Names of some places strike the mind as mirages. Not because they might be difficult to reach physically, but rather due to the fact that hardly anyone from the mortal world has been there. And hence when unplanned wanderers like me happen to inadvertently land in obscure and little known hamlets like Gada Gushaini, it…
Category: Himachal Pradesh
Himachal’s Newest Offbeat Secret : Thachi Valley
It must have been 2 years ago, in 2016 when I had first heard (or read) the word Thachi. I’d reached Balichowki on my way to Gushaini and was having paranthas at a small eatery when I saw a bus with Thachi written on it. I asked the dhaba uncle and he said the road…
Mateura Jari : Timeless Village in Parvati Valley
It had been a strange sort of a day in Parvati Valley. After having enjoyed solitude in Grahan, we had made our way to far away Kutla. The descent from Kutla and the subsequent arrival in Tosh, waiting in the rain in Barshaini and then wasting time in Kasol (in the dust and diesel fumes) had left…
Going Offbeat : Kutla in Parvati Valley
There are places that you make elaborate plans to visit and then end up visiting. And then there are places you rarely think about but destiny takes you there, and you can’t help but thank your stars for the random decisions and the twists and turns. Well, Kutla was one such place where we ended…
Wanderings in Lahaul : Gemur Gompa (Monastery)
It had been a strange sort of a day. The sun had played hide and seek till the afternoon and the clouds had their way thereafter. I was acclimatising in Keylong, and was exploring monasteries of Lahaul (Lahul) for good measure. It must have been good fortune that day, because I had already seen Wanderings…
Celebrating a Traditional Festival in a village in Kullu Valley, Himachal Pradesh
After years of travelling through my favourite state in India, Himachal Pradesh – and witnessing many festivals in different seasons; I finally got lucky to attend a traditional village festival in Kullu Valley. I had reached a small village in Sainj Valley after changing a few bus rides and special buses had been started to…
Life in a Secret Village : Near Great Himalayan National Park in Himachal Pradesh
I was feeling feverish due to the sudden weather change in Parvati Valley (in May, of all seasons!) when I received a phone call inviting me to a previously unheard of village located close to Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) near Tirthan Valley, Himachal Pradesh. It was afternoon and I was uncertain if I would…
Grahan Village Trek from Kasol : Happiness and More
I was returning to Parvati Valley in 2018 after a year long hiatus; chiefly because of the crowds that I’d seen around Kheerganga on an earlier trip. I must have thought of Kalga though when a trip was planned with friends. When we boarded our HRTC Himsuta Volvo from Delhi to Bhuntar, there was no…
A Walk to Pulga Village, Parvati Valley
One of the days at the homestay in Kalga, when it was nice and sunny we decided to walk to the nearby villages of Pulga and Tulga. The distance was hardly 30 minutes away and the path was mostly downhill. Before reaching Pulga, we came across a small bridge from where we joined the main…
Kalga Village – 21st Century Shangri-La
Kasol was teeming with tourists and we were glad to have arrived in Barshaini in a bus. The clouds had laid down their welcome on a platter and it duly began raining; and for good reason too – we were inadvertently hiking to Kalga village! The original idea was to trek to Kheerganga but ominous…
Serendipity and Adventures on the Chamba-Bhaderwah Road
‘There is no bus on the Chamba – Bhaderwah road after Langera. How will you go after that?’; remarked the HRTC guy on the phone. Even the daily bus from Pathankot to Langera had come as a pleasant surprise, and had made me feel confident about travelling on this hitherto forbidden route! While I knew it…
Spending a Night Among the Clouds – Komic Monastery, Spiti Valley
Himachali locals say that I should be given a permanent citizenship in Himachal Pradesh! And when it comes to Lahaul & Spiti, my love knows no bounds. I’ve been guilty of not making individual blog posts on the high altitude villages of Spiti Valley but its never too late to start and I begin with Komic…