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Lahul
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Lahul |
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Facts & Figures of Lahul
Location - Himachal Pradesh
Altitude - 8900 ft.
Best Time - Mid June To Late October. |
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Lahaul and Spiti are two remote Himalayan valleys of Himachal Pradesh lying on the Indo-Tibet border. Strange, exciting, primitive, these valleys are incomparable in mountain space, in the rugged beauty of their rocky escapements and the splendor of their snow covered peaks.
Lahaul is marked by a central mass of uniformly high mountains, massive glaciers, passes, lakes and gushing rivers. The two rivers, Chandra and Bhaga, which rise on either side of the Baralacha La, flow through the narrow Chandra and Bhaga valleys. Lahaul is a land of fascinating Buddhist art and culture. Often called as the 'middle country'. The monasteries of Lahaul-Spiti are rich repositories of ancient murals, thankas, woodcarving and golden images of Padmasambhava.
Prime Attractions of Lahaul :
Tabo Monastery
The rugged hills around Tabo house a tiny hamlet that is home to some 350 people. The Tabo monastery is a complex that holds nine temples, 23 chortens, a monks' chamber and an extension that houses the nuns' chamber.
Chham Dance
The Chham dance is one of the most magnificent dances forms of the Buddhists, and is performed by the Lamas residing in the monasteries of Lahaul & Spiti, Ladakh, Kinnaur and other areas. This dance, also known as the 'devil dance', is performed in the courtyards of the monasteries before a large gathering of spectators on some festival or a cheerful occasion. The villagers are allowed to witness the dance and they take it as an entertainment with a religious fervour.
Dhankar Monastery
The Dhankar Gompa casts its subtle spell upon a person. Anyone, who visits it, finds himself unable to forget this place. The Monastery has about 100 Lamas and is in possession of Buddhist scriptures in Bhoti language.
Lahaul Valley
Lahaul, at once is stark and forbidding and yet, its arid, almost lunar-like land has a strange haunting beauty. Everything about the place is high. Scattered over this ethereal landscape are Buddhist monasteries
Dhankar
Dhankar means "a place in the mountains unreachable for strangers", situated about 25-kms. east of Kaza and serves eastern part of central Spiti. It is a big village and erstwhile capital of Spiti Kingdom. On top of a hill there is a fort, which use to be the prison in olden times.
Lahaulis
The people of Lahaul or the Lahaulas are both Hindus and Buddhists, and their dialect resembles Tibetan. They have a close affinity with Ladakhis and Tibetans.
Lossar Festival
This festival is celebrated for the welcome of the winter season. The local deity is worshipped with the hope that the winter would be happy and prosperous for the local people.
Pooh
In the Satluj valley, Pooh is situated beyond Kanum, which is a great Buddhist centre. On the Highway Pooh has a Durga-Pa Monastery.
Sarchu
It is the last border point between Himachal and Ladakh, where HPTDC put up a tented colony for the convenience of the tourists during summer season. It is situated at a distance of 116-km from Keylong.
Suraj Tal
Suraj Tal is situated below the summit of the Baralacha Pass in the Lahaul division of district Lahaul and Spiti. A beautiful lake virtually at the top of the main Himalayan massif in the catchment area of the Bhaga River. This lake is a major destination of trekkers in the region.
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Tandi
Between Gondhla and Keylong is Tandi, where Chandrabagha or Chenab river meets the road. A legend says that there were two lovers, Chandra being the daughter of the Moon and Bhaga the son of the Sun god. To perform there eternal marriage, they decided to climb to the Baralacha La & from there they ran in opposite directions. Chandra being active and smart easily found her way & reached Tandi after covering the distance |
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of 115-km. Soon Bhaga was found coming with great struggle through the narrow gorges to Tandi where consequently both met and the celestial marriage was performed. Bhaga covered about 60-km distance, which was very difficult.
Trekking
Himachal offers a virtual bonanza for trekkers. From moderate to strenuous treks ranging up to 11 days and the best season to trek over here is during the months of June to October. One of Himachal's classic routes is the Chandra Bhaga triangle and the Baralacha Pass at a height of 4,833m.
Trilokinath
Trilokinathmeans the Shiva. A Temple is situated in the village, which is about 4 kms short of Udaipur on the left bank of Chenab river. Devotees from far off places come to pay their respects at this unique temple. This Shiva temple was given a look of Buddhist shrine by Guru Padmasambhava by installing the 6 armed image of Avalokiteshvar. In August, a big festival named Pauri is held for three days when people including the sadhus and followers of various religious sects gather to receive the blessings of Lord Trilokinath.
Udaipur
In olden times this village was known as Markul, derived from the name of the local goddess Markula Devi. The temple here is unique and famous for its wooden carving on its roof and ceiling. Later on, Raja Udai Singh of Chamba changed the name to Udaipur.
How To Get There - Lahaul
By Road
Lahaul is connected with road from all parts of the country. Manali is the point where buses from various stations come. From here, one can take bus/taxi to any destination in Lahaul-Spiti, Pangi & Leh during the months between June to November depending upon opening and closing of Rohtang pass, the gateway to this valley. National highway 21 passes through this valley enroute to Leh. Other two directions are from Shimla via the Spiti Valley, along the road, which runs up to the Tibetan border through Kinnaur and from Zanskar and Ladakh over the Shingo La and Baralacha La passes. The Shingo Lo gives access to Lahul from Zanskar while the Baralacha La is on the Leh-Manali road and provides access to Lahul from Ladakh.
Places To Stay - Lahaul
The town of Kaza is a maze of shops, hotels and houses. Some of the hotels in Kaza include Milarepa's Guest House, Hotel Sharma, Hotel City and Ladakhi Hotel. At Keylong a Tourist Bungalow is run by HTPDC.
Climate - Lahaul
Lahaul's climate is very much similar to that of Ladakh and Zanskar, which border it to the north. Beyond the reach of the monsoon, the valley sees little rain in summer, when the sun is strong and the nights are cool. Between late October and late March, heavy snow closes the passes, and seals of the region. Less rainfall in both valleys enables climbers & trekkers to enjoy a long and unbroken season in perpetual sunshine and explore the wilderness and grandeur of the inner Himalaya. This unique feature makes Lahul-Spiti as an ideal destination for tourists and trekkers in the month of July, August and September. |
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