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Kinnaur
Area : 6533 sq. km.
Languages : Hindi, Himachali
Best Time to Visit : May to October
STD Codes : 01786
The sweet folk songs
of the Kinneri women, the vale of Kinnaur provides a calm
ambience to all tourists, young and old. While the youthful
and the daring harness nature's hilltops with their trekking
expeditions, the more laidback traveler can savor the delight
of the tranquil mountains amidst the rich verdure. Kinnaur,
with its colorful and hospitable population, can be an absolute
delight for the ones who admire the highlanders. This land
of fairytales and fantasies has a spectacular terrain of lush
green valleys, Orchards, vineyards snow-clad peaks and cold
desert mountains.
Places of Interest
The beautiful valley along Bhaba River is an important tourist
spot. It is a link road to the valley, which originates at
Wangtu. It has a reservoir lake and alpine meadows and is
famous for the trek route to Pin Valley in Spiti.
Karchham (1,899 m), located at the confluence of the Sutlej
and Baspar rivers, is the start of the picturesque Baspar
Valley of which Sangla is the largest settlement.
Sangla is 18 km from Karchham and is perched at a height of
2880 meters. A link road that goes off the National Highway
into the Baspar valley offers an enchanting spot at every
curve. There are saffron fields, Orchards, and higher up,
as the road climbs the steep, there are lush green alpine
meadows.
Rakchham is situated on the bank of Baspa River, at an altitude
of 2900 meters, and is famous for its scenic beauty. It is
about 13 km from Sangla on the way to Chitkul. The last and
the highest village in this valley, Chitkul, 28 km from Sangla,
is noted for its alpine meadows and snowscapes. It has a rest
house and is placed at an altitude of 3450 meters above sea
level. Powari, 70 km from Rampur, is the last major stop,
on the Hindustan-Tibet Road.
Located 240 km from Shimla and 7 km from Powari, Rechong Peo
is the headquarters of the Kinnaur district. It is placed
at an altitude of 2670 meters, has a rest house and hotels,
and offers a fine view of the Kinner Kailash. At a distance
of 3 km from Rechong Peo, Kothi has a temple dedicated to
the Goddess Chandika Devi. Set against a backdrop of mountains
and groves of deodar, the temple has a special architectural
style and fine sculpture. At a distance of 14 km from Powari
is Kalpa, the main village of the district. It is at an altitude
of 2768 meters. Across the river, facing Kalpa, is the majestic
spectacle of the Kinner Kailash range
Riba is at a distance of 18 km from Powari and is known for
its vineyards and local wine "Angoori' made from grapes. It
is at an altitude of 2745 meters above sea level. About 26
km from Powari is Jhangi, where the inner border is located.
From this point the famous Kinner Kailash Parikrama Trek starts
via Morang, Thangi and Kunocharang villages and entering Chitkul
village in Sangla Valley. Perched at a height of 2837 meters
is Puh, which has a rest house and hotel facilities. One can
see lush green fields, Orchards of apricot vineyards and groves
of almond trees, en route Puh.
Namgya is the closest village from the Indo-China border,
and the Shipki La Pass is just 13 km from this village.
The fine Buddhist Monastery of Tashigang Gompa is at the confluence
of the Sutlej and Spiti rivers. It is accessible from Nangya,
after a little diversion from Khob, on the National Highway
22. Another monastery, Tilasang, is close to Koa, 12 km short
of Yangthang and has facilities for visitors to stay. At a
height of 3662 meters is Nako, a little off the National Highway
22 along a link road just short of Yangthang. It is a scenic
village and the largest in the desolate Hangrang valley.
FAIRS AND FESTIVALS
There are many local fairs and festivals like the Ladarcha
fair (July-August) in Kaza, Tribal Fair (August) in Keylong,
Tribal Festival (October-November) in Rekongpeo, Phulaich
Festival (August-October) in Kastiar.
TREKKING
Unfrequented mountain trails crisscross Kinnaur, offering
treks ranging from gentle hikes to challenging climbs over
high-altitude passes. The routes along the Sutlej valley,
spattered with government rest houses and villages, can be
traversed without the aid of ponies, but away from the main
road, one has to be completely self-sufficient. Porters can
usually be hired in Rampur and Rechong Peo for around Rs 100-150
a day, except in early autumn (September-October), when they
and their horses are in great demand for the apple harvest.
The sedate Saharan to Wangtu hike is an ideal introduction
to the scenery and culture of the Sutlej Valley. The trail
begins just below Saharan and beyond several kilometers of
pine and oak forest, it continues towards Chaura village.
The track then continues via Tranda to the rest house at Paunda,
through the village of Sungra, to Nechar Rest House and finally
to Wangtu, where it crosses the river. One can pick up transport
back to Shimla, or further up the Sutlej to Rechong Peo and
Kalpa.
Besides trekking, one can also indulge in river rafting in
the Spiti and Sutlej rivers.
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