, we carried on in spite of the biting cold, mortal danger, and exhaustion. With only the rock, the Mahadev, in sight, we carried on. Never have I felt more in touch with myself as I did amongst those invincible mountains and the rolling valleys.At times the next step felt as if it could be my last, and at times I felt as if I had transcended mortality. Reality and dreams merged and I seemed to be slipping in and out of reveries. Being one with nature does this to you. There are no more questions. Amidst such pristine surroundings, it is just the Truth, The Ultimate TruthI don't know what it is about these treks but they are immensely emotional experiences. By the time we reached the summit, all of us were overflowing with emotions. I tried and blinked fast to fight them, but at last I had to gave in and the tears flowed. Once they started, I couldn't stop and soon I was sobbing. No one asked me why. Because all of them were experiencing something unique. And I wasn't the only one crying. And let me now treat you to some ethereal sights from the trek...

Shrikhand Mahadev in Himachal Pradesh is one of the most difficult Treks, I have done so far. All these photographs are more than 4 years old now, but memories are still fresh in our mind. This Photo Journey is sharing some of the black & White photographs shot during Shrikhand Mahadev Trek in 2008. Let's check out and know more about this wonderful place in Himalayas...Very first photograph shows a huge rock standing still on top of snow covered hill at the height of approximately 1700 feets. This place is of high importance for Shiva followers. This rock is considered as Shivling and every year various pilgrim come to this place from various parts of the country. This Trek opens in July for approximately 3 months. I remember the moment when this Trek was planned by Vikas, Vishal & Narender Ji... I was one of the passive member who was not involved in planning and other folks were best at it :) ... It was very quick plan... Three of us started from Delhi and all of us met at Shimla to start next journey. We went till Nirmand Town in our car and parked it there at some friend's home... From their, we hired a cab to drop us at Jaon Village. jaon village is base from where Shrikhand Mahadev Trek Starts. This whole stretch from Jaon to Shrikhand Mahadev peak was very beautiful with various herbs, plants and flowers on the way...This climb from Jaon to Shrikhand peak took 3 days and third day was mainly through rocky hills with not plants and most of them covered with snow... Last day was challenging one with last stretch was also creating some breathing problems for some of us.. So idea was to reach final destination, spend little time there and come back to Parvali Bag for spending night... During back journey we took 2 days to reach Jaon Village...Here is another photographs from third day of climb.. This place is just above Nain-Sarovar... I call it cloud store... Even this kind of clouds can't be seen from airplane... The size of hills in background will give you some idea about the diameter of this Cloud store.. It was most beautiful moment to see these clouds.. I wish I had a video to share this moment...Here is a photograph showing two of our friends climbing up through snow covered hill around Shrikhand Mahadev Peak. After this stretch some of us started feeling breathing problems but we managed to handle this through some of the medicines we were carrying with us..During this trek to Shrikhand Mahadev, clouds keep walking with you and at times start racing and of-course you can't compete with them :) ... Although these clouds make you most uncomfortable when they plan to throw heavy showers on you, while you have backpack on your shoulders and climbing high...Shrikhand Mahadev Trek is part of Great Himalayan National Park in Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh, India. Although route to reach the place is through Shimla town if you are coming from Delhi or Chandigarh... Weather on these hills is extremely unpredictable... Rains can start anytime... It's hard to see sun after 9am as clouds start moving from one place to another and whole day is spent with roaming clouds.. Most of the times, weather is good for trekking unless rain starts.. After first day, you don't even see trees where you can protect yourself from raindrops...Here is a photograph of fuggy day.. It was day one near Thachru which is one of the halts, where tents can be arranged for night stay but many folks target for Kali-Ghati or Parvati Bag on first day... We stayed at Thacharu as we didn't want to rush.. After first day of trek two of us were down with fever due to sudden change in weather and continuous trekking throughout the day...Here is a photograph of Shrikhand River which starts following you from Baghi-pul and during first day you have to walk through it or along the parallel paths during first half... A beautiful river with chilled water which comes from snow capped peaks around Shrikhand Mahadev Peak.Here is a photograph of Parvati Bag. This is the place which is targeted for first stay by many trekkers and for us it was very aggressive... So on first day we stayed at Thachru and on second day at Foolon ki Ghati which is next to Parwati bag....Lush green hills all around with shining white snow on the top and inside the corners of these hills.... Many of the water sources were also frozen on the way... At times, walking on those was extremely risky and you never know that which part of it has hallow below it...In some of the water streams, flow of water was very high during the day time and it used to increase as time passes in a day... During evening all of these streams used to get highest flow and slows down during night and cycle gets repeated.Here is a nother photograph of one of the hills covered with Hills... But this is much below the Shrikhand Mahadev Peak as we can see some tree in the bottom... This one is probably shot during first day or even on the way from Shimla to Jaon village...One of the rare photographs from Shrikhand Mahadev when we saw uncovered sky which was not wrapped by dense clouds..

Shrikhand Mahadev in Himachal Pradesh is one of the most difficult Treks, I have done so far. All these photographs are more than 4 years old now, but memories are still fresh in our mind. This Photo Journey is sharing some of the black & White photographs shot during Shrikhand Mahadev Trek in 2008. Let's check out and know more about this wonderful place in Himalayas...Very first photograph shows a huge rock standing still on top of snow covered hill at the height of approximately 1700 feets. This place is of high importance for Shiva followers. This rock is considered as Shivling and every year various pilgrim come to this place from various parts of the country. This Trek opens in July for approximately 3 months. I remember the moment when this Trek was planned by Vikas, Vishal & Narender Ji... I was one of the passive member who was not involved in planning and other folks were best at it :) ... It was very quick plan... Three of us started from Delhi and all of us met at Shimla to start next journey. We went till Nirmand Town in our car and parked it there at some friend's home... From their, we hired a cab to drop us at Jaon Village. jaon village is base from where Shrikhand Mahadev Trek Starts. This whole stretch from Jaon to Shrikhand Mahadev peak was very beautiful with various herbs, plants and flowers on the way...This climb from Jaon to Shrikhand peak took 3 days and third day was mainly through rocky hills with not plants and most of them covered with snow... Last day was challenging one with last stretch was also creating some breathing problems for some of us.. So idea was to reach final destination, spend little time there and come back to Parvali Bag for spending night... During back journey we took 2 days to reach Jaon Village...Here is another photographs from third day of climb.. This place is just above Nain-Sarovar... I call it cloud store... Even this kind of clouds can't be seen from airplane... The size of hills in background will give you some idea about the diameter of this Cloud store.. It was most beautiful moment to see these clouds.. I wish I had a video to share this moment...Here is a photograph showing two of our friends climbing up through snow covered hill around Shrikhand Mahadev Peak. After this stretch some of us started feeling breathing problems but we managed to handle this through some of the medicines we were carrying with us..During this trek to Shrikhand Mahadev, clouds keep walking with you and at times start racing and of-course you can't compete with them :) ... Although these clouds make you most uncomfortable when they plan to throw heavy showers on you, while you have backpack on your shoulders and climbing high...Shrikhand Mahadev Trek is part of Great Himalayan National Park in Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh, India. Although route to reach the place is through Shimla town if you are coming from Delhi or Chandigarh... Weather on these hills is extremely unpredictable... Rains can start anytime... It's hard to see sun after 9am as clouds start moving from one place to another and whole day is spent with roaming clouds.. Most of the times, weather is good for trekking unless rain starts.. After first day, you don't even see trees where you can protect yourself from raindrops...Here is a photograph of fuggy day.. It was day one near Thachru which is one of the halts, where tents can be arranged for night stay but many folks target for Kali-Ghati or Parvati Bag on first day... We stayed at Thacharu as we didn't want to rush.. After first day of trek two of us were down with fever due to sudden change in weather and continuous trekking throughout the day...Here is a photograph of Shrikhand River which starts following you from Baghi-pul and during first day you have to walk through it or along the parallel paths during first half... A beautiful river with chilled water which comes from snow capped peaks around Shrikhand Mahadev Peak.Here is a photograph of Parvati Bag. This is the place which is targeted for first stay by many trekkers and for us it was very aggressive... So on first day we stayed at Thachru and on second day at Foolon ki Ghati which is next to Parwati bag....Lush green hills all around with shining white snow on the top and inside the corners of these hills.... Many of the water sources were also frozen on the way... At times, walking on those was extremely risky and you never know that which part of it has hallow below it...In some of the water streams, flow of water was very high during the day time and it used to increase as time passes in a day... During evening all of these streams used to get highest flow and slows down during night and cycle gets repeated.Here is a nother photograph of one of the hills covered with Hills... But this is much below the Shrikhand Mahadev Peak as we can see some tree in the bottom... This one is probably shot during first day or even on the way from Shimla to Jaon village...One of the rare photographs from Shrikhand Mahadev when we saw uncovered sky which was not wrapped by dense clouds..

alt="Recently I was in Himachal to visit my Nana/Nani , who live in a small village called Chauntra in Hamirpur region. We spent 3 days with family there and planned to a short trek into the huge pine forest which stretched in hundreds of square kilometers. This Photo Journey shares more about the place and things you can do.First let me share that why we planned this trek. We have a small piece of land in the forest, from where we bring grass for cattle at home. I have visited this place many times in my childhood. It's approximately 2 kilometers from our house and I have carried grass from this land to the home through various mountains and gorges.We packed some stuff with us and headed towards the pine forest, which was lush green because of monsoons. Although some of the pines had marks of fire which spread in summers.Since may of these terrains are not frequently visited, so it was hard to find right path. To add more flavor to the problem, high grass was making it more difficult. Especially it was more risky around the edges when high grass was very distracting.On our way, we met lot of new friends walking on the lush green grass.Some of them were very active and difficult to capture in my Travellingcamera. This Photo Journey has some of the those who co-operated with Travellingcamera :). This Ladybug accompanied us for a long time.There were lot of butterflies all around, but again we couldn't capture them all.Above photograph shows a village at a distance surrounded by corn fields and banana farms. Most of these photographs are clicked with #SamsungS5. Who can guess this? In above photograph you see some marks on pine tree. This is usually done to take out gum which is used for industrial purposes. Marking marking such cuts with knife a container is hanged in the bottom of this area, which collects gum. A team of folks regularly visit forest to take this gum and put empty containers again.An abandoned house in middle of the forest. Sky always looks so bright and colorful in Hamirpur. It was a great day spent with family !!"

Hills & roads are my two best buddies. This Photo Journey is from very special region of himachal pradesh, which is little away from hustle bustle of tourists and preferred by adventure lovers. Himalayan state of India has lot to explore and especially the rural areas which are comparatively less explored. Definitely, such places are not meant for all the travelers but those who like peaceful places would never miss the opportunities. I am sharing this post for the benefit of such people. We usually hear about such places through word of mouth and folks travelled these trails would have lot to share.Jibhi, Shoja and Banjar are popular amongst adventure lovers, motorsport buffs, bikers and backpackers. There are two routes to hit this part of Himachal Pradesh. Most preferred route is through mandi which diverts from Aut.Jibhi is a beautiful place in Banjar Valley of Himachal Pradesh, which offers you some exceptional landscapes. If you are a Photographer or painter, you would love to be around these hills & capture the beauty in your canvas.Jibhi can be approached from Chandigarh-Manali Highway. There is a small detour in right just before the tunnel at AUT. Banjar is approximately 30 kilometers AUT and you need to follow the road following the river. If you are coming in overnight Volvo, get down at this cut and take local bus. This region is well connected through private buses. Jibhi is another 8 km from Banjar town towards Jalori Pass.We spent most of the time driving around these villages which are connected through temporary roads. There are many villages which are not directly connected through roads.While compiling this post about this region, I read more and came across a very detailed post . I recommend you to also check this post for planning your trip to this region. Jalori pass and Sarolsar lake are must go places in this region. There is a small trek to reach Sarolsar lake but it's fun to walk through forest.Every now and then you get magnificant views of snow covered hills when driving around this region of Himachal Pradesh. There are plenty of easy and medium level treks around this region of Himalayan State of India.The villages in this part of Himachal are different. The architecture, sizes, locations, placement, colors etc. On the way, we randomly stopped at few houses and one family also offered us tea and packed few apples.Such terrains make to realize about simplicity of life in Himachal. Things are simple, time is passing slowly, everyone has time for each other, compassionate people and there is no race. Most of it may sound cliched but that's true. One must explore these terrains to get closer to reality of life. One of the best terrains for explorers. While driving around Jibhi, Shoja & Kalori Pass, we met different folks on our. This gentleman works with HPPWD and was coming back home. He was walking and there was hardly anyone around. We asked if he needs lift. He smiled that said that he needs to visit his fields on the way, which are not actually on roadside. We spent some time with him and it's his regular routine. He hardly uses vehicles to commute from home to work. Most of his work is in surroundings. There are few moments when HPPWD trucks come and pick all these workers to take them to work-site which is at distance.Sunset hues hitting these high deodars make these terrains more beautiful. Our campsite was planned at Shaij and this place was nearby. We spent some time here and then headed towards the camps. In future, I want to go there our own tents and other camping equipments. This region is safe and best suited for camping.Above photograph would give you some sense about roads some of the villages have. Here idea is not to say that roads are in bad shape, but to highlight that many of the villages are getting connected. Its practically difficult to have equally good roads in all terrains. So it's better to keep improving situation over time. First goal should be to connect these villages. 'PradhanMantri Sadak Yogana' started by Atal Bihari Vajpayee helped lot of villages in India to get connected through roads.Now, it's easy to find home-stays around Jibhi, Shoja & Banjar.

Now that lot of travellers are moving away from typical tourist destinations, people are choosing places like Narkanda and the popularity of such places is increasing fast. Narkanda is located on NH-22 which connects Shimla with Kinnaur and surrounded by snow covered peaks. Beautiful landscapes with snow covered peaks, blue sky and high deodars make this place very special. Narkanda is not only a small town in Himachal, but it's a region which has lot to offer for explorers/travellers.How to reach Narkanda - Narkanda town is 60 kilometers from Shimla and very well accessible through local buses. The road from Shimla to Narkanda is superb except a stretch near Shimla/Sanjauli towns. It takes approximately 1.5 hours from Shimla to Narkanda. If you are driving in your own vehicle, it's recommended to stop at Shilaroo Hockey stadium Dhomri is closest camping place to Narkanda. It's at a walking distance from the town. First photograph of this Photo Journey is clicked at Dhomri. This was clicked few years back during MTB Himalaya rally . And this is the place where skiing trainings and competitions happen in winters.If we look at Narkanda Pictures on internet, you wold find lot of hikes around Narkanda and Hatu peak is one of the most popular place amongst hikers, Trekkers, bikers and adventure lovers. Check out the link above to know about this place. This place is also surrounded by beautiful forests. This place is also quite interesting for camping. Hatu peak is probably the highest peak in this region and it's must to experience the wind on the top.Most of the Narkanda Hotels have great view of snow covered peaks. I have stayed in HPPWD guest house and HPTDC hotel in Narkanda. Both of these properties are very well located around the town.Narkanda tourism is picking up and it's quite encouraging. Most of folks who plan shimla kinnaur trip should definitely consider taking a break around this region of Shimla. As you move further from Narkanda, the landscapes become more beautiful. Road passes through deodar forests and suddenly you come across great views of snow covered peaks Another interesting place around Narkanda is Tani Jubber lake which is close to Kotgarh. It's a beautiful lake surrounded by deodar forest. I was also fortunate to camp at Tani jubber as well. Once, we had installed our tents in playground of government school which is near to Tani Jubber lake. And one night was spent in an apple orchard. If you keep walking on the road adjoining lake, you would find lot of apples. July/August is best time to see red apples on these trees.Kotgarh shimla region is popular for it's export quality apples and cherries. As you enter Kotgarh region, you see apple orchards all around. Apart from apple, you can find cherries, kiwi, apricot, peach, wallnut, almond trees as well. There are some nice home stays in Kotgarh region. I have never stayed in homestays of Kotgarh, but that's in my list. And I want to visit this region again in July time, which is harvest season for villagers.If you keep driving towards Kinnaur, you hit the place where Satluj will start following you.I am sure that Narkanda has lot more than what I have shared in this post. If you are keen in knowing more, click on links embedded in this post which talk about specific destinations around Narkanda and what makes them so special. Camping is definitely something that should be planned in this part of Himachal Pradesh. Hope to share more camping photographs soon.

Narkanda, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

I was never so excited about Raksha Bandhan. Especially in my childhood, when used to be jealous with my sister and cousins. All the girls used to get fancy gifts from all brothers as well as elders in family. I used to have a deal with my parents to get a gift for myself and most of the times, I preferred money over gifts :). Anyways, this time I am travelling to Dalhousie for Raksha bandhan. Does that sound exciting? I am very excited about my upcoming visit to Dalhousie >.Today I came across an interesting by my favorite food blogger Sangeeta Khanna. It was about healthy options to celebrate Raksha Bandhan Tonight I am again heading towards Dalhousie and there are multiple reasons for this excitement. Last time when I visited Dalhousie, it was very cold and it was raining most of the times. And rains after snowfall just ruin everything. Weather would be comparatively much better in the month of August. And the most important reason is to meet Urvi again :) . Few days back, she woke up early in the morning asked her mom to call Mama/Mamiji. It’s an amazing feeling when she misses us so much.I don’t have any specific plans but most likely I will be visiting Khajjiar & Dainkund trek/ Look forward to exciting trip to Dalhousie.

Dalhousie Public School, Dalhousie, Chamba, Himachal Pradesh

Few days back I was looking at my old photographs in Lightroom and came across this photograph. Immediately after a question came to my mind that I haven't visited Yosemite National Park yet then how come this photograph is there in my catalog? When I explored more, I realized that place is near Serolsar lake . During my first visit to Serolsar, we moved ahead and found these rock mountains which are unusual. At least, I haven't seen such mountains in Mandi, Shimla or Kullu regions. There are lot of Rock mountains in KInnaur and Lahaul-Spiti. And here this mountain is in middle of green mountains all around. Such landscapes make Yosemite special and hence this comparison. If you have been to Yosemite, do you see any similarity or I am missing something else. I would love to hear your thoughts through comments. Trekkers usually go go till Serolsar Lake from Jalori pass and these mountains are clearly visible, if you trek ahead. After seeing this photograph, I am curious to know more about this place and plan a trek beyond Serolsar lake. If explored more, I am sure that we can find more such landscapes around Jeori in Shimla, which is on border of Kinnar district of Himachal Pradesh. This photograph inspires me to do more research and find more of such landscapes in India and photograph them.

During recent trip to Shimla, I was travelling on bikes most of the time. Our bikes even hit the restricted regions like Mall Road, Ridge and Lakkar bazar... Let's have a quick Photo Journey of Shimla !!!New look of Gaiety Theatre in Shimla. This Theatre is situated on Mall Road and now open for all. There is small ticket amount one needs to pay to explore it inside. Various plays, exhibitions and other cultural events take place at Gaiety Theatre. Some part of Gaiety is also visible from Ridge.Afternoon view of Ridge, Shimla !!! Some Himachal Tourism activity was going and Aneesh was allowed to take his bike to Ridge with proper care. Ridge, Mall Road and Lakkar Bazar regions are restricted areas where vehicles are not allowed.Birds roaming around Ridge/Mall Road during Saturday Evening :) ... Saturday evenings are very popular for folks in Shimla and Mall road is too much crowded during Saturday evenings. Bird watching could be one of the reasons..A view of Shimla from High Court building. This photograph is clicked from Mall Road only, but near High Court of Himachal Pradesh !!!I am completely in love with Shimla Architecture and my camera couldn't resist clicking all those building on Shimla streets & roads. This photograph was clicked while we were climbing up towards Mall Road from HHH hotel.More beautiful buildings from Shimla, but increasing vehicles are becoming one of the main challenges when parking is biggest issue in the city. But it's amazing to these folks driving so fast on narrow roads with lots of curves here and thereHere comes Mr. Aneesh Awasthi. Here he is trying typical short cuts in Shimla, but mostly they are for walking people not for bikers. Since it's difficult for Aneesh to walk, so he thought of riding down these stairs.During noon there is nothing on Mall road so came down towards Shimla Market and thought of going towards Naldera Golf ground... Although plans changed later. I hope you noticed the density of houses on these hills. There is no difference between these hill stations and metros like Delhi now.Here is a view of Mall road after sunset. Folks have started coming to Mall Road and soon it will be fully loaded, or in fact overloaded.Here is another view of Ridge in Shimla. Ridge and Mall road are well connected with each other and have many decent restuarants around the place. Ridge is basically a huge tank of water which is main supply for various parts of Shimla. There is also an underground makrket called Indira Market and Press Club of Shimla is also situated in this market.Wonderful view of Christ Church on Ridge, Shimla. Bright blue sky make this photograph more intersting... This was a qick photo journey with no plans and thought of sharing here... Hope to be there in Shimla for Christmas and wish to click some the same places with snow !!!

Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

During one of my recent visits to Shimla, schedule was really busy and I also wanted to visit Viceregal Lodge. Usually I go to Viceregal Lodge via HPU route or walk down from Mall Road. This time the route changed and first time I climbed from Boileuganj...Here is first view we get after climbing a hill from boileuganj.I have stayed in Shimla for 3 years approximately but never went through this route, although it's quite easy and quick one to reach Viceregal Lodge. Buses for Boileuganj are very easily available from bus stand and Himachal Pradesh University. And then it's a 15 minutes climb which is not very steep.It starts from the chowk where roads from Tutoo, Summerhill, Bus-Stand and University meet. And lagoors will be there to welcome you. It's not very special because they can be found anywhere in Shimla to welcome you :)During the climb, HPTDC (Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corp.) Hotel 'Peter Hoff' can be seen just below the TV tower of Shimla. Peter Hoff is one of the good hotels in Shimla and it's situated next to Viceregal Lodge. Exactly it's in the middle of Chaura Maidaan and Viceregal Lodge. Via bus, it's accessible from 103. 103 is a bus stop near tunnel-no 103 and very popular stop in Shimla.New Bus Stand of Shimla is also visible during the climb. This is first time I saw this bus stand and it was amazing. I wanted to compare it with IGI airport but stopped myself :) ... But for sure, it's best among all the bus stands we have in North India at least. it's situated near Dhali. Old bus stand has been converted into Local bus stand and there are regular shuttles between new and old bus-stands. While coming back to Delhi, I did some mobilegiri at Shimla Bus stand and will share soon...Himachal Pradesh Judicial Academy also comes on the way from Boileuganj to Viceregal Lodge.It's a wonderful walk from Boileuganj to Viceregal Lodge as whole stretch is full of trees and nice flowers around. At times it feels like you are crossing through some garden. There are some governments residences as well, which makes this hill more lively.Apart from some institutes and houses, there are some buildings which seemed to be locked for last many years. But somehow, colors lie about these buildings. The building above shown was closed from all the directions and there seemed to be a long silence around the place.After a quick climb, we reached Viceregal Lodge. It was so quick that I forgot to mention that one of my cousin was accompanying me and we also discussed some changes happening in his institute in HPU (UIIT). Overall this was a fastest route to Viceregal Lode but probably I will still prefer the longer route which comes through Vidhan-Sabha, Cecil etc.

Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

This is again a photograph from Mcleodganj but shot outside the famous temple of His Holiness Dalai Lama. This Photograph shows Singing/Meditation Bowls of different sizes in Mcledoganj Market. These are one of the famous shopping item around Mcledoganj streets and Bhagsu Waterfalls. I have been to Mcledoganj many times but during last visit I got to know about these wonderful pieces of metal which create nice sounds with vibration on rubbing a wooden stick against it's top edge. I have got one and with practice, I am able to get wonderful sounds of of it.

Dzongsar Khyentse Chökyi Lödrö Institute – A stunning & full of colours Buddhist Revelation around Himalayan terrains of Bir billing & peaceful landscapes of Chauntra in Himachal Pradesh

Recently some of us were on Kinnaur Trip and there is place called Jeory on the way. Sarahan is approximately 30 kilometers from Jeory and it's a beautiful town located on hill-top with amazing views of snow covered hills of Kinnaur. Bheemakali temple of Sarahan is most popular place to visit and this Photo Journey shares some of the moments spent around Bheema Kali Temple.Bheema Kali Temple has a huge campus and different temples inside the campus. There are two main temples, out of which one is accessible to everyone during normal days.The Second one is opened on some special occasions and Devi only allows Raja Virbhadra Singh to open the door of that temple. Shri Bheema Kali Temple is located in Sarahan town of Himachal Pradesh in India which is dedicated to the mother goddess Bhimakali, presiding deity of the rulers of former Bushahr State. The temple is situated about 180 km from Shimla and is one of 51 Shakti Peethass. The temple complex has another three temples dedicated to Lord Raghunathji, Narsinghji and Patal Bhairva Ji (Lankra Veer) - the guardian deity.Architecture of Bheema Kali Temple is beautiful. Whole campus is built with Stone and wooden blocks. It seems some part of the campus has not even cement to fix the joints. Whole campus is very well maintained and there is enough security as well.Here is one of the doors of the Bheem Kali temple in Sarahan Town. It's made up of silver with beautiful carving. There is also some text written, mostly in Hindi and Tibbatian scripts. Most of the carved forms are different gods and linked through some old stories.Sarahan was the capital of rulers of former Bushahr State. Bushahr dynasty earlier used to control the state from Kamroo. The capital of state later was shifted to Sonitpur. Later Raja Ram Singh made Rampur as the capital. It is believed that the country of Kinnaur was the Kailash mentioned in Puranas, the abode of Shiva. With its capital at Sonitpur this former princely state was extended up to entire area of Kinnaur where for sometimes Lord Shiva disguised himself as Kirata. Today, the then Sonitpur is known as Sarahan. Banasura, the ardent devotee of Lord Siva, eldest among the one hundred sons of great ablative demon King Bali and the great grandson of Vishnu votary Prahlad, during the Puranic age was the ruler of this princely state.(Courtesy - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhimakali_Temple)According to a legend, the manifestation of the goddess is reported to the Daksha-Yajna incident when the ear of the Sati fell at this place and became a place of worship as a Pitha - Sthan. Presently in the form of a virgin the icon of this eternal goddess is consecrated at the top storey of the new building. Below that storey the goddess as Parvati, the daughter of Himalaya is enshrined as a divine consort of Lord SivaThere is a small market around Bheema Kali Temple and there are enough shops to have lunch or light snacks. Apart from that local caps can be bought from this fellow. He was very welcoming and offered good discounts for us :). We had asked for rates in Rampur Market, but he had better stuff and reasonable prices. There are many other shops in the town where some local stuff can be procured. On top of all that, most of the folks were really sweet to interact with.During our visit, we were looking for ladies wearing Dhaatu but couldn't gain the courage to ask anyone to get clicked by us. And just outside the Bheema Kali temple, this lady asked us to click one of her photograph and show her how we click. Probably she was noticing us clicking & reviewing photographs around the temple. We clicked few shots and showed to her. She shared some tips to improve and finally approved few of the shots. After final approval, she invited us to her hotel nearby but we couldn't go because it was time to head back as we had booked guest-house in Jeory.Here is a nearby sight, which is popularly known as Hawa-Ghar. This point has very clear view of Kinnar-Kailash Hills and place was quite windy. We spent around 30 minutes here to enjoy the breeze and take rest. This place is isolated form hustle bustle of the town. When we reached, there was only one person sitting here. Probably this place was least used by localites, as everyone has Hawa-ghar around their own houses :)Whole place was surrounded by Pine or Deodar Forests and smell was awesome in the middle of these forests. It was really an amazing experience to roam around Bheema Kali Temple and Sarahan Town. Meeting different people, visiting one of the amazing temples in this region, Hawa Ghar, a huge house of old kingdom etc.The town Sarahan is known as the gateway of Kinnaur. Down below at a distance of 7 km from Sarahan is the River Satluj. Sarahan is identified with the then Sonitpur mentioned in Puranas.Before entering into the main temple, everyone needs to lock mobiles, wallets or anything else which is made of leather and then wear a cap. Above photograph shows Aneesh wearing the holy cap and standing on right side of lockers everyone gets to keep everything safe.

If you are a regular visitor of Travellingcamera, you must have noticed that title of this Photo Journey is not really matching with what we usually share. This post is inspired by lot of queries which come to us, especially in summer. One of the mostly asked thing is the options to reach Kasol and Malana. Here we are trying to share some details the option to reach Kasol/Malana, places to stay, things to do and lot more. While compiling this post, old memories are coming to my mind. I started this blog in 2008 and never got a chance to go again to Kasol, but my only trip to this region was very exciting with college friends. We planned a trip to Kullu Manali from Shimla and thought of visiting Kasol/Malana as well. This was a week long trip and we spent 3 days walking & trekking around Kasol. When it comes to options of reaching Kasol from Delhi or Chandigarh, the only way to hit this region is by road. It's not connected by railway and flights are not very frequent to Kullu. There is an Airport near to Kasol, which is located in Bhuntar (Kullu) but flights are rare and would be a costly affair. In some of the portals, folks have quoted low rates like 2.5K but I could never find that. There is no rail line in part of Himachal Pradesh. Kiratpur Saheb in Punjab and Una in Himachal are two railway stations around this place. Both of these railways stations are more than 150 kilometers away from Kasol. There is another narrow-gauge line at around 100 kilometers, which is located in Jogindernagar, but it's not recommended except in a scenario when you have enough time and want to experience toy train, which starts from Pathankot and ends at Jogindernagar.So road is only good options to reach Kasol. Now transportation has improved a lot and you have multiple options. There are luxury buses by HRTC are available for Kullu from Delhi, Chandigarh & many other main cities. Even normal buses of HRTC are also quite good and cheapest way to travel. Luxury buses by Himachal Tourism are also available from Delhi. All Volvo buses by HRTC & Himachal Tourism start from Himachal Bhavan in Delhi, which is located in Mandi House near Connaught Place. All these buses go to Manali via Kullu and one needs to get down at Bhuntar to take local bus for Kasol or a taxi. Kasol is located at around 30 kilometers from Bhuntar. Kullu can be reached from Delhi by national highway NH 1 up to Chandigarh and from there by national highway NH21 which passes through Bilaspur, Sundernagar and Mandi towns. Kullu is 480 km from Delhi. There are various options available to stay in and around Kasol. Budget hotels, few resorts and luxury home-stays as well. And this place offers great atmosphere all around. Fresh air , blue sky, parvathi river, local folks, cattle grounds, green hills and lot more. There are various intresting treks around Kasol and Malana. There are various easy, moderate and difficult treks around Kasol village. Kheer Ganga is one of the main treks. Whole Parvati valley is very different and more beautiful from many surrounding hills stations of Himachal Pradesh. There is lot to explore in this part of Himachal, some can be discussed and some are not to be disclosed in public ! Kasol is a village in Parvati Valley of Himachal Pradesh. Parvati River flows through the village. There is a bridge in the village which divides it in two parts known as Old Kasol and New Kasol. Lot of Foreigners can be seen in the streets around this place. Holy place Manikaran is just 5 kilometers from Kasol. Malana is another popular village which is reachable after a moderate trek. We went till Malana and heard a lot of stories about the place. We also got to know that many of the foreigners have come to this place and living here for many years now. Lot of Israelies come to Kasol and one can see the hebrew language banners in parvati valley. Probably I will share another post only on Malana with some of the mind boggling stories associated with this place, the cannabis and local democracy. Kasol is one of the favorite places for backpackers and also a base for Himalayan trekking to SarPass, Pin Parbati Pass and Kheer ganga. Wish you a great trip to Kasol.

Kasol, Himachal Pradesh

Palampur, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh

This is again a photograph from my archives, which I saw after a long time. This photograph is reprocessed again in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. But important part is the way this lady is busy in her prayers at Tsuglagkhang Temple, Mcleodganj Town of Himachal Pradesh. I spent around 45 minutes on second storey of this building and she was at same place without any move. There were lot of other folks with strong belief and faith. It was great to see such a peaceful environment in hills and I could really understand the power with which Mcleodganj attracts people from different parts of the world. Many people come to this place for learning Tibetian Culture, Yoga, Meditation and proven ways to finding peace in this fast moving world.

Dalai Lama's Buddhist Temple in Mcleodganj, Himachal Pradesh

A wonderful place for adventurous campers: Sarahan, Kullu : Vandana Bhagra, Shimla : Hidden among the snow covered hills of Shrikhand Mountian Ranges, which are known for their mythological significance and is said to be one of the adobe of Lord Shiva, this unknown village beckon those with an adventurous spirit as its beautiful landscape and lush green valley will take your breath away. Many of you may get confused with Sarahan in Shimla district with its beautiful Bhimakali Temple but those you know and have been to Kullu will know this Sarahan better at 3200 metres height, and that too if they have had the zeal to walk all the way to picture its magnificent beauty.If you start your journey from Shimla then head towards Narkanda about 63 kms and then towards Nirmand which is another 28 kms approximately, with panoramic views of the Satluj Valley. From there you reach Bhagi Pul and then an uphill narrow road covering a distance of about 12 kms leads to this small village nestled among the mountains in all is pristine. Those who wish to travel by bus should be prepared for a long journey as it is nearly 176 kms from Shimla and can take up to 10 hours to reach, but of course with few stops and immense beauty to admire. Those planning to come from Beas side should be aware that there is no motorable road and would have to cross on foot from the Bishloi Pass.The HPPWD rest house situated outside the village offers decent accommodation which needs to be booked in advance but for the more adventurous laying out their tents (which of course you need to carry) in the open meadows can always be an option. With permission from the Government School nearby you can set your camp under the starry sky. The huge ground in the centre of the village is surrounded by fields, flora and fauna, water streams, waterfalls with amazing views of the snow covered hills nearby. With so much natural beauty around it becomes quite hard to concentrate on anything and then there were these kids studying in their open air classrooms.Those rring to go can begin their trek from Kullu Sarahan to Bashleo Pass through the dense forests and green meadows to experience this place and its serenity. A one day trek to the nearest snow covered peak is an enjoyable experience as one would come across innumerable waterfalls, small stream and unexplainable natural beauty. The freshness and the virginity of the place suddenly hits you taking you thousands and thousands of miles away from your hustle bustle city life. Other trekking options include heading towards the Jaon village to begin the Shrikhand trek through various hills, forests and streams. Village folk are often seen walking all the distance to Bangar and making it back by dinner time.The most typical feature about this village is its beautiful temple dedicated to sage Shring and gives a feeling of being a step closer to god and reaching for the sky. The use of vibrant colours, intricate artwork and unique architectural style will capture your imagination. The snow covered hills behind the templegives it a perfect backdrop of picture perfect beauty. The recently concluded two day Jhiru mela held during sangrand in April celebrates the beginning of the New Year which witnesses the village folk in their traditional dresses, dancing and singing to folk songs and wishing for prosperity.In case you plan a trip to Kullu and its better known destination do not forget to enquire about this small little village as it will equally charm you as would the other destinations.Photo credits: VJ Sharma

Fluttering of almost a thousand pairs of wings sounds like a clap of thunder and the cacophony of their various calls, echoes all through the surrounding wetlands, resonating in the memories of bird enthusiasts long after the birds themselves have flown back to their distant homelands. These are the birds of Pong Lake, some of whom travel to Pong from as far as the Arctic Circle much to the delight of the bird watches who eagerly wait for their arrival. What is it that fascinates us about them and drags us out of our comfortable homes to brave the chill of winter and travel great distances to get a glimpse of these beautiful creatures? The mystery no longer remains a mystery when at the slightest hint of intrusion, the placid vista of the Pong Wetlands is brought alive by the frenzied flights of these vibrant birds. Mr. Devinder Singh Dhadwal, range officer, Pong Wildlife Sanctuary, aptly calls these winged wonders the “hidden treasures” of Himachal Pradesh. Pong wetlands provide a wide variety of habitats that suit different species of birds for different purposes. While the Mud flats and mud splits, shallow and deep water, grasslands and swamps provide ideal feeding areas for birds, tree covers, sand banks, and scrubs act as the ideal breeding grounds for many bird species. So far 416 species of birds have been spotted at Pong, with the rare Falcated Duck having arrived here for the first time ever just a couple of months back. Over the last two decades, the number of birds flocking in Pong wetlands has gone up from just a few thousand to almost 1.5 Lakhs. There is never a dull moment at Pong with various birds visiting Pong at different times of the year for various reasons. Mr. Dhadwal’s book Wild Wings: Pong & its Birds, painstakingly compiled over two years, gives a detailed account of which birds can be observed at Pong in which season.The abundant Bar-headed Geese like to frequent the lake in the winters while some birds such as the Yellow-wattled Lapwing prefer to make an appearance in the summer. Various varieties of ducks, herons, cranes, eagles, vultures, woodpeckers etc. can be observed around the lake at different times in a year. Apart from the birds, the wetlands also provide home to several species of mammals, reptiles, and insects such as monkeys, antelopes, leopards, cats, porcupines, Mongoose, snakes, pythons, lizards, turtles, and butterfliIn spite of such abundant fauna, the area hasn’t yet been discovered by tourists and, therefore, the birds enjoy more or less undisturbed stay at Pong. The only human presence is that of a handful of local tourists, passionate bird watchers, and the personnel of the Wildlife Department. Once more and more people frequent the area, the area will undoubtedly face the same issues as the other tourist places do. And then, it will become important for us to understand that all of our actions have a ripple effect on our surroundings. The first stone thrown at a flock of birds will not only cause the birds to take a flight, it may also encourage other tourists to throw stones as well. And in no time, birds may lose trust in the place and look for more peaceful grounds elsewhere.When asked whether it is possible to ensure that this does not happen, Mr. Dhadwal points out that while the authorities try to do as much as they can, the responsibility also rests with the tourists. 'We collect many discarded plastic water bottles and polybags from the lake and the surrounding areas every day. These can be disastrous for the wetlands if left lying around. We all, authorities as well as tourists, should respect the habitat of the birds and not treat tourist spots as dumping groundsOne cannot but agree with his sentiments. While most of us love to travel, very few of us give a thought to our responsibilities as tourists whereas we cannot afford to be callous towards our environment anymore. We are seeing the impact of irresponsible treatment of environment all around us. India has seen a steep decline in its vulture population. These scavengers were once frequently seen circling the skies in all parts of the country. Big cities such as Delhi and Mumbai are rapidly losing their sparrow populations. If there’s a time to change our approach towards our surroundings, it is now. Any time later than this might be too late.

Pong Dam is a great place to see migratory birds in winters - Kangra, Himachal Pradesh

Few weeks back I visited Shimla for some work and spent one day with a school friend in Solan. Since hills around Jatoli Shiva Temple are favorites of my friend, he planned a visit to the temple and spend some time together in peace. This Photo Journey share some of the photographs of trek to Jatoli Temple and the beautiful campus surrounded by hills.Jatoli Shiva temple is near Solan town and it takes 15-20 minutes to reach temple via bus from the main town. All buses going towards Shoolini University cross through the temple. Rajeev and I took a bus from Govt College Solan. There is a very small trek from the road till temple, which doesn't take more than 10 minutes to reach this beautiful temple. Above photograph shows the view of hills on other side of the temple. These hills look stunning during sunset, but we didn't have time to wait there for sunset. The same day, I had to come back to Delhi.Another photograph showing multi-layered hills across the Jatoli Shiva temple in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh.Here is a view of Shiva temple in Jatoli from the road which connects this place with main town of Solan. There is a very peaceful walk from the road to temple and we utilized this time to refresh our old memories from the school. Both of us studies in Govt Senior Secondary School Bhoranj, which is in Hamirpur district. Rajeev belongs to that place and my Dad was posted in Bhoranj during those days. Above photograph shows the view of Solan town from Rajeev's house, which is near to the govt. degree college. Solan is getting very populated with every day. It's very well located between Shimla and Chandigarh. Shimla is 1.5 hours away from Solan and Chandigarh also takes just 2 hours. This is one of the popular towns in Himachal, which is preferred by folks after retirement. Nice weather, well connected with main cities, all basic resources are available easily and what not Jatoli temple is one of the main places to explore around Solan town and folks who come to Solan don't want to miss this beautiful location. It's also a nice place for one day picnic Here is a photograph of main Temple of Shiva at Jatoli. Beautifully built temple with finer details on every cornerA photograph of interiors - another temple in same campusWe had great time roaming around the temple and enjoying natural beauty of the place.

Jatoli Temple, Solan, Himachal Pradesh

Trilokinath, Lahaul, Himachal Pradesh

Recently Neha visited Manali, when seasons first snowfall happened. This Photo Journey shares some of the beautiful photographs of Manali town with white sheet all around. Manali town looks beautiful after fresh snowfall and that's when one can enjoy the snow in best way. Fresh snowfall makes a place beautiful and after a while the same snow creates mess, if not handled properly. Whenever Kullu valley gets snowfall, many of the tourists from Delhi, Chandigarh and various parts of Haryana/Punjab start moving towards Manali. Above photograph looks so poetic. Beas river surrounded by snow covered landscapes having symmetrical trees as a background.Usually tourists visit Rohtang Pass to see snow which is usually not that fresh. Fresh snow is always very special. It's fluffy texture makes it special. As it gets old, some part of the snow starts melting and it starts becoming ice which is hard. And after few days, dust starts settling down on this snow and it looks horrible. If you have ever visited Rohtang, you know what I am talking about. Ten years back snowfall pattern was quite predictable and most of the times, snow used to happen in the month of december. Most of the tourists used to prefer Shimla and Manali for Christmas or New Year vacations. For last few years, this pattern was broken and hills were getting first snowfall in January or February. Many of the folks associated with Tourism must be very happy this year. Snowfall in the month of december is definitely a good indicator for a profitable tourist season.Hills around Manali look amazing after snowfall. But at the same time, it restrict you to move around. Most of the basic facilities get disrupted and connecting roads gets blocked. It becomes difficult to go to some of the interesting places like Naggar Castle, Solang Nala, Marhi, Rohtang, Manikaran, Kasol Malana etc. Snowfall in these hill stations is definitely very exciting for tourists, but for local folks it's a temporary fun and suddenly many of the facilities stop working for next few weeks. Electricity cuts become normal and imagine living around snow without electricity. Although folks have figured out right ways to deal with these situations but still not having electricity and water for 6 days is big deal.Thanks Neha for sharing these beautiful photographs from Manali.

Manali, Himachal Pradesh

Kullu Dussehra, Himachal Pradesh

Dechen Choekhor Monastery, Kullu, Himachal Pradesh

Today we are sharing some of the clicks from temporary kitchen built during some special celebrations in most parts of Himachal Pradesh. This Photo Journey will take you through various preparation steps of 'Mandi Dham'. 'Dham' is lunch which is served during special occasions. Let's check out this Photo Journey to know more about itFirst photograph of this Photo Journey shows main utensils used to cook food in Himachali Marriages or other special occasionsThis is how Dham Kitchen looks like. Above photograph shows a row of containers which are used for cooking and vegetables in foreground. The preparations for Dham begin a night before when all these containers are collected from people in the village/town. This temporary kitchen is built with bamboo sticks as main pillars and steel-sheets as roof. Usually built outside the main house, but not too far. These chefs prefer it to be open unless there are rains or windy weather. Dham is prepared by Botis, who are Brahmin chefs in Himachal and have been in this profession for generations. Botis can usually be seen in dhoti and bare feet. No one is allowed inside the kitchen with footwear. It's a big NO. In fact while serving food, they don't wear anything. Everytime they enter into the kitchen, they clean their hands.Most of the utensils used for cooking food in dhams are copper or brass. Mostly every house in a village/town has such utensils and they are collected in this temporary kitchen, one day before. Above photograph shows all big containers on right which are used for cooking. One of the chefs moving around the place and busy with settling down things and the second one if having some rest. On the extreme left of the photograph, one of the villager is pouring in butter-milk into a big container. During morning, every villagers brings milk & buttermilk to this kitchen, as most of them have these things in abundance at home. A closer look into the kitchen where chef is putting some onions into one of these copper containUsually this day starts with all villagers come together and help these chefs in cutting vegetables and arranging other stuff like spices etc. It's usually a session of 2-3 hrs when everyone keep raw material in place for chefs to do their job in better way. Most of the folks are trained and can take care of this work independently. Many times, some of the vegetables are arranged within the villages, depending upon the season. Pumpkins are used is some of the dishes and mostly fresh out of village-farms. Various other fresh vegetables are used in this preparationThese bananas are also used in preparations as times. There were times, when every villager used to be cautious about planning various marriages in village and save such stuff accordingly. Still many of these things are followed religiouslyWhen food is ready, it is served in courses to people who sit on floor. Leaf plates are utilized to serve the food, although plastic plates are also being used these days. Dishes include plain rice, Madra (Sepu badi or Mukand badi, kidney-beans, White grams, Paneer etc), Palda (a curd based dish or curry), jhol (curd rice), mustard based raita or pulses, pulses and sweet rice or Mithdee (made of boondi, Bread crumbs etc). Dishes vary from one region to another as per local culture. Dhule maah (dhuli Urad dal) cooked in desi ghee is a specialty of Mandi Dham while Chambayali Rajmah is the specialty of Chamba dhaam and Kaale chane ka khaata (Sweet and sour sauce) of Kangra dham.These huge containers are known as 'Charoti' or 'Batloi', and various other names specific to regions & language.The deep line with fire is called as 'Char' or 'Tiun' and have various other names. Wood-fire is used for cooking dham and dry wood is arranged few weeks in advance. This is another activities where almost every family in the village participate Mostly rice is servced in dhams and there is hardly any arrangement for bread(rotis). Above photograph shows the container made up of bamboo, which is used for serving hot rice.

Dham - The ultimate food for Himachalis, usually cooked during community events

My morning schedule changes completely when I am at Home in Himachal Pradesh. At Delhi, usually day starts at 8:30 am or 9 am for me. But when in Mandi (HP), it starts around 6 or even early. All these birds around my house keep calling me to come out and that is good enough inspiration to wake-up with camera :). Let's check out this Photo Journey and help me knowing the exact names of these birds. This is one of the most beautiful bird I have seen around my house in Kot(Hatali) of Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh. Usually I see many of the long tailed birds around Mango trees in our garden. Credit for inviting environment around my house goes to my Grandmother and dad. Both of them are quite active is keeping the areas green with different types of vegetable plants and fruit-trees. Another long tailed bird sitting on a huge tree in front of my home. This tree is somehow quite special for every bird. Probably this one gets sun-light first beacause of it's height. These birds make most of the sound as they can be seen in huge number in the morning. Apart from these a very small bird can be seen, but I couldn't click any good pic of that bird as it keep moving most of the times and movement is very fast/abrupt. A yellow colored bird with black circle around eyes.These birds can be seen during morning and remain there for a longer period of time as compared to others. Somehow, quite calm as compared to others. The birds with longer tails keep moving most of the times. I have seen them sticking to one branch while they are eating something or ttargeting for some food at a place which seems dangerous to them.Here is the bird I am talking about. This one was sitting on the tree for a very long time and as my father left the kitchen garden, it flew down to pick something and now flying towards her home probably..Some of the birds comes till the main window to ensure no one in house miss the morning fun outside :) ... In last many years, I never noticed these birds and recently some of my friends made me realize about these and now I happily welcome them at home. This is one of the common bird which can be seen in most parts of Himachal Pradesh and they are found in groups usually.If you know names of any of these birds, please comment back with Pic-No and Name. I will update the post accordingly with due credits to youAnother common bird of Himachal Pradesh. In local language, we call it 'ghutari' :) ... but interested in knowing it's global name.

During Diwali Vacations at my Home in Himachal Pradesh, I met various birds in our backyard. This time, there was a huge flock of small yellow birds on one of the trees around our home. These birds used to come every morning at around 9am when this tree gets first rays of sunlight. Let's check out this Photo Journey to know more about these birds and what all they do thereOut of all birds shared HERE, these yellow birds are most active and that motivated me to just focus on these birds this time. All these photographs are clicked during three mornings I spent at Home in Mandi, Himachal PradeshNot sure, if she noticed me in my balcony carrying a huge camera or trying to show something else :) ... These birds hardly spend 30 seconds on one branch. They keep flying from one branch of the tree to another. Tree was very dense and initially I was spending 90% of time locating them. They were in big number but still it was hard to locate these small birds on a dense branched tree. Above photograph is one of my favorite shot when one of the bird is exactly looking at me.The name of this bird is - Oriental White-eye, which is a small passerine bird in the white-eye family. It is a resident breeder in open woodland in tropical Asia, east from the Indian Subcontinent to Southeast Asia, extending to Indonesia and Malaysia. These birds forage in small groups, feeding on nectar and small insects. They are easily identified by the distinctive white eye-ring and overall yellowish upper parts. Several populations of this widespread species are named subspecies and some have distinctive variations in the extent and shades of yellows in their plumage.These birds are quite mischievousThese white-eyes are sociable, forming flocks which only separate on the approach of the breeding season. They are highly arboreal and only rarely descend to the ground. The breeding season is February to September but April is the peak breeding season and the compact cup nest is a placed like a hammock on the fork of a branch. The nest is made of cobwebs, lichens and plant fiber. The nest is built in about 4 days and the two pale blue eggs are laid within a couple of days of each other. The eggs hatch in about 10 days. Both sexes take care of brooding the chicks which fledge in about 10 days. Though mainly insectivorous, the Oriental White-eye will also eat nectar and fruits of various kindsA flying Oriental White-eye birdThis bird is small (about 8 cm long) with yellowish olive upper parts, a white eye ring, yellow throat and vent. The belly is whitish grey but may have yellow in some subspecies. Both Male and female Oriental White-eye look similar.

Himachal Pradesh, the Himalayan State of India, has got heavy snowfall during last week. Localites loved the snowfall initially, while various problems are making the life difficult in hills. At the same time, tourist inflow to the state has increased a lot. Max number of tourists are expected to visit Himachal hill stations next week-endTourist spots near Shimla, like Kufri, Fagu and Narkanda experienced snowfall, triggering a rush of tourists in Shimla. Likewise, the Solang ski slopes, located just 13 km uphill from Manali, saw snow turning the hill completely white. Manali had no electricity for 24 hours after snowfall and hopefully today it will be sunny out there Above photograph shows Indira Gandhi Medical College covered with white sheet of fresh snow. (IGMC, Shimla under snow)All these photographs have been shared by Varun Chaudhary except few by Amit Kanwar. Both of them are brilliant photographers from Shimla and have shared great moments with us at PHOTO JOURNEY.High altitude places like Shimla, Manali & Lahaul has seen snowfall while lower areas of the state including Dharamsala, Palampur, Solan, Nahan, Chamba and Mandi received moderate rain, bringing the temperature down considerably.A beautiful photograph of Ridge Ground of Shimla with white snow shining in late evening. There are people out on Mall road on ridge with umbrellasThe temperature has decreased in Himachal Pradesh with Shimla recording a minimum temperature of 3.6 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, down from Monday's 4.3 degrees Celsius. The night temperature in Keylong, the state's coldest place, was 2.9 degrees Celsius below the freezing point. Kalpa saw a low of minus 1.2 degrees, while the temperature was two degrees in ManaliTransportation has impacted big time in areas which have got snowfall. In fact, many of the places are not getting electricity due to brokerage of installed equipments. Appropriate authorities working hard to get out of the state. At various places, water pipes are frozen, so water supply is also creating problems for localities.Snowfall in Shimla is always welcomed by tourists, Hoteliers & local folks. But most of the times, it hit badly the life of local folks when internal transportation gets impacted, electricity & water problems start badly and many other related issues. So snowfall brings mixed emotions for different segments of society. Hotel owners become very happy, labor class also gets more than enough work and can charge more than usually wages etcHere is a photograph of Jakhu hill covered with snow. All high deodars trees covered with white layer of snow. Check out more stuff at - http://www.flickr.com/photos/himachalgeographic/sets/72157632558096993/

Recently some of us were on Kinnaur Trip and there is place called Jeory on the way. Sarahan is approximately 30 kilometers from Jeory and it's a beautiful town located on hill-top with amazing views of snow covered hills of Kinnaur. Bheemakali temple of Sarahan is most popular place to visit and this Photo Journey shares some of the moments spent around Bheema Kali Temple.Bheema Kali Temple has a huge campus and different temples inside the campus. There are two main temples, out of which one is accessible to everyone during normal days.The Second one is opened on some special occasions and Devi only allows Raja Virbhadra Singh to open the door of that temple. Shri Bheema Kali Temple is located in Sarahan town of Himachal Pradesh in India which is dedicated to the mother goddess Bhimakali, presiding deity of the rulers of former Bushahr State. The temple is situated about 180 km from Shimla and is one of 51 Shakti Peethass. The temple complex has another three temples dedicated to Lord Raghunathji, Narsinghji and Patal Bhairva Ji (Lankra Veer) - the guardian deity.Architecture of Bheema Kali Temple is beautiful. Whole campus is built with Stone and wooden blocks. It seems some part of the campus has not even cement to fix the joints. Whole campus is very well maintained and there is enough security as well.Here is one of the doors of the Bheem Kali temple in Sarahan Town. It's made up of silver with beautiful carving. There is also some text written, mostly in Hindi and Tibbatian scripts. Most of the carved forms are different gods and linked through some old stories.Sarahan was the capital of rulers of former Bushahr State. Bushahr dynasty earlier used to control the state from Kamroo. The capital of state later was shifted to Sonitpur. Later Raja Ram Singh made Rampur as the capital. It is believed that the country of Kinnaur was the Kailash mentioned in Puranas, the abode of Shiva. With its capital at Sonitpur this former princely state was extended up to entire area of Kinnaur where for sometimes Lord Shiva disguised himself as Kirata. Today, the then Sonitpur is known as Sarahan. Banasura, the ardent devotee of Lord Siva, eldest among the one hundred sons of great ablative demon King Bali and the great grandson of Vishnu votary Prahlad, during the Puranic age was the ruler of this princely state.(Courtesy - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhimakali_Temple)According to a legend, the manifestation of the goddess is reported to the Daksha-Yajna incident when the ear of the Sati fell at this place and became a place of worship as a Pitha - Sthan. Presently in the form of a virgin the icon of this eternal goddess is consecrated at the top storey of the new building. Below that storey the goddess as Parvati, the daughter of Himalaya is enshrined as a divine consort of Lord SivaThere is a small market around Bheema Kali Temple and there are enough shops to have lunch or light snacks. Apart from that local caps can be bought from this fellow. He was very welcoming and offered good discounts for us :). We had asked for rates in Rampur Market, but he had better stuff and reasonable prices. There are many other shops in the town where some local stuff can be procured. On top of all that, most of the folks were really sweet to interact with.During our visit, we were looking for ladies wearing Dhaatu but couldn't gain the courage to ask anyone to get clicked by us. And just outside the Bheema Kali temple, this lady asked us to click one of her photograph and show her how we click. Probably she was noticing us clicking & reviewing photographs around the temple. We clicked few shots and showed to her. She shared some tips to improve and finally approved few of the shots. After final approval, she invited us to her hotel nearby but we couldn't go because it was time to head back as we had booked guest-house in Jeory.Here is a nearby sight, which is popularly known as Hawa-Ghar. This point has very clear view of Kinnar-Kailash Hills and place was quite windy. We spent around 30 minutes here to enjoy the breeze and take rest. This place is isolated form hustle bustle of the town. When we reached, there was only one person sitting here. Probably this place was least used by localites, as everyone has Hawa-ghar around their own houses :)Whole place was surrounded by Pine or Deodar Forests and smell was awesome in the middle of these forests. It was really an amazing experience to roam around Bheema Kali Temple and Sarahan Town. Meeting different people, visiting one of the amazing temples in this region, Hawa Ghar, a huge house of old kingdom etc.The town Sarahan is known as the gateway of Kinnaur. Down below at a distance of 7 km from Sarahan is the River Satluj. Sarahan is identified with the then Sonitpur mentioned in Puranas.Before entering into the main temple, everyone needs to lock mobiles, wallets or anything else which is made of leather and then wear a cap. Above photograph shows Aneesh wearing the holy cap and standing on right side of lockers everyone gets to keep everything safe.

Blushing red Cherries of Kotgarh, Himachal Pradesh

Bir Billing - A very interesting place for Paragliding where World Cup champions come for preparations before the final Paragliding World Cup

Few other photo journeys have already been shared about Parashar Lake but this one is little special which shares some moments spent around The Parashar Rishi Lake while camping under twinkling stars. When I saw the stunning photographs on Ankit's account, I requested him to share this interesting story with PHOTO JOURNEY viewers and I was really happy to see a quick and positive response.Prashar Lake is located at around 50 kilometers from Mandi town of Himachal Pradesh, which is popularly known as Himalayan State having major tourist inflow. There is a three storied pagoda-like temple dedicated to the sage Prashar, which is located on the side of a beautiful lake, which is shown in photographs on left. The Parashar Lake is located at a height of approximately 3k meters having deep blue waters which we can see in the aerial shot being shown on left. There are green meadows around Parashar Lake & Ankit had planted his tent in one of the open areas. These photographs are very inspiring and I wish to do something like this in near future. Sometime back I had a beautiful star-trail photograph of Parashar Lake on Flickr. Today I couldn't locate the source but that was one of my first inspiration to visit Parashar Lake & try to stay around that place for one night to experience the twinkling stars in blue sky.The Parashar Lake can be approached via Drang. The temple near Parashar Lake was built in the 13th century and legend has it was built by a baby from a single tree. The lake has a floating island in it and it is said to be unclear how deep it is, with a diver not being able to determine its depth. Check out more about the place at http://himachaltourism.gov.in/post/Prashar-lake.aspx & https://www.facebook.com/prasharrishilakeHere is a photograph of Parashar Rishi Temple which is near to the lake. The Parashar lake is surrounded by snow covered peaks and this place also gets snowfall sometimes. As we start the journey from Mandi, we need to pass through Runjh, Katidhi village then village Kamand. Kamand is the place where IIT Mandi is being established. If I am not wrong, one batch has already started in this campus. Kamand is very beautiful place along the riverside... There is a river Uhal near Kamand. After Kamand we hit a place called Kataula which is one of the main place in the valley. Here is another interesting account on Parashar Lake - http://disttmandi.com/journey-to-prashar-lake/Th beautiful Prashar Lake is located very high as stated earlier as well. It's very high in the green mountains in Himachal Pradesh. Some of thecolorfulbirds can be seen in this area and recently I have seen birders exploring this region of Himalayas.Thanks to Ankit Sood for sharing great Photographs from Parashar Lake. Photo Credits for 2nd/3rd Pics : https://www.facebook.com/prasharrishilake

Today Mr. Shankar Rajaram came to meet us at Noida. He was here in Delhi after Chadar Trek last month. Shankar has been trekking around Himalayas for more than 20 years now. His passion for trekking started when he used to visit various pilgrimage places. Today's discussion with Shankar reminded me of my Shrikhand Mahadev trek, which I did with my friends in 2008. This post is just a refresher of #LifeLessOrdinary experiences at the height of 18,700 feet with snow covered Himalayan ranges. Shrikhand Mahadev Trek is one of the most difficult treks I have done and Shankar also agrees with me on this. Shankar, who has done many more treks in his life considers Shrikhand as something he will not even dream of attempting in future. While we can still think of Kailash Mansarovar, Chadar Trek, Lamkhaga Pass, Rupkund, Pin Parvati etc. At the same time, it's said that treks can't be compared and they change every year and experiences can be drastically different which usually depend upon the weather conditions.When we started from Delhi, we had never thought that next 7 days would be very different and exciting as compared to regular life we live in Metro cities. After reaching the base-camp of Shrikhand Mahadev, we lost connectivity. It was the time to inform everyone that we would not be reachable for next few days. This trek starts from Jaon village. After long drive from Delhi to Jaon, through Chandigarh, Shimla & Baghupul, it was time to have some rest and be ready for the real adventure from next morning. Shrikhand Mahadev was not a popular trek in 2008, but lot of local pilgrims used to go till the top of Shrikhand peak. Shikhand is basically a huge rock standing still on snow covered hills. It's a very unique thing and that's the reason that local folks from Himachal consider it very auspicious. But for us, it was an adventure and a good break from routine life.First day of this trek was mainly about crossing some rivers, water-streams and dense forests full of fog & high trees. We were trekking in the month of July, which is the only time to trek till Shrikhand peak. Rains and low visibility are two main challenges in this trek. This is what we thought on day-1 but we were not prepared for other challenges we experienced in subsequent days.During this trek we had some exceptional experiences which are hard to describe through words. I would recommend you to see photograph above, as it is very difficult to explain what we were experiencing. We were walking on the clouds and I do not mean metaphorically. It was surreal, though day dreaming was very risky owing to the steep gorges just one misstep could lead us to fall into.Sustained by Maggi, fresh air, and an adrenaline rush, we carried on in spite of the biting cold, mortal danger, and exhaustion. With only the rock, the Mahadev, in sight, we carried on. Never have I felt more in touch with myself as I did amongst those invincible mountains and the rolling valleys.At times the next step felt as if it could be my last, and at times I felt as if I had transcended mortality. Reality and dreams merged and I seemed to be slipping in and out of reveries. Being one with nature does this to you. There are no more questions. Amidst such pristine surroundings, it is just the Truth, The Ultimate TruthI don't know what it is about these treks but they are immensely emotional experiences. By the time we reached the summit, all of us were overflowing with emotions. I tried and blinked fast to fight them, but at last I had to gave in and the tears flowed. Once they started, I couldn't stop and soon I was sobbing. No one asked me why. Because all of them were experiencing something unique. And I wasn't the only one crying. And let me now treat you to some ethereal sights from the trek...

At Photo Journey, we have shared various places and events from Himachal Pradesh. Today this Photo Journey is going to introduce few interesting folks we met in this beautiful state of India..Himachal is one of the few Indian States which had remained largely untouched by external customs, largely due to its difficult terrains. With the technological advancements the state has changed very rapidly, although many of the good things are retained as they were.Above photograph shows a group of folks from Kullu, who are playing Himachali bands on folk-songs of this Himalayan State. It was wonderful evening with musical moments under star lit sky Many people in Himachal drive their income from sheep, goats, and other cattle. Here is a gentleman we met in Shimla region of Himachal Pradesh. In Himachal, there is a particular community known as 'Gaddi'. They keep moving from one place to other with hundreds of goats & sheeps during winters. During summers they move back to their land in high altitudes. Although above gentleman is not a Gaddi, but a villagers who had approximately 10 goats in the group.Most of the people in Himachal depend on agriculture for livelihood. Above lady was working in her vegetable farms for cutting cabbage for markets.We met this person at Gata-Kuffer village in Shimla region again and his cap was most interesting thing for us. On inquiring, we got to know that flowers on top of this cap was something that are natural, which look fresh most of the time unless we crush them. These flowers are found on one of the Himalayan treesI think more than ninety percent of the people live in villages and small towns of the state. Villages usually have terraced fields and small two storey houses with sloping roof. Most of the villages can be seen with houses having similar architecture, but now it's changing. The villages are mostly self-contained with a few shops to take care of basic necessities of life.A little girl coming back from fields with her lovely cattle walking on road side. This photograph was shot on highway which connects Shimla with Kinnaur.We were surprised to see this ! An old man coming back home with firewood weighing around 8 kgs on his back. Although he was quite comfortable because of habit of doing such activities during their daily activities. Although he looks worried in this photograph but happy face can be seen in the bottom of this Photo Journey. The Hindu communities residing in Himachal include the Brahmins, Rajputs, Kannets, Rathis and Kolis. There are also tribal population in the state which mainly comprise Gaddis, Kinnars, Gujjars, Pangawals and Lahaulis. In some areas, like Lahaul and Spiti, there is a majority of Buddhist population since the area is located near Tibet. A percentage of people are also Tibetans. Muslim, Christian and Sikhs are in minority but they also enjoy the same rights as HindusHere is a photograph of lady going towards Apple Orchards with a container on her back. This was not a season of plucking apples, so she was going to orchards for cutting grass under apple trees and bring back something to feed cattle at home. She was having this stick to guide her dog :Himachal Pradesh is a multireligional, multicultural as well as multilingual state like other Indian states. Some of the most commonly spoken languages includes Hindi, Punjabi, Pahari, Dogri, Mandeali, Kangri and Kinnauri... It's strange that folks from Himachal also fail to understand language spoken in other parts of the state. Event accent changes a lot within districtsThough hindi is the state language, many people speak Pahari also. Pahari laguage itself has many dialects and all of them trace their origin to the Sanskrit language- also known as origin of all languages. Punjabi touch can be heard in lower himachal region, which is near to Punjab.As per the traditional dressing norms the dress of the Brahmin male includes dhoti, kurta, coat, waistcoat, turban and a hand towel while that of the Rajput male consists of tight fitting churidar pyjamas, a long coat and a starched turban. With the changing time the dress up of the people has now become a mixed one. Though the above mentioned style is now hardly followed, people have started wearing western style of clothesDress shown in above photograph is known as Reshta, which can be seen in Kotkhai area of Shimla district. Similarly there are various dresses which can be seen in different parts of the stateAn interesting Himachali, Mr Rohit Sharma. I met him once in Shimla and in contact with him till date. An all rounder person with a BIG smile always on his face. He is mainly into Media and also have some businesses in Shimla. A creative mind who has also worked in many of the Bollywood moviesShe is Nirgala, who is not basically from Himachal but we have met her twice in Himalayas. She is a professional Cycle rider and has won various contests in multiple countries on this earth. A cheerful girl, who is extremely passionate about Cycling. Of course, while in Himachal, you can meet lot of adventure lovers all around...Most villages of Himachal Pradesh have a temple, where people come for worship. Himalayas are also a destination for Sadhus, for various reasons :) ... We met him in Sarahn Village while he was going towards Shrikhand Mahadev, which is a pilgrimage destination in Himachal Pradesh.Himachali people hard working and brave as well. Many of the folks from Himachal work for Indian Army and they are physically very strong because of their daily lifestyle. Most of the people in Himachal need to walk a lot for daily stuff like going to office, reaching market for grabbing general stuff for kitchen etc. Above photograph shows a man diving into the Shrikhand River near Nirmand/Baghi-pul.Two Himachali Folk Dancers, who are mainly into other profession. Dance is their passion and they have performed in various places in the state. Even someone needs to say for a performance and they can perform for you anywhere. Above photograph is shot during trek to Sarolsar Lake near Jalori Pass. It was time to rest for us and they were entertaining us :) ... btw, great dancers are Saurabh and Rohit !Himachal as a state always remain in top 5 states from literacy point of view. So it's obvious to see various schools en route. Above photograph is shot in one of the school, which shows two little girls cleaning their dishes after lunch. In Himachal, lunch is offered free for kids in school campus onlyThe typical house in Himachal Pradesh is constructed of clay bricks and the roofs are of slate. In some areas the slate roof is also replaced by timber. Above photograph shows a school-girl looking down from first floor of the school, which has most of the parts made up of wood.Himachal is popular destination for travellers, adventure lovers, trekkers etc. So here is one of the photographs showing a tourist capturing Himalayn Beauty in her Digital Camera.Of course, Cricket is one of the popular sport in Himachal as well. Kids can be seen playing Cricket, Gilli-Danda, Pithoo etc. But Cricket is becoming more popular with new generation. But most of the times bat is made at home.A majority of the population of Himachal Pradesh is engaged in agricultural practices, however the more educated of them are now moving towards tertiary sectors. A happy kid helping us in village tour at Sarahan. There is a smal village in Kullu, which is isolated from rest of the state and situated on a hill top. This village is equipped with solar street-lights and well connected with telephone lines. This place gets snow during most of the time in an year. Good part was to know about appropriate educational infrastructure in the village. There is a high school at this place. In general people of Himachal Pradesh are honest, truthful, gentle, and good humored. The beauty of Himachal is enhanced by its inhabitants-mostly farmers- known for their charm, tolerance and honesty. Himachal Pradesh with its sturdy hill people is well-known for its centuries old costumes & other garmentsSome parts of Himachal grow apples and these orchards need lot of people to take care of these delicate trees. Many folks from Nepal come to Shimla and join various Orchards in upper Shimla, Kinnaur and Kullu regions. This photograph was shot in market of Narkanda, when this lady was waiting for local bus towards the apple orchard where she was workingHer companion keeping an eye of buses moving here and there...Priest at Hatu Temple near Narkanda, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India !!People from other states love to try local dresses. Here is a photograph of one of my friends, who wanted to try 'Dhattu'. Dhattu is cloth she has wrapped around her head. Himachali ladies use this to cover their heads to prevent from cold waves in himalayas.In Himachal there is a very different trend of having village-gods, usually called 'Devatas'. Especially in upper Himachal the village Gods are carried on palanquins to village fairs. On Dussehra the largest congregation of village Gods takes place at Kullu. The folk songs of Himachal Pradesh are full of charm. They are usually based on a religious or a romantic theme. People gather in a circle in village fairs and dance to the tune of these songsHimachali lady crossing a very thin bridge..Kids sorting corn-seeds in upper Himachal region of IndiaPotatoes of Himachal are very famous and some regions of the state export them to various countries. One of the big chips brands get potatoes on contract basis. Various villages in Kangra district produce potatoes for these big companies on pre-order basis. With this, our Photo Journey completes for now. This journey with more people from Himalayas will continue...

When it comes to Hill Stations in Himachal Pradesh you will quickly list down Shimla, Dalhousie, Mcleodganj, Dharmshala, Spiti etc, but places like Barot will not come in that list. It's good in one way, but bad for people who like True Natural Beauty with least commercialization and quite peaceful. Nature Lovers want such places to be isolated from tourists more interested in commercial hill-stations with hustle-busstle all around. Let's check out some of the landscapes from Barot Town, which is in Mandi District of Himachal Pradesh (India).Barot is a small town and a popular picnic spot along with a famous tourist location in Mandi district in Himalayan State of India. It is situated 40 km from Jogindernagar, which is one of the big towns in Mandi having historical importance and 66 km from Mandi, which is district headquarters. The road to Barot branches off at Jogindernagar-Mandi highway... The road to Barot branches off from Ghatasni before JoginderNagar while coming from Mandi leading to Jatingri. Further ahead of Jatingri lies Barot at a distance of 14 km. (Info Courtsey - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barot_%28Himachal_Pradesh%29)It is sometimes possible to use the trolley from Jogindernagar which reduces the distance to 13 kilometers, but we were going via car and during that time Trolley was not working due to some technical problem. The route includes terraced fields and thick cedar(Deodar) forests, rising to Jhatingri at the hilltop. The remains of the summer palace of the former rulers of Mandi are located at this place. Through the little village of Tikkan, the road carries on to Barot Town with some hydro plants with beautiful dams under high security. The town has a range of outdoor activities, including a trout breeding center from where fish are released into the Uhl.One can have license to do fishing in this water stream by paying 100 Rs for one day. Tourt Fish of Barot is very popular and there are various places you can get it. There is a Trout Farm and some local folks also sale it in small market of Barot. There are some decent Home-Stay options who have different cooking styles of Trout and we tried some of them during two days stay. Trout Fish of Patli-Kuhl/Preeni in Kullu is also very popular where former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee used to go for enjoying fish with wonderful weather all around. It seems Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee is staying around Manali onlyBarot Town also forms the gateway to the Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary which lies across the Uhl. The sanctuary is home to the monal, black bear and ghoral. Within this are forest rest houses at Thaltuckhod and Silbandhwari. One Guest House is controlled by DFO Jogindernagar and other by DFO Hamirpur, but be cautious about bookings there. Because high Political pressure may lead to cancellation any time, which happened with us as well :) . Through woods of cedar and pine a trek route cuts across the sanctuary to KulluHistorically Barot region formed part of the Mandi riyasat before and during British times & was governed by the King of Mandi. Pre-Independence, Barot was also on the mule trail connecting Kullu valley to Kangra valley. The importance of this route declined once Kullu was connected to a road from Mandi. There is decent habitat now, but it seems some part of Barot comes in Mandi and other in Kangra.Barot Town is a frequent backpacker and day tourist destination now. Many trekking trails pass through Barot town, including trails to Bada Bhangal, Manali and Kullu etc. Most of the day tourists are attracted by the serene surroundings and cheap availability of accommodation. Although the place can be boring for some folks who also want to do some shopping..The Uhl river, which flows through Barot Town, supports Trout breeding and Barot has a few fish farms as well. Across the river Uhl is the Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary, home to Ghoral, Himalayan Black Bear and a variety of pheasants. While coming back many of pheasants crossed our car from hill-side towards water streams on rightHere is a photograph of HPPWD Guest House of Barot, which is quite decent with 5 rooms in good conditionThe adventurous can also make a part of this journey by the PSEB (Punjab State Electricity Board) run haulage trolley, which may not be functioning all the times. So ensure that you have prior information about it for better planning. This trolley was originally used to haul material upwards for the power houses but is now used to transport peopleIf you planning one day trip to Barot, there is a better option to stay in Jogindernagar town. It's a HPTDC Hotel on main highway - UHL. if you plan to stay at Barot only, there are few decent Homestay at nominal charges apart from three government guest houses - HPPWD & 2 Forest Guest Houses.

Tucked away in the remote recesses of the Mandi District of Himachal Pradesh, lies the tiny town of Barot. To a large extent untouched by tourism, the town offers a peaceful getaway to travellers, away from the hustle-bustle of daily life. Surrounded by century-old, tall deodars, Barot is a timecapsule and visiting Barot is like taking a peek into the bygone era when human beings still knew how to live in peace with their surroundings and with nature. The river Uhl runs through the town twisting its way amongst boulders and polishing pebbles till they glitter like silver and gold, and birds of all colours and sizes sing their various songs while flitting in and out of sight.On the surface, Barot appears to be a sleepy village with women chasing hens and chicks to put them away for the night and folks dressed in traditional attire chatting away in the afternoon sun. But you just have to walk a few metres to come upon the Uhl Water Reservoir or the trout farm, which are not only symbols of progress but also underline the intertwining of a traditional way of life with modern thinking. Several homestays and guest houses offer affordable yet comfortable lodging and also provide you with a chance to interact with the ever-smiling and pleasant local people. On the surface, Barot appears to be a sleepy village with women chasing hens and chicks to put them away for the night and folks dressed in traditional attire chatting away in the afternoon sun. But you just have to walk a few metres to come upon the Uhl Water Reservoir or the trout farm,
which are not only symbols of progress but also underline the intertwining of a traditional way of life with modern thinking. Several homestays and guest houses offer affordable yet comfortable lodging and also provide you with a chance to interact with the ever-smiling and pleasant local people.The town experiences very cold winters and often receives snowfall during the winter months. Days in summers are cool while the nights can get very cold so carrying light woolens even during peak summers is advisable. The road that connects Barot and Jogindernagar is more-or-less in good condition with the exception of a few rough patches, but the route is very scenic, offering distraction from the bumpy ride. Even though Barot may not exactly be on the tourist circle or, for that matter, even easily accessible, but for those who want to let their hair down, the town is a good travel option.The town experiences very cold winters and often receives snowfall during the winter months. Days in summers are cool while the nights can get very cold so carrying light woolens even during peak summers is advisable. The road that connects Barot and Jogindernagar is more-or-less in good condition with the exception of a few rough patches, but the route is very scenic, offering distraction from the bumpy ride. Even though Barot may not exactly be on the tourist circle or, for that matter, even easily accessible, but for those who want to let their hair down, the town
is a good travel option.Mcleodganj, a small town about 10 kilometers from Dharamshala, isn’t anything like your typical hill station. Yes, there are mountains, temples, and even a quintessential waterfall, but one whiff of the air fragrant with the tantalizing aromas of fresh baking, Italian and Tibetan Cooking, and coffee, and a walk through the Buddhist artifacts-laden market are enough to transport you into another world altogether. The fact that this town is also the residence of His Holiness the 14 th Dalai Lama is
palpable everywhere, from the narrow congested streets, receding into the heart of the town, to the Tsuglagkhang, Dalai Lama’s temple, towering over the town.In this mesmerizing town, it is easy to chance upon sights and sounds that will make your heart burst with joy. At one corner, beautiful notes of the flute played by a tourist from another country may float through the air and make you feel one with the supreme power. While in another street, the more earthy sounds of tourists haggling with shopkeepers for the fair price of a Buddha statue that has conquered their hearts make you feel connected to the world we are bound to live in. But just when you are ready to head back towards the worldliness of Dharamshala, the sight of an old Tibetan lady, her back bent with age, walking slowly and turning the prayer wheels silently makes you want to stay on just for a little while more.In this mesmerizing town, it is easy to chance upon sights and sounds that will make your heart burst with joy. At one corner, beautiful notes of the flute played by a tourist from another country may float through the air and make you feel one with the supreme power. While in another street, the more earthy sounds of tourists haggling with shopkeepers for the fair price of a Buddha statue that has conquered their hearts make you feel connected to the world we are bound to live in. But just when you are ready to head back towards the worldliness of Dharamshala, the sight of an old Tibetan lady, her back bent with age, walking slowly and turning the prayer wheels silently makes
you want to stay on just for a little while more.Mcleodganj, a small town about 10 kilometers from Dharamshala, isn’t anything like your typicalhill station. Yes, there are mountains, temples, and even a quintessential waterfall, but one whiff ofthe air fragrant with the tantalizing aromas of fresh baking, Italian and Tibetan Cooking, and coffee,and a walk through the Buddhist artifacts-laden market are enough to transport you into anotherworld altogether. The fact that this town is also the residence of His Holiness the 14 th Dalai Lama ispalpable everywhere, from the narrow congested streets, receding into the heart of the town, to theTsuglagkhang, Dalai Lama’s temple, towering over the town.In this mesmerizing town, it is easy to chance upon sights and sounds that will make your heartburst with joy. At one corner, beautiful notes of the flute played by a tourist from another countrymay float through the air and make you feel one with the supreme power. While in another street,the more earthy sounds of tourists haggling with shopkeepers for the fair price of a Buddha statuethat has conquered their hearts make you feel connected to the world we are bound to live in. Butjust when you are ready to head back towards the worldliness of Dharamshala, the sight of an oldTibetan lady, her back bent with age, walking slowly and turning the prayer wheels silently makesyou want to stay on just for a little while more.Besides Monasteries, eateries, and shops, Mcleodganj also holds close the Anglican Church ofSt. John in the Wilderness. Built in 1852, this magnificent building is nestled in the forest nearForsythganj and is surrounded by graves dating back more than a century. Reading the gravestoneswhile walking around in the cemetery is enough to give goose bumps to even the bravest of thesouls.Summers in Mcleodganj are cool while winters are very cold with temperatures dipping belowzero at times. The area records the second highest rainfall in the country. So it is better to carry anumbrella and waterproof shoes if you are planning to visit Mcleodganj. The town is accessible by air,by road, and by train so getting there isn’t too challenging. If you are looking to spend a day wityourself, trying to discover new things about yourself without having to cut yourself from the world,Mcleodganj is a place to visit. Go with an open heart, and you won’t be disappointed.Besides Monasteries, eateries, and shops, Mcleodganj also holds close the Anglican Church of St. John in the Wilderness. Built in 1852, this magnificent building is nestled in the forest near Forsythganj and is surrounded by graves dating back more than a century. Reading the gravestones while walking around in the cemetery is enough to give goose bumps to even the bravest of the souls.Mcleodganj, a small town about 10 kilometers from Dharamshala, isn’t anything like your typicalhill station. Yes, there are mountains, temples, and even a quintessential waterfall, but one whiff ofthe air fragrant with the tantalizing aromas of fresh baking, Italian and Tibetan Cooking, and coffee,and a walk through the Buddhist artifacts-laden market are enough to transport you into anotherworld altogether. The fact that this town is also the residence of His Holiness the 14 th Dalai Lama ispalpable everywhere, from the narrow congested streets, receding into the heart of the town, to theTsuglagkhang, Dalai Lama’s temple, towering over the town.In this mesmerizing town, it is easy to chance upon sights and sounds that will make your heartburst with joy. At one corner, beautiful notes of the flute played by a tourist from another countrymay float through the air and make you feel one with the supreme power. While in another street,the more earthy sounds of tourists haggling with shopkeepers for the fair price of a Buddha statuethat has conquered their hearts make you feel connected to the world we are bound to live in. Butjust when you are ready to head back towards the worldliness of Dharamshala, the sight of an oldTibetan lady, her back bent with age, walking slowly and turning the prayer wheels silently makesyou want to stay on just for a little while more.Besides Monasteries, eateries, and shops, Mcleodganj also holds close the Anglican Church ofSt. John in the Wilderness. Built in 1852, this magnificent building is nestled in the forest nearForsythganj and is surrounded by graves dating back more than a century. Reading the gravestoneswhile walking around in the cemetery is enough to give goose bumps to even the bravest of thesouls.Summers in Mcleodganj are cool while winters are very cold with temperatures dipping belowzero at times. The area records the second highest rainfall in the country. So it is better to carry anumbrella and waterproof shoes if you are planning to visit Mcleodganj. The town is accessible by air,by road, and by train so getting there isn’t too challenging. If you are looking to spend a day wityourself, trying to discover new things about yourself without having to cut yourself from the world,Mcleodganj is a place to visit. Go with an open heart, and you won’t be disappointed. Summers in Mcleodganj are cool while winters are very cold with temperatures dipping below zero at times. The area records the second highest rainfall in the country. So it is better to carry an umbrella and waterproof shoes if you are planning to visit Mcleodganj. The town is accessible by air,
by road, and by train so getting there isn’t too challenging. If you are looking to spend a day with yourself, trying to discover new things about yourself without having to cut yourself from the world, Mcleodganj is a place to visit. Go with an open heart, and you won’t be disappointed.Kathailri is a small village in Shimla region of Himachal Pradesh (The Himalayan State of India). Villages of Himalayas are really interesting destinations for picnic outings. One of my friends in Shimla suggested this weekend picnic and we headed there. It took just 2 hours from Shimla Town...
Kathailri is a small village in Shimla region of Himachal Pradesh (The Himalayan State of India). Villages of Himalayas are really interesting destinations for picnic outings. One of my friends in Shimla suggested this weekend picnic and we headed there and it took just 2 hours from Shimla Town.After a pleasant drive through other villages we reached this viallge with green fields all around and colorful houses. We trekked around some hills in this village and met various people from this locality. Everyone in the group was young and had good energy to roam around for more exploration. Weather was also very supportive.There were some old houses in the village and some of the families are still using traditional chulha for cooking food. In these days of high-inflation, firewood is no doubt a good fuel to cook food... Above photograph shows typical chimney used in these houses... House-roof you see in above photographs is made up of small slates created out of very strong rocks, which are usually found on hills which get frequent snow...Now if you are wondering, where this village is and what is so special about it?Basically Villages in Himalayas are all together a different experience and rich in terms of natural resources. Natural beauty can be better explored in these rural parts of Himachal Pradesh, as compared to big known cities which are converting into concrete jungles now. So it's not about Kathailri, it's about a normal village in Himalayas. There can be some basic challenges like options for stay, but many of these villages have home-stay options now. In fact many people these days go in their vehicles and carry tents & sleeping bags. As I said, these villages can be great exploration places for adventurous people and every village is different from other..Meeting different people, knowing their viewpoint is really an awesome experience for people like us living in big cities and running for some something which can't define peace. At times, these conversations compel us to think the difference in thoughts, living-style, peace-of-mind in same country. In fact, 10 years back people were leaving these villages to get involved in global race and time has come when some of them have realized that rural India can also be a another good option to spend rest of the life. During our visits, we see many educated folks in rural India working on some unique ideas and impacting whole world...Overall, it was a great outing and we enjoyed it a lot. It was sunset time and we had to move back...Now if you are wondering, where this village is and what is so special about it?Basically Villages in Himalayas are all together a different experience and rich in terms of natural resources. Natural beauty can be better explored in these rural parts of Himachal Pradesh, as compared to big known cities which are converting into concrete jungles now. So it's not about Kathailri, it's about a normal village in Himalayas. There can be some basic challenges like options for stay, but many of these villages have home-stay options now. In fact many people these days go in their vehicles and carry tents & sleeping bags. As I said, these villages can be great exploration places for adventurous people and every village is different from other...Palampur is one of my favorite place to live and I visit this place at least thrice in an year. Here I am trying to share some of the photographs shot during latest trip to Palampur. Most of these photographs are shot from moving car, so excuse for bad quality, but I am sure that you will enjoy this Photo Journey around Palampur...Palampur is popular for it's natural beauty and beautiful Tea Gardens all around. Most parts of Palampur town has wonderful view of snow covered Himalayan Ranges of Dhauladhar Mountains. Above photograph shows tea gardens on both sides of road and this road connects Palampur with Baijnath. Baijnath is a very old town popular for an ancient Shiva TempleHere is a photograph of ladies plucking tea-leaves from gardens. Tea is then made out of these leaves after some processing. Leaves plucked during April are considered as best for tea. Green Tea of Kangra Valley is very popular among Teat Lovers.This Photograph is shot during evening while driving towards Chamunda Devi Temple near Palampur Town. This whole stretch shares wonderful views of snow capped hills of Dhauladhar Mountain Ranges. This road further goes till Dharmshala/Mcledoganj and a very well maintained road. Generally roads in Himachal are well maintained, at least in Kangra region of the stateAgriculture is main occupation of folks in Himachal and above photograph shows stepped fields shining in front of snow covered peaks of Dhauladhar Mountain Ranges in Kangra region of Himachal PradeshPalampur Town itself has some interesting colonial architecture and the area around is richly garnished with historical temples and forts... The stretch between Palampur and Dharmshala has most beautiful views of Dhauladhar Mountain Ranges. Several trek routes lead out of Palampur, particularly over the Dhauladhar Mountains towards the town of Chamba, Himachal Pradesh. Palampur also has numerous Buddhist monuments and is famous for its Tibetan handicrafts.Behind Palampur stands high ranges of Dhauladhar mountains

So called 'India's toughest bicycling challenge', MTB Himalaya is again back with a new shape. This probably 8th MTB event by HASTPA which starts from Shimla and end in same city after 8 days of thrilling experience in Himalayan terrains. Let's check out this Photo Journey and know more about this event.All these photographs are from 2011 event of MTB Himachal. This time, HASTPA has come up with different name which sounds more interesting. Now onwards, this event will be called as Mountain Terrain Biking Himalaya. This year, it's starting on 29th September from Shimla and will be concluded on 6th October 2012. MTB Himalaya also offer you to bring your near and dear along with you as supporters. I think, there is some limit on number of supporters and of course some fees for each. In this case supporters are supposed to arrange their own transportation from one stage to another. But of-course, right company can make this whole experience more beautiful. During these 8 days, all riders crossed various downhills, uphills, tar and rough roads etc... Whole journey is mix of experiences. This event is organized by HASTPA and Himachal Tourism - MTB Himalaya 2012... MTB Himalaya is about riding your bicycle through uncharted interiors, hike through deep forests, soak in the sun and experience nature all around. Pedal your way through gut wrenching uphills, dangerous downhills, village back roads, beautiful meadows, thick vegetation, jeep tracks and savor real mountain biking as you live through 9 days of adventure racing covering 500 km/380 miles, 3250 mt above sea level and take on the Himalayan Challenge. The adventure commences in Shimla as the race is flagged off on 29th September and registrations/briefings are done the day before, means on 28th September 2012. The next 8 days put riders through obstacles and test their perseverance. There are five categories in MTB Himalaya 20121. Open Men Solo2. Open Women Solo3. Open Masters (age 40 and above) Solo4. Teams of two5. Weekend RiderMore Information about Participation in MTB Himalaya 2012 -The minimum age of participation in any category is 18 years. and Entries open on 1st March and close on 15th September 2012It's also a place to meet passionate folks from different walks of life. Here are some details about FEES for MTB Himalaya 2012 -National Racer INR 16000 (Solo) INR 30000 (Team)International Racer INR 25000 (Solo) INR 50000 (Team)Sponsored Racer INR 25000 (Solo) INR 50000 (Team)Supporter INR 16000Weekend Racer INR 6000Sponsored Women Riders INR 16000(a company has to sponsoer at least 5 women riders to qualify for this fee)MORE INFORMATION - - Pease note that supports for riders will also follow the same fee structure.- There is a 25% discount for students and bonafide Himachal Pradesh residents.- The organizers reserve the right to award waiver of any kind on the registration fees to anyone.- Only Individual Solo riders and Teams of two (2) participants qualify for participation.- 10% discount to a group of 10 riders.- 10% discount to past MTB Himachal riders.- 10% discount for early bird entries which are received by us till 30th May, 2010.During the year, many Cycling events keep happening in various parts of Himachal Pradesh but this one remains one of the special one. There are many others which cover beautiful regions of Kinnaur, Lahaul & Spiti etc. MTB Himalaya 2012 will mainly be around various regions of Shimla, Kullu and some part of Mandi, although I am not very sure about the route this time.Above photograph shows last year winner of MTB Himachal 2011. He is from Nepal and they come a group of 8-10 riders. Most of the them are amazing riders on hills and always maintain the lead in this contest. Only riders who compete with them are few form Indian Army. Most of the others compete within a sub-group and feel happy about it. MTB Himalaya is also fun while riding through one of the most beautiful terrains of Himachal PradeshMore from official blog of MTB Himalaya 2012 can be checked at - http://www.mtbhimalaya.com/blog Details about route of MTB Himaya 2012 - Day 1 Shimla Matiyana 70 KmDay 2 Matiyana Rohru 90 KmDay 3 Rohru Chanshal 51 KmDay 4 Chanshal Kawar 47 KmDay 5 Rest Day Day 6 Kawar Hatkoti 110 KmDay 7 Hatkoti Narkanda 70 KmDay 8 Narkanda Shimla 68 K Himalayan Adventure Sports & Tourism Promotion Association (HASTPA), the organization which organizes MTB Himalaya, was initiated by a group of like minded people from varied backgrounds and disciplines in October, 2004. The motivating factor for forming the organization was to promote holistic adventure tourism in the state of Himachal Pradesh, encompassing pertinent issues of sustainable tourism, such as livelihoods, environment conservation, community based tourism etc. And PHOTO JOURNEY is biggest supporter of this thought... You will find various eco-tourism related Photo Journeys on this blog...

Shrikhand Mahadev in Himachal Pradesh is one of the most difficult Treks, I have done so far. All these photographs are more than 4 years old now, but memories are still fresh in our mind. This Photo Journey is sharing some of the black & White photographs shot during Shrikhand Mahadev Trek in 2008. Let's check out and know more about this wonderful place in Himalayas...Very first photograph shows a huge rock standing still on top of snow covered hill at the height of approximately 1700 feets. This place is of high importance for Shiva followers. This rock is considered as Shivling and every year various pilgrim come to this place from various parts of the country. This Trek opens in July for approximately 3 months. I remember the moment when this Trek was planned by Vikas, Vishal & Narender Ji... I was one of the passive member who was not involved in planning and other folks were best at it :) ... It was very quick plan... Three of us started from Delhi and all of us met at Shimla to start next journey. We went till Nirmand Town in our car and parked it there at some friend's home... From their, we hired a cab to drop us at Jaon Village. jaon village is base from where Shrikhand Mahadev Trek Starts. This whole stretch from Jaon to Shrikhand Mahadev peak was very beautiful with various herbs, plants and flowers on the way...This climb from Jaon to Shrikhand peak took 3 days and third day was mainly through rocky hills with not plants and most of them covered with snow... Last day was challenging one with last stretch was also creating some breathing problems for some of us.. So idea was to reach final destination, spend little time there and come back to Parvali Bag for spending night... During back journey we took 2 days to reach Jaon Village...Here is another photographs from third day of climb.. This place is just above Nain-Sarovar... I call it cloud store... Even this kind of clouds can't be seen from airplane... The size of hills in background will give you some idea about the diameter of this Cloud store.. It was most beautiful moment to see these clouds.. I wish I had a video to share this moment...Here is a photograph showing two of our friends climbing up through snow covered hill around Shrikhand Mahadev Peak. After this stretch some of us started feeling breathing problems but we managed to handle this through some of the medicines we were carrying with us..During this trek to Shrikhand Mahadev, clouds keep walking with you and at times start racing and of-course you can't compete with them :) ... Although these clouds make you most uncomfortable when they plan to throw heavy showers on you, while you have backpack on your shoulders and climbing high...Shrikhand Mahadev Trek is part of Great Himalayan National Park in Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh, India. Although route to reach the place is through Shimla town if you are coming from Delhi or Chandigarh... Weather on these hills is extremely unpredictable... Rains can start anytime... It's hard to see sun after 9am as clouds start moving from one place to another and whole day is spent with roaming clouds.. Most of the times, weather is good for trekking unless rain starts.. After first day, you don't even see trees where you can protect yourself from raindrops...Here is a photograph of fuggy day.. It was day one near Thachru which is one of the halts, where tents can be arranged for night stay but many folks target for Kali-Ghati or Parvati Bag on first day... We stayed at Thacharu as we didn't want to rush.. After first day of trek two of us were down with fever due to sudden change in weather and continuous trekking throughout the day...Here is a photograph of Shrikhand River which starts following you from Baghi-pul and during first day you have to walk through it or along the parallel paths during first half... A beautiful river with chilled water which comes from snow capped peaks around Shrikhand Mahadev Peak.Here is a photograph of Parvati Bag. This is the place which is targeted for first stay by many trekkers and for us it was very aggressive... So on first day we stayed at Thachru and on second day at Foolon ki Ghati which is next to Parwati bag....Lush green hills all around with shining white snow on the top and inside the corners of these hills.... Many of the water sources were also frozen on the way... At times, walking on those was extremely risky and you never know that which part of it has hallow below it...In some of the water streams, flow of water was very high during the day time and it used to increase as time passes in a day... During evening all of these streams used to get highest flow and slows down during night and cycle gets repeated.Here is a nother photograph of one of the hills covered with Hills... But this is much below the Shrikhand Mahadev Peak as we can see some tree in the bottom... This one is probably shot during first day or even on the way from Shimla to Jaon village...One of the rare photographs from Shrikhand Mahadev when we saw uncovered sky which was not wrapped by dense clouds..

Monsoons are still in on in Northern part of India and it has been more aggressive since last week of august. We are enjoying the aromatic showers of Monsoons and weather is getting better every day. This Photo Journey is sharing some of the monsoon photographs from last 5 years, which are shot in various parts of the country. Let's check out and know more about Monsoons...Clouds are one of my favorite subjects to shoot and this is one of the reasons that I like Monsoons... During Monsoon seasons, just go to hills and enjoy the cloud play which is hard to see in plain areas. Hills in foreground make various shaped clouds look better. I call above photograph as cloud store and this one is not shot from airplane...Monsoons are also best time to find different hues in the sky and of-course these hues vary from one place to other... Above photograph was shot in Spiti, although it's not recommended to visit Spiti in Monsoons. During Monsoons, Spiti valley gets lot of land-slides and at times, roads get closed which can hamper the travel plans in big wayThis year, monsoon started late and there was hardly any aggression in showers... at times, the showers didn't seem like Monsoon rain. But for last three weeks, it's raining like anything. At least National Capital Region of India is getting heavy rains for last few weeks. It's September month now and rains are in full mood. But due to these heavy rains, today we witnessed most clear sky in Delhi, Noida & Gurgaon regions. This is rare to see such clear sky around cities like Delhi. Above photograph is shot in Kashmir during month of June, which was beginning month for Monsoons.Here is another photograph from Monsoon season 2008, when we were on a trek to Shrikhand Mahadev. Monsoon clouds were dramatic around Shrikhand Hills in Himalayan Ranges.In north India, Dharamshala is the place which gets most of the rains. Above photograph is shot near Dharmshala, while we were moving towards a place called Palampur. This is compartively dull version of this photograph. This on is one my favorites and has been published in many of the magazines & newspapers...Monsoons make every river rich with water and at times, things go worse. Specifically, example of Yamuna in Delhi comes to my mind. Yamuna remains dry throughout the year and most of the times thick black water can be seen in this polluted river. But during monsoons, water level goes very high and some part of Delhi gets disturbed... Last year Monsoons in Delhi made many families move out of the shoreline and install tents on roadside for many days.Monsoon really come with various photography opportunities. Next few photographs are shot on car window with mobile camera.There was time, when I experimented a lot with these rain droplets... I will try to find those photographs from archives and will share... It's interesting to shoot different sized droplets on different types of glass, against colorful background created out of numerous subjects... In recent times, rain photographs with colorful lights in background are quite in fashion... Here is another good example of Monsoon Photographs. This photograph is shot around Nainital in Utrakhand. It has high probability to get these kind of rays during monsoons. Although these are easy to find in Hills. Basically, these rays are mainly seen in clear environment which is possible to find in hills and monsoons make it easy for plain areas. Shining rain-drops in a park... It was intentional to defocus everything to get nice bokeh of rain-drops sitting on grass.. A brilliant view of Monsoon Clouds around Narkanda Hills in Shimla, which is one of the favorite place of Bollywood folks... This photograph is shot from Dhomri ground, which is popularly known as Skiing ground in Narkanda town...Another view of same set of clouds from Narkanda Market..A photograph of one of the office-friends enjoying rains by standing inside AC room with all glass windows closed... Everyone has own ways of enjoying monsoons...Here is another photograph shot at office.. Rain-drops on my office-window @ Noida, IndiThese photographs were shot during 2012 Monsoons. It was a three days long monsoon rain that made a park look like lake. There are around 4 feet high water in the park.. It's a park in Noida - Sector26.Few more Photographs from same park.A photograph shot around Chamba hills in Himalayan State of India - Himachal Pradesh.This one was very threatening... A scene from Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh, INDIA

I love the Himalayan State of India - Himachal Pradesh and proud to say that Himachal is one of the most explored state on Photo Journey. Here we are trying to start a series on places we have shared in last Four Years.The very first photograph in this Photo Journey is showing St. John's Church near Mcleodganj. This Church comes on the way to Mcleodganj from Dharmshala in Himachal Pradesh. It's very near to Mcleodganj Market and most of the times people love to stop at this place to see this beautiful Church. More Photographs from the place can be checked at - http://phototravelings.blogspot.com/2009/12/st-johns-church-on-way-to-mcleodganj.htmlVarious wonderful places around this Church are - Mcleodganj, Bhagsu-Nag Temple, Waterfalls of Bhagsu, Dalai Lama's Temple and Museum. These are some of the nearest places to visit. Apart from these, if you have enough time in hand, you can think of exploring Palampur, Baijnath, Bir-Billing, Masroor Temples, Pong Dam, Chamunda Temple etc... Here is a photograph of Hatu Temple, which is located in Thanedar region of Shimla District. Shimla is capital city of Himachal Pradesh and district headquarter. Hatu Temple is located on very high peak which gets snowfall earlier than other surrounding regions. Hatu Peak is quite popular among Adventure Lovers and Bikers. Nearest town to hatu Peak is Narkanda, where one can find decent place to stay and eating joints. More Photographs of Hatu Peak and temple can be checked at - http://phototravelings.blogspot.com/2011/12/hatu-temple-near-narkanda-and-tani.htmSome of the other interesting places around Hatu Temple are Tanni Jubber Lake, Narkanda, Skiiing place - Dhomri,ple Orchards around Kotkhai, Shilaroo Hockey Stadium etc...Here is a photograph of huge Shiva-Rock standing on top of hills at the height of 19000 feets. This is one of my initial treks in Kullu Region of Himachal Pradesh. The whole trek is wonderful and it takes approximately 5 days to complete. During end stretch of the trek, we literally crossed through clouds. So experience the most adventurous trek through photographs, check out - http://phototravelings.blogspot.com/2011/07/shrikhand-mahadev-abode-of-lord-shiva.htmSome of the interesting places around Shirkhand includes - Kullu-Sarahan - A wonderful village surrounded by snow covered hills, Nirmand - Asia's largest village, Narkanda, Tanni Jubber Lake, Kullu, Manali etThis photograph shows wonderful view of Sunset at Pong Dam Lake near Nagrota Suriyan in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, India. This Photographs was shot during one of the recent trips to Himachal in 2012. It was basically a seminar on Birding, which is annual event of Himachal Pradesh Wildlife Department. More about Pong and its beauty can be checked at - http://phototravelings.blogspot.com/2012/03/winged-wonders-of-pong-wetlands-by.htmlSome of the other main places to visit around Pong Dam are - Monolithic Temples of Masroor which are carved out of a huge mountain and now maintained by Archeological Survey of India, Kangra Fort, Nurpur Fort, Dharmshala, Mcleodganj, Palampur, Baijnath etAnother Maharana Pratap Sagar, here is a Photographs from Bhakhra Dam lake aka - Govind Sagar Lake. This Photograph was shot during March, 2012 at Lathiani, Una, Himachal Pradesh. It's a beautiful lake which covers some of the old temples under the water during monsoons and they come out during summers. April to June is best time to go and experience the amazing architecture of those Temples built by King of Bilaspur. More about Govind Sagar Lake and it's beauty, check out - http://phototravelings.blogspot.com/2012/03/colorful-journey-to-govind-sagar-lake.htmApproachable places from Lathinai are Una, Hamirpur, Baba balak Nath Ji, Jwalaji, Chintpurni etc.. A small but beautiful lake surrounded by hills and dense forest, where no one lives. One needs to trek through some hills and Forest to reach this lake. It's Sarolsar Lake near Jalori Pass in Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh, India. It takes 2 hrs from main road to reach Sarolsar Lake. Apart from this lake, there is a small temple around it, but no one stays here. Apart from Lake and Temple, there is a small tea-shop by an oldman. To know more about Sarolsar Lake and it's beauty, check out - http://phototravelings.blogspot.com/2011/12/trek-to-sirolsar-lake-near-jalori-pass.htmlSome of the approachable places around Sarolsar lake are Jalori Pass, Banjar, Kullu, Shaij etcTanni Jubber lake is a small and beautiful lake surrounded by high deodars and some villages with lot of Apple Orchards. During this visit to Tani Jubber, we stayed in one of the Orchard-House and it was a wonderful experience to stay in a huge house surrounded by Apples and their fragrance. More photographs of Tani Jubber can be checked at - http://phototravelings.blogspot.com/2011/11/tani-jubber-lake-thanedar-near-narkanda.htmlHere are some hues of Lahaul and Spiti. This photograph was shot during one of my trip to Trilokinath in Lahual District of Himachal Pradesh. It's near to Udaipur and route take opposite turn from Tandi. One road from Tandi goes to Keylong, district headquarter of Lahual and other leads to Udaipur and Trilokinath. This Photograph was shot on the way from Tandi to Trilokinath. This was one of most thrilling car-ride on hills during night. Roaring sounds of Chandrabhaga river from one side, huge hills standing on other side and car is moving on an extremely narrow road... More photographs of Trilokinath and other places in Lahual can be checked at - http://phototravelings.blogspot.com/2011/04/trilokinath-temple-lahaul-spiti.htmHere comes a photograph of my favorite place in Shimla and a must visit destination for folks who come to Shimla, Capital City of Himachal Pradesh. This huge building is now known as Indian Institute of Advanced Studies and also popular as Viceregal Lodge. There were two residences of british Viceroy in India - One in Delhi and other in Shimla. he used to stay in Shimla one during summer and in winters at Delhi. Current President House in delhi was Viceroy's house in Delhi during British Raj. This is a completely different place in Shimla and each tourist should visit Viceregal Lodge once. It's near to boileuganj and Himachal Pradesh University. More photographs of this place can be checked at - http://phototravelings.blogspot.com/2011/11/indian-institute-of-advanced-studies.htmOther interesting places around Viceregal Lodge are Bird-Sactuary, Peter-Hoff Hotel on Hill-top, beautiful walk to Mall Road, Ridge and Himachal Pradesh University. We shall be sharing more places from Himalayan State of India. Keep a close watch on this series to explore various parts of Himachal Pradesh, India.

This Photo Journey is about a very different temple in Himalayan ranges of Himachal Pradesh. These are few old photographs, which were clicked during back journey from Barot to Mcledoganj. These photographs are trying to share about regionally popular temple of Pashakot Dev. Let's have this quick journey to Temple of Dev Pashakot...Here is a photograph of main temple of Dev Pashakot near Barot town in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. This temple is located near a river in the bottom of a hill. One needs to trek down for 15 minutes, which may take 30 mins to climb up during back journey. Temple is located at a very peaceful environmentPashakot Temple doesn't come exactly on the road which connect Barot with Mandi/Palampur. There is a diversion of 2 kilometers and after parking the car near hyderal plant, one needs to trek down towards the river and Pashakot Dev's temple is on the bank of this river. Now sure but this rive is part of Uhl river which flows at it's highest power near Barot. I hope you can make out about the temple from its photographs, as it's quite different from other temples. Many people know it as smaller version of Hadimba Temple in Manali TownDuring this visit to Pashakot, we also saw some Himlayan Goats... Some Gaddi folks were roaming around the same area with their goats and it seems they were planning to spend some time around Pashakot Temple only.At the same time, we saw some hairs on back side of Pashakot Dev temple. It seems Animal Sacrifice is done at the temple for some occasions. This was found on river bank where a dedicated shed was created for this thing.Surroundings of Pashakot Temple are extremely beautifuAnother photograph of Goat-baby around Barot region of Himachal Pradesh. He was sitting quietly on a hill-topHimalayan Goats are usually huge with long hair. Mostly these kind of goats can be seen around Gaddi folks, who keeps moving from one place to other during winters and go back to their home in summersHere is a view of Uhl river flowing on one side of Pashakot Temple. This photograph is clicked from half-way while we were going down towards temple from main-road.Clean water, greenery all around and cool breeze - What can bebetter in summers... I am feeling better thinking about all these things, while I am in Delhi right nowWith zoom lens on Travellingcamera I could see ripples on water surface, although photograph could have been far better in such lighting conditions.Pashakot Temple is situated under a foot-hill and a huge deodar(cedar) has made an umbrella around it. River sounds from the back side makes overall environment more interestingA series of bells hanging on outer sides of Pashakot Temple in Mandi disrict of Himachal Pradesh.

This Photo Journey is about a very different temple in Himalayan ranges of Himachal Pradesh. These are few old photographs, which were clicked during back journey from Barot to Mcledoganj. These photographs are trying to share about regionally popular temple of Pashakot Dev. Let's have this quick journey to Temple of Dev Pashakot...Here is a photograph of main temple of Dev Pashakot near Barot town in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. This temple is located near a river in the bottom of a hill. One needs to trek down for 15 minutes, which may take 30 mins to climb up during back journey. Temple is located at a very peaceful environmentPashakot Temple doesn't come exactly on the road which connect Barot with Mandi/Palampur. There is a diversion of 2 kilometers and after parking the car near hyderal plant, one needs to trek down towards the river and Pashakot Dev's temple is on the bank of this river. Now sure but this rive is part of Uhl river which flows at it's highest power near Barot. I hope you can make out about the temple from its photographs, as it's quite different from other temples. Many people know it as smaller version of Hadimba Temple in Manali TownDuring this visit to Pashakot, we also saw some Himlayan Goats... Some Gaddi folks were roaming around the same area with their goats and it seems they were planning to spend some time around Pashakot Temple only.At the same time, we saw some hairs on back side of Pashakot Dev temple. It seems Animal Sacrifice is done at the temple for some occasions. This was found on river bank where a dedicated shed was created for this thing.Surroundings of Pashakot Temple are extremely beautifuAnother photograph of Goat-baby around Barot region of Himachal Pradesh. He was sitting quietly on a hill-topHimalayan Goats are usually huge with long hair. Mostly these kind of goats can be seen around Gaddi folks, who keeps moving from one place to other during winters and go back to their home in summersHere is a view of Uhl river flowing on one side of Pashakot Temple. This photograph is clicked from half-way while we were going down towards temple from main-road.Clean water, greenery all around and cool breeze - What can bebetter in summers... I am feeling better thinking about all these things, while I am in Delhi right nowWith zoom lens on Travellingcamera I could see ripples on water surface, although photograph could have been far better in such lighting conditions.Pashakot Temple is situated under a foot-hill and a huge deodar(cedar) has made an umbrella around it. River sounds from the back side makes overall environment more interestingA series of bells hanging on outer sides of Pashakot Temple in Mandi disrict of Himachal Pradesh.

Pashakot Temple near Barot Valley, Himachal Pradesh

Temple situated on Hatu peak is one of the main temples in Narkanda region of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Hatu, being a common tourist place and must go place for bikers, has an important significance in this region. It's one of the highest motorable peaks in this region, although disconnects from rest of the world in winters. Let's have a quick Photo Journey to the temple situated at Hatu Peak -Here is a lake which comes on the way from main highway to Hatu Peak. There is small mud-house on one side of this lake. Usually this house remain closed, but some gujjar family comes here to stay for sometime. Approximately 10 km from Narkanda, this road is surrounded by pine and spruce trees... You will not be able to locate this lake in winters, as it freezes during winters and snow make a natural cover on top of it.On top of the Hatu hill, ancient Hatu Mata temple is located, which was under renovation during Oct'2011. The raw material in front of this temple symbolizes the progress and it must have taken few more months to complete this work. The peak offers spectacular view of the entire Himalayan ranges, snow clad mountains and in depths are the dense forests, green fields and apple orchards. Hiking is recommended to reach the peak...Here is a closer look at the woodwork done in most of the part of Hatu Temple. Internal walls are made up of stone and wood mixed with a creative design, while outer pillars are completely built by wood as we can see in above photograph. Roof top has two layers, the lower one is again constructed with wood and top one is made up of slate. Slates are actually specially cut pieces of a layers rock, which is found on specific hills. This rocks are usually very hard, shiny and found on hills, which get snowfall very frequently.Priest at Hatu Temple. Temporarily Hatu Mata was placed on left side of the temple which was under renovation. Priest was also busy in lot many other things, so he just open this part of temple when someone visit the place. During the same time, we ensure that other activities at new temple are moving with good pace.Here is a photograph shows internal view of Hatu Mata Temple near Narkanda, Shimla(HP). Light was very low inside the temple, that's why you see some color-shifts in this photograph. Original Photograph was very dark and post-processing introduced color-noise here.Last year, one of the passionate biker hiked this peak just after Snow Fall and this was done with his princess... To see this interesting story about the way this mission was accomplished, check out 'Climbing, Falling, Stumbling, and Crawling to the Hatu Temple : MISSION HATU PEAK (21 FEBRUARY 2011)'Hatu Temple Welcome broad near Road. Check out more interesting place around Hatu Temple @ http://hptdc.nic.in/cir0105.htm . An interesting photograph of new Hatu Temple with snowfall at be seen at - http://www.flickr.com/photos/munishc/4403046393/

Hatu Temple, Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh

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How to reach Kasol/Malana and top things to do around this stunning hill-station of Himalayan State of India

If you are a regular visitor of Travellingcamera , you must have noticed that title of this Photo Journey is not really matching with what we usually share. This post is inspired by lot of queries which come to us, especially in summer. One of the mostly asked thing is the options to reach Kasol and Malana . Here we are trying to share some details the option to reach Kasol/Malana, places to stay , things to do and lot more. Related post - Kasol: A beautiful Himalayan hotspot

Main places to see & Top things to do around Dalhousie : Stunning Hill Station in Himalayan State of India

Dalhousie is one of the most popular Hill Stations in Himachal and there is lot to explore around Dalhousie. This is small and very well maintained town in Chamba region of Himachal Pradesh . This Photo Journey shares some of the exciting places around Chamba and how to plan a good one day tour through Khajjiar, Chamba & Chamera etc. CHAMERA HYDROLIC PROJECT Chamera Hydroelectric Project is located in Banikhet, 7 kms from Dalhousie. The water body near the lake is very scenic and is a popular boating spot. Chamera Dam is around 40 kilometers from Chamba Town. It takes approximately 1.5 hrs to reach the place is road condition is good. Overall it’s a little dry terrain as compared to Dalhousie and Khajjiar. And temperature also goes up as we go towards Chamera Dam. As you move out from Chamba town, you follow Ravi river for some time and then take right. After 45 minutes of drive, you get a glimpse of Chemera Dam.

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