The Kinnaur Kailash in Himachal Pradesh - a fascinating journey

The month of October in 2012 saw me travelling with a group of friends to the Kinnaur Kailash region of Himachal Pradesh. The idea was to see some of the typical temples of that area besides making a visit to one the farthest outposts on the Indo-Tibetan border at Chitkul. We went initially by train via Kalka and Simla and then by road up the valley of the River Sutlej via Rampur Busheir, at one time one of the key points in Indo-Tibetan border trade.

After night halts at Sarahan, Rekong Peo and Kalpa it was on to Sangla, and then up the valley of the Baspa River for a quick visit to Chitkul, which was at about 11,000 feet. All along the way, the scenery was extremely beautiful, with snow-clad peaks showing up at almost every turn of the road, above and beyond the jagged hill ridges along the river valleys.

This was also the season for apples and other fruits, and one could pick them up from the road-side and fields with the permission of the land-holder, but only two or three at a time. Even baskets-full of apples were going cheaply in the local markets. An typical apple orchard may be seen below.

Considering the proximity of Himachal to the western edge of Tibet, it is small wonder that Buddhist "gumphas" and temples to Hindu gods and goddesses have co-existed in Himachal for long. One of the most fascinating temples was that of Bhimakali at Sarahan, with its unique architecture the picture of which is given below.

Another interesting temple was the Narayani at Kalpa. Of course, Chitkul, which was almost at the end of the valley of the Baspa had a special attraction.

So, this Kinnaur Kailash trip with its mix of wonderful scenery, excellent views of the Kinnaur Kailash from Kalpa, temples and plenty of fruits will be remembered for many years.