While I have crossed Jalori Pass a number of times over the years on journeys to Kinnaur and Spiti, it has taken forever for me to undertake the trek from Jalori Pass to Serolsar Lake. There is also the small hike / trek to Raghupur Garh (Fort) and the seemingly offbeat nature of the same meant that in the autumn of 2014, I ended up being awed by the majestic valley views from Raghupur Garh (Garh = Fort). That time I was staying in Sojha at one of the two homestays in the tiny village and remember witnessing a majestic moonrise!

Another time in 2017 or 2018, I was accompanied with locals and we reached Jalori Pass in the afternoon and as soon as we started the trek, it started drizzling causing us to consider the Serolsar Lake trek for another time. It was a warm summer and I was put up at Jibhi this time around. I had always thought Serolsar Lake trek to be quite popular and the thought of hiking / trekking with 100-odd first time city trekkers ensured I kept this on the sideline.

I guess it was third time lucky (in hindsight) as I was planning a spring sojourn to Kinnaur in the end of March. The original plan was to head to Batahad village and trek to Baga Sarahan via Bashleo Pass. I had been to Bashleo Pass earlier in 2016 with Jita and had no idea it was a straightforward downhill trek to Baga Sarahan; otherwise we might as well have spent a few days in Baga Sarahan and other parts of Kinnaur. A quick phone call to Thewa Ram Ji in Batahad confirmed my suspicions about snow at Bashleo Pass. It was therefore decided that we would play it by the ear and try to catch the first bus of the day from Kullu to Banjar.

I called the HRTC Kullu bus stand guys and found out that there’s a Kullu to Banjar bus at 530 am and then at 7 am, then at 8 am. We made a practical target to catch the 8 am bus from Kullu bus stand. I tried calling HRTC Banjar but their number was out of order. Anyway, HRTC Kullu guys had informed me that while Jalori Pass was open a few days earlier, recent bad weather and subsequent snowfall meant that buses had stopped plying across Jalori pass and they were only going till Jibhi and Sojha.

We woke up on a fine sunny morning and were quickly on the road at about 715 am. I immediately called HRTC Manali and they said that I would have to rely on a local bus to go from Dobhi to Kullu at this early hour. The Manali to Dharamsala-bound Bedi Travels bus came around and got to Kullu bus stand at 8 am. The Kullu to Banjar 8 am bus had been cancelled (maybe due to the recent snowfall at Jalori Pass) and we continued till Aut in the same Bedi Travels bus and made good time to reach Aut at 9 am.

A Banjar bound local bus was about to leave from Aut but was already full; in the absence of any other options we jumped in and struggled to find even breathing space. The bus was filled to the brim and it was really difficult with our backpacks but the necessity of these kind of journeys is the helping nature of the locals and that ensured everyone managed to survive. The weather was holding up and the sun was still out. Rain was forecast after 1-2 pm and I was hoping we would find a bus headed to Sojha (Shoja) from Banjar bus stand.

I thought that the bus would get less crowded at Balichowki but it turned out to be the opposite as more and more people got in! Thankfully, it was our turn to get seats and it was a smooth arrival at Banjar bus stand. The time was about 1030 am and a few raindrops came around from the overcast skies. I went to find the bus timings for Sojha and was promptly told by the enquiry counter that bus service from Banjar to Sojha has been temporarily suspended with the inclement weather alert and imminent rainfall. The next bus from Banjar to Jibhi was the Gadagushaini bus at 12 noon.

We were in a fix and had no idea what to do next! A couple of taxi guys hovered around quoting outrageous prices for Jalori Pass. A Banjar to Bathad bus was scheduled to leave at 11 am and I briefly flirted with the idea of going to Bathad. Thankfully, sense prevailed and when a shared taxi alto guy came asking, this time I asked him the price for 2 people to Sojha. I told him we lived in Dobhi village and he quoted us the local’s price at INR 200 per person. He had two more passengers who wanted to go to Anni village (across Jalori Pass) and the alto guy was supposed to drop them till Jalori Pass only. It was well known that there would be local shared sumos ferrying passengers from Jalori Pass to Khanag and Anni.

It felt like Banjar town had the same old traffic jam problems. This road has long been awarded the status of a National Highway (NH-305) but there has been no work done on the ground. Anyhow, it was comforting to see a police guy with a walkie talkie directing the traffic and we were soon out from Lower Banjar to Upper Banjar and on the road to Jibhi. The condition of the road was quite terrible (to say the least) and I reminded myself that I wasn’t missing out on too much by not coming this side inspite of living in Kullu Valley.

I was happily surprised when two buses crossed us; they were coming from Khauli – just a bit ahead of Gada Gushaini. Jibhi had the look of a shanty tourist town with multiple colourful homestays/guest houses, cafés, restaurants on both sides of the broken road. There was a sort of relieved sigh to see that we had not chosen the easy way out by opting to stay in Jibhi. Just after we crossed Jibhi and neared Ghiyagi – close to the diversion of Sajwar; the rain started coming down and had me scrambling for my jacket.

In conversations with the co-passengers, I asked if anyone knew the chowkidar/caretaker of the PWD Rest House? The reply was pleasing – it appeared that there was now a newly built Forest Rest House in Sojha as well. I was keen on staying at the vintage PWD Rest House in Sojha and not at one of the numerous homestays / guest houses. The plan was to hopefully find a ride to Jalori Pass next day and trek to Serolsar Lake and come back to Jalori Pass and then decide the further course of action depending on the weather.

The shared alto guy dropped us on the road near the signboard of the FRH in Sojha and I was left wondering about the exact location of the PWD Rest House. The rain was steady and my rain jacket had to be summoned from the small backpack. I didn’t have to wait long to quell my doubts about the PWD Rest House as it turned out to be adjacent to the Forest Rest House in Sojha. We saw smoke coming out of the chimney of one of the houses but were not able to find the caretaker and thankfully went to the Forest Rest House and met the chowkidar there.

He called the son of the PWD Rest House Caretaker and told us to meet him since the Forest Rest House was already booked (which turned out to be untrue!). The son of the chowkidar was very helpful and asked us to take the confirmation of the booking from an official phone number in Kullu. The lady in the office confirmed our stay in ten minutes and asked us to take Set Number 2. We thanked and put our bags in the spacious set number 2 and since we had not eaten anything since morning, asked the caretaker’s son to recommend a place to eat in the town.

He suggested that the Forest Eco-Tourism area has a recently inaugurated canteen and he recommended that over the dhaba in Sojha. So, we just hopped across the gate and found the dining room. Fresh aloo paranthas were the only option to be made in a jiffy and with the cold breeze blowing due to the rain turned out to be perfect. We had multiple rounds of masala chai and requested rajma+chawal to be made on order for dinner.

The whole valley was engulfed in clouds at this moment and it felt quite dreamy. It was a feeling of contentment and satisfaction after a full tummy and the weather gods reciprocated when it stopped raining once we stepped out of the dining area. We decided to go for a short walk in Sojha and see how it has changed over the years. The rain had caused the temperature to plummet and at 2700-2800 metres altitude, Sojha was quite chilly. It looked timeless though with the floating clouds in the valley below.

We came across a handful of newly established hotels in terms of staying options and a few cafés as well. Sojha seemed to have hit the right spot in terms of still keeping the scenic beauty intact unlike Jibhi which can clearly be said to be under the clutches of over-tourism. Locals working at an under construction hotel invited us to sit by the side of the bukhari and we enjoyed the conversation for a while. At about 230 pm, we were back to the PWD Rest House and just in time for it to start raining again.

Thankfully, the PWD Rest House had a long corridor with glasses and we had carried our books. It was teeth chattering cold and we enjoyed the same since these were the last few days of a long winter before summer winds blew in the valley. When the rain relented for a bit, I went around wandering in the PWD Rest House compound and then we went dot on time for our awaited late lunch/early dinner of rajma chawal in the dining area at 5 pm.

Rajma chawal was ready and we were served steaming hot bowls of the ultimate comfort food. It was delicious and we asked for masala chai to round off a grand eating experience in the lovely interiors with the aroma of deodhar wood furniture. We requested him for early morning chai at 7 am the next day and he asked us to just wake him up and he will do the needful. Since we had forgotten a pack of biscuits, we wandered off to the nearby shop in Sojha and with no rain ended up walking to the Banjara Retreat.

The landscapes seemed surreal with the floating clouds and we couldn’t have been more pleased to be out for our evening stroll. We also noticed a number of 4*4 vehicles on the road heading to / coming back from Jalori Pass on our walks on the road in Sojha. So, it was decided to start walking next morning for Jalori Pass and hope that we got a ride in one of the vehicles heading up (if there was) so we could start the Serolsar Lake Trek from Jalori Pass at an early hour. We got back to the wood and glass interiors of the PWD Rest House and made ourselves cosy.

It kept raining on and off and after fiddling with reading and aimless scrolling on the phone, we called it an early night and put our alarms for 630 am. Once the thick blankets got warmed up, it was a nice sleep and we woke up fresh and raring to go and trek to Serolsar Lake. We woke up the canteen owner and he quickly made tea for us while all of us shared the solitary packet of biscuits. We were out on the road even before it was 730 am and since it felt like a nice, clear morning we were happy to start walking on the road to Jalori Pass.

The distance from Sojha to Jalori Pass is almost 5 kms and I was hoping to find a camper or locals headed to Jalori Pass and catch a ride so as to save time. Of course, there were no sounds of a vehicle and we were pleased to be in a thick forest hardly 1 km after walking past Sojha. We spotted a variety of colourful birds in the forest and started encountering snow on the road. There were also a few private tourist vehicles parked on the side of the road as the snow on the road increased and we figured that the vehicle owners were smart enough to come back and take their vehicles when the road became clear.

Just as we were nearing Jalori Pass at about 9 am, two 4*4 campers carrying a bucketful of tourists crossed us and I was in a spell for a moment. Jalori Pass was totally snowed out and there were many vehicles / shared taxis waiting. Some were from Anni, Khanag side while the recent campers who had crossed us were ready to take tourists back to Sojha. They were charging about INR 200 per person for the 4.5-5 kilometre distance between Sojha and Jalori Pass. We went to the nearby dhaba and had a round of black tea; requested dhaba uncle for a plate each of rajma chawal and kadi chawal upon return.

Since we were told the distance between Jalori Pass and Serolsar Lake is 5 kilometres and the fact that it was a level trail, we calculated roughly 3.5 hours for the coming and going and included about 30 minutes of spending time at Serolsar Lake. Our breakfast turned out to be green apples that we had carried and told the dhaba uncle that we would see him on the return. There were a couple of local youngsters standing at the start of the trail and I asked them in the local lingo if there were any confusions that we may encounter on the trail and they said it was a straightforward trek.

We started at 910 am and the weather was holding up for the moment. The sun was playing a constant battle with the clouds and the weather forecast showed 70 odd percent chance of rain/snow at Jalori Pass after 1 pm. So, our aim was to get back after the trek to Jalori Pass before 1 pm and decide the next course of action based on the weather. It was nice to walk on fresh snow although I was a little surprised to see multiple dhabas at the start of the trail. The youngsters who had arrived in campers to the top of Jalori Pass were apparently headed to Serolsar Lake but were playing in the snow seemingly unaware of the fickle mountain weather.

After crossing the cluster of dhabas at the start of the trail from Jalori Pass, we entered a dense oak forest that would continue till we reached Serolsar Lake. There was pin drop silence only interspersed by the sound of falling drops from the melting snow on branches with the currently abundant sunshine. Thankfully, the drops were few and far between and did not create puddles on the trail and we could continue to crunch the fresh snow under our feet. Our heads had to be covered though with the sort of occasional rainfall effect of the same!

We crossed a meadow where the HP Forest Department puts up tents for staying in the summer. Although there were no markings on the trail, the path seemed fairly straightforward and could have become confusing in the snow. Hence, we had asked beforehand and were told there is no turn as such and the entire path is straight rather than a sharp right or left turn somewhere. After 20 odd minutes of walking (roughly past 1 kilometre) there was a camping site to the right and another 360 degree campsite somewhere to the left. The left side campsite seemed to have a vantage viewpoint and could make for a nice nature camp in the summer months.

We continued walking at a brisk speed and after the 2 km mark, came across another cluster of dhabas (all of them were closed with the recent snowfall). The sun was out and two benches were kept at just the right place so we opted for a five minute breather. Here, we met a couple of locals who were walking ahead of us – they were going to open their dhaba that was located close to the lake. They were carrying supplies and told us that they roughly call this 2 km dhaba stretch as the sort of halfway point.

I started feeling quite warm in the direct sun and we opted to start walking again since we were not really tired at all. After this point, the trail gets a little smaller in width and with the melting snow required a bit of extra concentration. There were a few downhill stretches and then uphill stretches but nothing alarming and after another 40 odd minutes of hiking, we came to another area with spread out dhabas(all of them were closed). I figured that the lake was nearby; the watch showed that we had covered 5 kilometres but Serolsar Lake was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, there were steps on the other side of the trail which meant there was more distance to be covered. On the other side, there were about 2-3 sizeable dhabas and one of them had been opened – courtesy of the local couple who went ahead of us. I noticed that the watch showed that we had covered about 5.6-5.7 kms at the dhaba point and I ended up asking the dhaba owner that everyone says that the distance between Jalori Pass to Serolsar Lake is 5 kilometres. He replied saying that the distance is almost 6 kms but like a popular myth, incorrect information has been floating around presumably to make it feel more attractive to first time trekkers!

He said that Serolsar Lake is hardly 200 metres ahead from there and told us to continue straight! We alighted past a flight of snow-laden stairs and came upon a stunning sight. Serolsar Lake looked incredibly beautiful surrounded by snow and had absolutely still waters with a reflection of the nearby trees. There was an iron gate that signified the entry to the walking path around the lake. The first reaction upon seeing Serolsar Lake was that it is quite big whereas in the photographs on the internet it looked quite small.

We walked a bit on the path that was totally submerged in snow and I had a glimpse of The Budhi Nagin Temple that was located on a higher platform on the left overlooking the lake. At first I thought that we would visit the temple but then I quickly deduced that there would be no pujari at the moment, the path was entirely snowed out and a quick look at the sky suggested that the clouds will be back soon. There were a couple of signboards instructing visitors to maintain the sanctity of the lake and not to go near the water. Snow had seeped in inside my shoes and I felt a bit chilly now that the physical activity was reduced to gazing at Serolsar Lake and clicking pictures!

The time was about 11 am and we started climbing the flight of stairs and sat at the dhaba. There was only maggi on offer (which I hate!) and so we decided to ask for black tea and a packet of whatever biscuits they had (nor that I like biscuits!). We had covered more than 10 kms without real food and had 6 more kilometres to trek to get back to Jalori Pass. The weather was holding up for the time being and we totally relished the black tea (laced with cardamom) and biscuits sitting on the wooden benches. We thanked the dhaba couple for leading the way and they recommended us to return in the summer!

In the summer months, every slope on the Jalori Pass to Serolsar Lake trek turns into a camping ground and with the numerous dhabas around – food is never really a problem. Only the presence of crowds deters me from heading to popular places in the high season. We started walking and mentally recollected the landmarks that we had encountered on the way so that we could return safely even if the weather worsened and the visibility reduced.

It was almost 12 noon when we encountered the first visitors on our way back. Another group was accompanied with a local guide and were trying to trek to Serolsar lake on a day when bad weather was forecast after 1 pm. The trail itself had become a bit slushy once more people had walked on it. We opted to sit on the same spot where we had rested at the 2 km mark on the way. As soon as we sat on the benches, it started drizzling and within no time turned to snow. Thankfully, another dhaba had opened by then and was serving 4 youngsters who were having maggi / etc. We sat under the tarpaulin for a minute and decided to just get back to Jalori Pass since it was not too far from there.

Within a matter of minutes the snowfall gave way to fog and mist and we were in a white forest all of a sudden. Thankfully, we were well prepared for this scenario and at this juncture we reached the first campsites where the trail widens. Here, we encountered a number of tourists chilling at the dhabas. Some were headed to Serolsar Lake in this inclement weather. Tourists were enjoying the unexpected snowfall and it felt nice to see the raw feel of the joy of travel. We were back to the dhaba at Jalori Pass just a tad before the clock struck 1. Dhaba uncle gave us a thumbs up and said well done and confirmed that our food is ready!

We gobbled up the rajma chawal, kadi chawal and it was really really delicious and felt even more so after a total of 16 odd kilometres of hiking in the snow. It was a nice feeling to know that living in Kullu Valley was working well for our fitness levels and we were almost on par with the locals in terms on basic speed in hiking even while not trying to speed up. Campers and other 4*4 vehicles were parked on both sides of the road on Jalori Pass and now we had the choice of going to Anni, Khanag or Sojha, Jibhi. It was still snowing and we instinctively said it is best to return home to Kullu Valley and sought about figuring a vehicle.

A shared camper guy said he’s charging INR 200 per person from Jalori Pass to Sojha and that he will leave when the vehicle is full. I tried asking him INR 200 till Banjar so that we could get a bus from Banjar to Kullu but he wouldn’t budge and I figured that he might take more than an hour to fill the number of passengers. After the lovely lunch, we were also ok with hiking back to Sojha along the road if it stopped snowing/raining. Just as we were wondering, I spotted another camper guy who was about to leave for Sojha. I quickly ran and asked him to drop us to Banjar for INR 200 per person. He had no other passengers and asked us to get in as he had to go somewhere and was in a rush.

As we say, sometimes we make our own luck and this camper guy seemed to be doing the same. We paid the dhaba uncle who was so kind that he came to tell the camper guy to drop us safely! There was a local family of five headed to Ghiyagi and off we went without wasting any time. As usual, aimless chatting was the order of the day and the gentleman of the family invited us to their home in Ghiyagi. The snow turned into rain just a few bends after starting our journey and by the time we reached Sojha, there was no sign of snow but only rainfall. The cold also abated a bit and even though my socks and feet were totally wet, I was ok.

The camper guy was quite friendly and told us that he was in a hurry because he was anyway headed to Bhuntar to get the servicing of his vehicle done. He agreed to drop us till Aut for INR 500 total for the two of us. We made good time from Banjar and reached Aut at 4 pm. Our reaching home was delayed as the bus from Aut took forever and after changing another bus in Kullu bus stand, we got down at Dobhi at 630 pm.

The weather was pleasant, our hearts were happy and it was an adventure of a trek from Jalori Pass to Serolsar Lake that made all the difference!

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It had been a glorious few months in Kasar Devi and we had braved through the winter cold. As soon as February began, we chalked out plans to visit the nearby places for weekend visits.

In the last week of February, we left early morning from our cottage in Kasar Devi and walked to the diversion of the road for Jageshwar near Almora, and were lucky to instantly hitch a ride till Chitai Golu Devta. We paid our respects at the temple and started walking on the road and were lucky again to find another ride that dropped us at Artola – the point from where the road diverted for Jageshwar. I remembered from my earlier visit that it would be a pleasant 2 odd km walk from here as the region around Jageshwar is surrounded by pine and deodhar forests to reach the Dandeshwar Temple.

Since the distance between Almora and Jageshwar is only 35 kms, we didn’t bother to have breakfast when we left from Kasar Devi and figured that it made sense to eat an early lunch along the way or directly after reaching Jageshwar.

In 2015, I had stayed in Jageshwar for a day and someone had mentioned that while Vridhh Jageshwar was quite close to Jageshwar; it was a good 8-10 km distance from the road and there was a diversion road for Vridhh Jageshwar from Artola. In the absence of a proper mode of transport (bus or shared taxi), it wasn’t practical to think of a day visit from Jageshwar to Vridhh Jageshwar and back. I had multiple bags with me and therefore had to sort of plan my travel accordingly.

It was a surreal walk on the road from Artola as there were hardly any vehicles and we reached Dandeshwar Temples at about 1230 pm. We were quite hungry and came across a boutique stay on the way to Jageshwar after crossing Dandeshwar Temple. The dining area looked very inviting and we asked the staff if it was possible to make lunch on order? They said lunch would be simple dal, green leafy vegetables, chapati and rice and would take about 30 minutes to make. We requested them to speed it up as we were super hungry!

Food was out of the world when it arrived after some time and we ate till our stomachs were full! The 250 Rupees per person charge felt absolutely worthwhile. We thanked the staff wholeheartedly, paid them and set on our way. We visited the various temples in the Jageshwar Group of Temples complex; crossed the Jataganga stream to reach the Kuber Temple. Jageshwar town seemed to have expanded and didn’t have the charming feel as earlier so we were already thinking of an alternate plan of stay!

We asked the Pandit Ji at Kuber Temple about the hiking trail for Vridhh Jageshwar temple. It was early afternoon and we had ample time for trying to head somewhere else. Pandit Ji was quite confident and told us that the trail to Vridhh Jageshwar was well marked and pretty straightforward. He estimated that the hiking – trekking trail from Jageshwar to Vridhh Jageshwar is about 3-4 kms and should take between 1.5 to 2 hours maximum. He also told us that there were a couple of homestays right in front of the Vridhh Jageshwar Temple and that we would have no trouble finding a place to stay for the night.

It was about 315 pm when we started our walk from Kuber Temple. There was a proper cemented path with beautiful houses surrounded by early spring flower blooms on the way as the onset of the Jageshwar to Vridhh Jageshwar trek. One of the homes had such an incredible array of flowers – on the pretext of asking about the trail, I ended up asking whether the house was also a homestay! The lady of the house quoted a heavy price and we figured that as a classic trait in Uttarakhand. I stuck to the task of confirming the path and was told that a road is being built and that we should take the walking trail even after the road joins.

We were on the right trail and easily climbed a steady ascent in the initial 15 minutes. The weather was sunny when we had started but quickly began to change with clouds gathering and a breeze starting to blow even before we had reached the first road construction that was said to be our first landmark. I tried asking anyone on the trail where the path joined the bigger road in progress but there was no one to be seen and as if on cue, it started drizzling.

Thankfully, we had carried our rain jackets and since we had a rough idea about the trail, continued walking on the dirt road and kept a look out for a walking trail ascending towards our right. The drizzle was steady and we were overjoyed when a vehicle appeared on the road and was kind enough to stop for us. The gentleman was a local who said he was aware of the correct trail to Vridhh Jageshwar and informed us that it is easily identifiable.

We were ecstatic to spot red rhododendron blooming flowers in the forest and even though the road was dusty, the drizzle came as a welcome delight with the smell of petrichor. Even though it was only around 4-415 pm, it started feeling a bit dark in the forested region and we heaved a sigh of relief when we finally saw a hiking trail emerge from the road. It was a sharp ascent and although I was still uncertain about us being on the right path, the occasional raindrops and cold breeze ensured that we kept going ahead rather than second guess.

After about 20-30 minutes the light improved as we climbed higher and were relieved to notice that the drizzle had stopped and the sun had started peeping through the clouds. The rhododendron flowers looked even more beautiful after having a shower in the rain. We clicked a few pictures and I made a mental calculation that there was daylight till 630 pm at least. Even if we were on the wrong trail, our general hiking direction was in the region of Vridhh Jageshwar Temple and we were quite confident about making it to a homestay before dark.

Just as I was starting to get worried about not reaching Vridhh Jageshwar nor seeing any signs if we were on the right trail, we came across a stone boundary and there were multiple trails branching from that place. It was getting super confusing and for a minute I contemplated turning back and just getting back to safety in Jageshwar since we knew the way back. As a distraction, we decided to take a small rest break sitting on the stone boundary and were pleased when a dog came from somewhere.

The presence of a dog increased the possibility of a settlement nearby and my joy knew no bounds when a group of women carrying firewood appeared from nowhere and told us that we might have missed the correct trail but pointed us to a path and said that we will hardly take 15-20 odd minutes to reach Vridhh Jageshwar Temple. It was about 515 pm and we thanked the ladies and rushed on the trail. We had a spring in our step and relief on our minds now that we finally knew that we were about to reach Vridhh Jageshwar Temple and that there were 2 homestay options there.

Within no time we reached a road-head where the road had very recently been laid with tar and for a moment wondered if we had to go left or right but google maps quickly solved the problem. Recent development in the remote areas means there is hardly any place left without mobile network and internet connectivity. The weather had totally cleared and the sun was out. We were in front of the Vridhh Jageshwar Temple and there were only a handful of buildings.

I had assumed that this was a temple town but the solitude felt even more pronounced when we saw that there were only a total of 4-5 buildings that comprised Vridhh Jageshwar! We were shown the room at one of the homestays and were quoted a reasonable price of INR 500-600. It was a basic but pretty comfortable room with an attached bathroom and the owner was soft spoken and a kind hearted man. The homestay doubled up as a dhaba with a general store and the owner lived there with his wife. We requested him for an early dinner of freshly cooked dal, vegetables, rotis at 730 pm and quickly asked him if there was a chance of attending either the evening or the morning aarti at the Vridhh Jageshwar Temple?!

He looked at the watch and asked us to rush to the temple as it was about to be 6 pm and the evening aarti would begin anytime now! We were having a great day and loved this piece of information and quickly walked to the Vridhh Jageshwar Temple. The evening colours in the sky were simply out of the world and the horizon was being painted in yellow and orange hues. Since we were at a much higher altitude, the air felt cleaner and colder and the green hills completed a pretty picture.

The temple was a massive stone structure and the architecture style was similar to the bigger temples in the Jageshwar Group of temples. The Vridhh Jageshwar Temple pre-dates the Jageshwar temples and is said to have been established in 7-8th Century AD. The evening aarti was about to begin and it felt peaceful and calm as there were no other pilgrims or visitors at Vridhh Jageshwar. There is a certain charm about visiting places off the main tourist circuit and we were quite pleased with being able to sit in the aarti and feel the mantras being chanted.

After 30 odd minutes the evening aarti was over, we thanked the Pandit Ji and spent some time gazing at the stupendous after-sunset views. We were super hungry and walked back to our homestay which also doubled up as a general store and a dhaba where pilgrims and visitors could get food made on order. It was almost 7 pm and food was going to take a little longer to get ready so we went to the room and aired it out a little. A bit of fresh air in closed rooms always works wonders. While Jageshwar felt hot during daytime, there was a proper chill in the air in Vridhh Jageshwar and it was not even night yet.

We were quite relieved when the owner uncle handed us an electric rod to heat water (if we needed it). The night skies from the homestay terrace were incredible in the absence of any light pollution in Vridhh Jageshwar. There was a solar powered light at the Vridhh Jageshwar temple but that was hidden by a big tree in the homestay compound. The electricity conked off and decided to give us an even more epic view of the stars. We weren’t complaining and went to the dhaba area when the food was ready.

It was nice to see a proper family run place and aunty was making hot chapatis. We gobbled up the offerings as we had nothing to eat after the fabulous lunch in the afternoon. The wind had really picked up and it felt like a thunderstorm was on its way. We ate well, thanked uncle and aunty wholeheartedly and went back downstairs to our room. It had started to get cloudy and funnily enough the electricity came back!

There was full 4G internet connectivity and it felt nice to lie down in the warmth indoors and do some aimless scrolling. We slept well, after all the body had a nice workout with the hike and was pretty tired.

It was a spectacular morning as the weather had cleared and a stunning 180 degree view of the Himalayan ranges awaited when we were going to the temple for the morning darshan and aarti. There were crystal clear views of Mount Trishul, Nanda Devi and other peaks. We were overjoyed and requested for aloo paranthas for breakfast and enjoyed them in the outdoor sun with the splendid views. Even though the original idea was to leave back for Kasar Devi early morning, it was a delay that felt totally worthwhile.

Someone mentioned that Vridhh Jageshwar lies on an old trekking/hiking route commonly used by pilgrims and it is possible to continue via walking trails to reach other important temples in the region. At around 11, we started walking towards Panuanaula (next sizeable village on the road) and I came across a signboard and a trail towards Jageshwar Dham which mentioned the walking distance as 3 kms. We quickly understood that we had surely got lost in the jungle yesterday and made it to Vridhh Jageshwar by a much longer and confusing trail. A shared taxi duly arrived and we got a ride till Panuanaula.

I don’t remember the exact sequence but it was rhododendron flower season and we got down at a place called Toli where there are a couple of local shops that make fresh squashes. The homestay uncle in Vridhh Jageshwar had given a reference of one of the squash makers and we ended up picking a number of bottles of the various varieties that they recommended. The prices were also quite reasonable, we thanked the owners and caught one of the numerous shared taxis bound for Almora.

It was a feeling of contentment and satisfaction to come back to our cottage in Kasar Devi!

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We left early from our home and were at the Allain Duhangan Power Project barrier gate after taking the diversion from Prini at about 930 am. There was an entry charge even for local vehicles, and I filled an online form for the same and paid. We also gave a ride to a local who was headed to Sethan. She confirmed that it was a nice and easy day hike to Chikka from the last point till where the vehicles went. We had a heavy breakfast at home and also carried some apples to enjoy on the hike.

Here are a few phone photographs of a stunning day hike from Sethan to Chikka in August :

We would have wanted to spend more time on the hike but the drizzle meant that we started hiking back and got back to the place where the car was parked at about 3 pm. So the time taken to reach Chikka was about 2 hours and we hardly took an hour to return.

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It had been almost three months in Kasar Devi near Almora and since the coldest months of the winter were behind us and spring was fast approaching, we thought why not head to Munsiyari just before the Holi festival holidays! We were in the third week of March and the post-pandemic era of travel meant that the bus service to Munsiyari was not operational and that necessitated finding out details about the shared transport options from Almora to Munsiyari.

I started by asking at the local shared taxi area in Almora and they were clueless about a direct option from Almora to Munsiyari. Someone suggested that we first take a shared taxi from Almora to Bageshwar and then try our luck for another shared taxi from Bageshwar to Thal and then figure another shared taxi from Thal to Munsiyari. Another idea that locals figured was to take the morning bus to Pithoragarh and then find a shared taxi from Pithoragarh to Munsiyari. The trouble with both these options was the probability of spending a night in transit in either Bageshwar or Pithoragarh and while both these places are tourist destinations in their own right, we were in no mood with a break journey.

I reminisced about my grand summer of 2015 in Kumaon, and recollected sketchy details about direct shared sumos that plied between Haldwani to Munsiyari and left from Haldwani at about 6 am. They would cross Almora at about 9-10 am and reach Munsyari in the daylight around 5-6 pm. I was able to find out more details about the shared vehicles from Haldwani to Munsiyari through local contacts in Almora and they confirmed that it was indeed the best way to reach Munsiyari from Almora in one day. My local contact shared the phone number of the daily service and these days a tempo traveller plied on this route.

The charges were fixed at INR 1000 per seat from Haldwani to Munsiyari and after some negotiation, we were able to finalise 2 seats from Almora to Munsiyari at 700 per seat. Since we had booked in advance, we were able to secure excellent front seats. On the day of the journey, we came to the bypass road near Almora and even though the tempo traveller was about 30 minutes late from the estimated time, we were overjoyed to sit in a direct vehicle that would reach Munsiyari before night fell! It was a smooth ride despite multiple tyre punctures; with excellent food stops on the way. As we reached the highest point of Kalamuni top – the scintillating array of Panchachuli peaks with a surreal pink sky welcomed us among the candelabra of jagged white peaks.

We were keen on staying in a homestay in Munsiyari itself for 3-4 days and directly taking the same shared sumo / tempo traveller back to Kasar Devi, Almora. It had been a while since I had tasted the delicious and unique dishes of Johar Valley which is a whole lot different than the usual Kumaoni food available elsewhere. A basic search on the internet revealed that all the homestays in Munsiyari seemed to be located in Sarmoli village and while the initiative was excellent, as always I was looking for a raw and novel experience.

The perfect adage of ‘what you seek is seeking you’ worked when the owner of the tempo traveller had recently started a homestay and on the phone he welcomed us to stay and promised home cooked meals. I was a bit skeptical because there were no pictures shared but the fact that it was a newly built homestay meant that it would have the modern conveniences that we looked forward to since we were already living in a pretty basic setup in Kasar Devi. We reached Munsyari and were dropped close to the bazaar where the homestay was located in a quiet and peaceful lane. The owner Pankaj was soft-spoken and kind and we agreed on a price of INR 1000 including basic home-cooked meals.

The homestay was a new building some 2 minutes walk from the original home of the owners. The room was spic and span with an attached washroom. As night fell, we were asked to come to the original home for dinner. It felt quite cold and our joy knew no bounds when aunty ushered us into the warm confines of their old home. We were seated on the dining table adjoining the kitchen and she served us hot food with chapatis straight from the tawa. The food was yummy and we ate well, thanked her for the same and requested her if it was possible to savour different varieties of local food over our course of stay.

She was happily surprised to have guests who understood how a home-run kitchen works as the first stayers at their homestay. We told her to not get hassled about our food and that we had no untoward demands and would be happy to eat whatever was being cooked for the family if aunty was busy! Since Holi festival was around the corner, aunty told us that she might have to go and attend a few get-togethers and that we should be prepared to eat a meal or two at a local dhaba if she was not around.

Pankaj Bhai told us that someone will bring us tea in the morning at the homestay itself – we filled our water bottles, wished them good night and walked back to the homestay. It was fully dark at this point and the stars shined in their full glory with the Panchachuli mountains providing a great backdrop. We woke up early next morning and went to the roof for a legendary one hour Munsiyari sunrise! It was freezing cold but well worth it to see the sun come from behind the snowy mountain range and the rays scatter in all directions in the blue sky.

Over the course of our stay in Munsiyari; we walked around town and went to the usual places like Nanda Devi Temple, Darkot village, Tribal Heritage Museum, saw the colourful holi festivities of the locals, and explored the local market, but the highlight of the trip was the hike to Khaliya Top. The entire trail beginning from Balati Bend was filled with pink and red rhododendron flowers in full bloom. We had started very early in the morning and the views of Panchachuli peaks were extremely clear in the cloudless sky. It remains an unforgettable memory walking in the forest with the splash of colour everywhere the eyes could see.

As we climbed higher, the views kept getting better and after we crossed the KMVN Guest House – it felt even more surreal while climbing to Zero Point. It was almost a 360 degree view. We savoured some dry fruits with the magical sights around us and even as a rousing wind started blowing, we lie down in the meadow. There was some unmelted snow in some parts as we neared Zero Point. In hindsight, it felt like luck was on our side as clouds started gathering as soon as we started our descent at around 1-130 pm.

The rhododendron delight made me wonder if it would be a good idea to visit Munsiyari for the autumn colours!

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Shashur in the local language literally translates to – ‘in the blue pines’. I would come to know about the adage when I reached there; Shashur Monastery is indeed surrounded by a small forest of blue pine trees and is reachable by a 3 km uphill walk from Keylong – which is preferred by the locals. For folks travelling by car, there is also a 5 km long motorable road to reach Shashur Monastery.

It was afternoon and clouds had just started gathering in the sky, and since there was a road that led to Shashur Monastery – I was more or less confident (or rather, hopeful) of being able to hitch a ride. I began my day in Keylong and opted to head to Tandi Bridge and Beeling village in the morning after a quick breakfast at one of the eateries in the bazaar.

Also read : Othang Gompa – The Crown Jewel of Pattan Valley, Lahaul

Over the last 2-3 days, one thing had led to another and as I visited one monastery, I was being guided by the locals for exploring other monasteries in Lahaul. I climbed to visit the Yardong / Yordong Monastery in Beeling near the HRTC workshop close to the Tandi bridge but was mildly disappointed when the doors were closed and there was nobody to show me around the cave-sort of monastery. However, I felt a tad unlucky when I met a monk while climbing down who said that he had the key to open the doors.

Read : Othang Gompa – The Crown Jewel of Pattan Valley, Lahaul

Anyhow, I started walking back to Keylong and someone in Beeling village suggested that I take a quick look at the ‘Jabjes‘ in the fields. Jabjes are the holy footsteps of the lama embedded in rock and I was happily surprised to be shown a rock with a clear foot imprint. Since it was the month of July, we were roughly in the middle of the summer in Lahaul Valley and the fields were awash with potato blooms. I enjoyed clicking the surreal landscapes and thanked the gentleman for bringing me to the fields.

After a few minutes of excitement of clicking Lahaul Valley’s rich summer landscapes with Keylong in the background, I decided to resume my walk back to Keylong.

It was around 2 pm in the afternoon and I went to the room to rest for a while and perhaps eat something (can’t really remember). At about 3-30 in the afternoon, I was unsure of what I wanted to do and once I got back to the road I saw the signboard of Shashur Monastery directly in front of me! It seemed to be a cue; since Shashur Monastery was one of the prominent monasteries in Lahaul Valley and there was a motorable road (dirt road) that went all the way to the top. I had decided about visiting it on one of the days when I was in Keylong and not exploring the other monasteries.

I made sure of refilling my water bottle before beginning the hike and asked the passersby for the best directions to reach Shashur monastery. Some locals told me that even though the motorable road would lead me to Shashur Monastery, the distance would be about 5-6 kms while there was a shortcut that would take about 1.5 hours for the 3 km distance on foot.

I was keen on hearing more about the shortcut and they told me that the shortcut would be a sharp ascent and I would keep meeting the road after every few bends. The trail itself was well defined and I was told to find the next shortcut very close to where the previous shortcut had ended.

I started on the path and within a few minutes lost my way because I was unable to find the shortcut. Nevertheless I continued walking on the road till I came across the next shortcut and was able to follow the aforementioned trail. After covering some distance, the path duly came in the midst of blue pine trees.

The shortcuts were quite steep and sometimes had a water canal flowing past and it so happened that I slipped and ended up falling near one of the canals. Thankfully, only my jeans was soiled and the camera had been saved. I felt a little cold with the fall but thankfully Lahaul’s arid air meant that I would be dry in no time. I was hoping to get a ride in one of the cars headed to the monastery since I was always in vicinity of the road but funnily enough no car came and I continued walking along the uphill trail.

Read : Khangsar, Kwaring, Sarang, Kolong – Exploring Lahaul Valley

Like all other things in life, I began to enjoy the hike and the views as I climbed higher; the sun didn’t seem harsh anymore and the yellow roofed Shashur Monastery started peeping from among the blue pines. I crossed an ethereal looking patch of ‘sia’ (or wild roses) that clearly stood out with the tantalising pink blooms.

A sort of storm seemed to be brewing in the distance and the Chandra river (or was it Bhaga!) shined whenever a sliver of sunshine fell on it. The green fields lit up and it presented a sight as bucolic as it could be. I reached Shashur Monastery after walking through a large stretch among the juniper trees and had all but forgotten about my soiled jeans that was dirty but drying rapidly at that time.

There was some sort of construction work going on near the chorten outside the monastery and one of the labours from Bihar indicated to me the entrance to the main monastery and I was glad when a young lama offered to show me around the different structures.

There was a signboard placed right in front of the monastery noting that : Shashur Gompa was founded by Lama Deva Gyatsho of Zanskar in the 17th Century and belongs to the Drukpa Sect. He was a missionary of Nawang Namgyal, who was the king of Bhutan. There was a small gompa here at the same spot before the bigger monastery was established by Deva Gyatso. Deva Gyatso stayed at the monastery till his death.

Shashur Monastery is quite big with a number of rooms and has a number of valuable thangkas with one thangka over fifteen feet in length. There are also well-preserved wall paintings depicting all the 84 mahasiddhas of Buddhism. In the month of July, Cham (masked dances) are performed by the monks in the monastery and the festival is called Tsechu, which is the most popular Cham festival in Lahaul.

The lama was kind and interesting and we ended up chatting and he allowed me to go to the different parts of the monastery and also opened a number of doors that were locked. The weather had started worsening and I was glad when he offered tea. The extra time had enabled me to notice the intricate bells (dorje) and I was able to click a few pictures with the mountains in the background.

The carvings on the door of the monastery are intricate and a nice breeze started blowing as soon as we had finished the tea. I noticed that a number of threatening dark clouds had gathered in the horizon and was hoping that the rain would stay away, at least until I had made it back to Keylong.

One of the doors of Shashur Monastery was incredibly beautiful with a delightful colour pattern along-with Buddhist designs. The lama and I made conversations in the open air balcony that had a vantage view of both sides of the valley. If memory serves me right, the lama was from Bhutan and I was quite surprised to know that it is customary for all serving lamas at Shashur Monastery to be from Bhutan. I was ecstatic when the sun peeked out from among the clouds lending a glorious light to the proceedings. He told me to try and attend the masked dance festival Tsechu at Shashur Monastery someday.

Just when I had thought I would encounter no other visitors, a lady tourist came in a taxi / cab and since there was no harm in asking for a ride back, I did and to my astonishment the car sped with the local Lahauli driver even before I could blink. I had a good laugh about this with the young lama and he said that human beings on earth are not alike and on this note, I took his leave since I would take an hour to make the long trudge back to Keylong.

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Me and Jita were keen to go on day hikes and explore more of Kullu Valley and Bijli Mahadev seemed like the perfect day trip. Bijli Mahadev Temple is located in Kharal valley at an altitude of roughly 2400m and is accessible by a 1 hour hike or 2-3 kms via a well-laid out path through the forest. We left early to reach Kullu bus stand at about 830 in the morning. We were suggested to get down at the Ramshila road near the Gammon bridge where it was easier to find a bus / shared sumo but we were skeptical about getting a seat in the bus and opted to go to the bus stand in Kullu itself.

We weren’t sure of the name of the village where the bus to Bijli Mahadev went and were happy when informed that the HRTC bus will leave from Kullu bus stand at 940 am. We saw a private bus with the signboard stating that it was heading towards Bijli Mahadev but opted to eat something before leaving for the journey.

It is a hot day in Kullu and the humidity reminds me of the start of the morning on the Mathasaur – Jai Maa Fungni Temple trek. Anyhow, we are better prepared this time and have left early and I have also kept a rain jacket in the bag.

There was ample time to have breakfast and we rushed to one of the nearby dhabas near the bus stand. Kullu bus stand looked swanky with the recently upgraded building and has been converted into ISBT Kullu! The aloo pyaaz parantha smelled dicey and my stomach started grumbling as soon as I finished it. It was freshly made but looked like the oil used in the making was old and could have been the culprit.

Nevertheless, we reached the bus stand and I started feeling a bit pukish and was in a spot of bother. We occupied our seats in the bus that was supposed to leave in 10 odd minutes and I was in a dilemma if I should go for a short stroll to try and stabilise my grumbling stomach. Before I could think any further, the bus started. Thankfully, I had carried a few candies in my pocket and opened an alpenliebe for a change of mood.

Last year, after completing the hike from Raison to Jana one of the dhaba owners near the Jana waterfalls had informed us that the scenic dirt road continued ahead of Ashni and would directly reach Bijli Mahadev Temple. I was quite intrigued to know that but the locals were clear with the information that it was a very rough road and was only recommended for experienced drivers in a 4*4 wheel drive vehicle.

It all sounded very appealing and when we stayed with friends at an obscure cottage in the woods on the Jana road, we walked for a kilometre or two and I wondered if it was possible to walk all the way to Bijli Mahadev temple from the Jana road as the distance was about 16-18 kms. It would make a fantastic trail as the forests around Jana are some of the densest in Kullu area and this region was part of the Kais Wildlife Sanctuary.

The bus trundled out of Kullu town and as it took the diversion to Chansari, finally we were able to identify the road to Bijli Mahadev Temple. The distance from Kullu to Bijli Mahadev Temple is roughly 20 odd kms and the distance from Kullu to Chansari village is 14 kms. The road is narrow and the bus groans on an endless uphill ascent along winding turns through apple orchards while crossing numerous nondescript villages. I spotted signboards for a few homestays and realised it could be an excellent region for tourists to stay in Kullu Valley who want to experience a local environment and be away from the crowds of Manali.

As we climbed higher, a bird’s eye view of Kullu Valley was presented to us and I was pleased that the bus ride had somehow helped in the digestion and I was feeling a lot better. The single road was so narrow that our bus had to reverse umpteen number of times and we took almost 1 hour to reach Chansari village.

The majority of passengers alighted in the villages en-route Chansari and that prompted me to ask the HRTC bus conductor how far the bus would go after Chansari Village? I was aware that the road continued past Chansari village and was certain that the private bus dropped passengers till Raugi turn and the HRTC bus conductor also remarked that they go till the private bus place.

When Chansari village came, there were only 5 people in the bus and the bus conductor suddenly announced that they would not be going ahead of Chansari and therefore we had to get down as well. I remember seeing a signboard that Bijli Mahadev was still 7 kms from Chansari village and was convinced that there was a method we could continue on the road and hike when the trail began.

At the Chansari village bus stop, there were a few small eateries on the left while the walking trail to Bijli Mahadev Temple began on the right side with a steep flight of stairs. The dhaba owners said that the hiking trail via the steps should take us about 3 hours to reach Bijli Mahadev as the trekking distance from Chansari to Bijli Mahadev temple was about 6-7 kms.

I was not keen on taking the hiking trail of the steps that began in Chansari village. There were 2 Bengali tourists in the bus who alighted at the Chansari bus stop as well and we started walking on the road to make sure we avoid them. It is almost impossible to hitch a ride when you are 4 people!

To our shock and astonishment, we see the HRTC bus going ahead and it doesn’t stop even after they see us on the road. We tell this to a nearby shop owner and she remarks that the HRTC bus goes about 1-2 kms ahead and it would be much better for us to start our trail from where the road ends. A few private cars cross by but some of these are full and don’t give us a ride. I am feeling much better after the easy walk along the level road and now it feels like the aloo parantha has finally digested.

We might have covered 1 kilometer and when I spot another car coming, I give it a hand and its a middle aged uncle and aunty from Mandi who stop and ask us to hop in. We tell them we are going to Bijli Mahadev Temple and that the HRTC bus dropped us in Chansari village itself even though it went ahead. Aunty asks us to complain to the HRTC Kullu office so that this sort of incident does not happen with others.

Aunty and uncle from Mandi are also going to Bijli Mahadev Temple to pay their respects and I thank them for letting us sit with them. We are aware that the road continues ahead but are not sure how far we can actually go. It is a normal small car and after 4 kms the road becomes very bumpy and after we cross a couple of sharp hairpin bends, we can see cars parked on the side of the road signifying that the end of the road is close.

The bus had dropped us to Chansari village at about 1030 am and the clock shows the time is 1120 am as uncle finds a parking spot and we get out of the car. The sun is shining directly above us and we scamper for some shade. There are a few taxi vehicles bumping away to glory and dropping tourists even farther ahead but these are all SUV sort of vehicles and we figure its easier this way. Uncle has parked the car at a dhaba style eatery and someone shows us the stairs where the walking trail for Bijli Mahadev Temple and tells us that we should take around 1 hour to reach the temple. We wait a while for uncle to join us after he parks the car and aunty tells us he was in the army earlier and took an early retirement.

It was around 1140 am when we finally started climbing the stairs. I had automatically assumed that aunty uncle would be slower than us so we thanked them for the ride and told them that we would see them on our way down. Little did we know that the army uncle was obviously much fitter than us and we would end up trailing them for most of the hike.

As soon as we started ascending, I noticed a number of shops / dhabas selling snacks, tea, coffee while breakfast, while lunch and dinner could be made on order. We were informed that the distance from this point to Bijli Mahadev Temple was around 3 kms and that we would take an hour at a reasonable pace.

At one of the closed dhabas, an old lady was selling freshly plucked ripe apricots by the kilo for 40 INR. I picked up a few pieces for 20 INR to be eaten as a healthy snack once we made it to the Bijli Mahadev temple.

By this point my stomach troubles had stabilised and I figured that the walking had surely helped digest the parantha (culprit) and that it was better that I don’t eat anything untoward until we reached home after completing the hike. The views of Kullu Valley were quite splendid from the road and after the cloud cover dissipated as the day progressed, the weather became hot but the views became clear as well.

It is a non-stop uphill climb and everyone tries to stop and rest in the shade every after few minutes. After 10 odd minutes, we join the end of the road at a place called as Karate where most of the tourists are getting dropped off and this is the last point till where the vehicles go. The hike is well laid out and is an uphill climb on steps that pass through a dense devdhar forest. Uncle and aunty are leading the way as we take a break every few minutes to click pictures and sit sometimes to rest in the shade. The trail is reasonably crowded and we are quite aghast at seeing multiple groups shouting at the top of their voice, playing loud music in the jungle on the speakers and generally disregarding the solitude of nature.

The forest department has tried to do a good job by installing multiple dustbins along the trek but the garbage seems to be rarely collected and most of the dustbins were overflowing. All the shops/dhabas and restaurants along the hike were selling religious offerings. We came across old women in pattus selling juices, fruits and offerings in the jungle. A chance conversation with mom meant I also bought religious offerings worth 100 INR as she had asked me to pray at Bijli Mahadev Temple. There were 2 young kids who had also set up a stall in the jungle and were trying to sell fruits and religious offerings. The army uncle gave them quite a lecture and asked them to go to school since it was necessary and they were far too young to be making a living.

Just before reaching the temple, aunty pointed to me some of the trees that had been struck by lightening. The trees struck with lightening had been sliced into two and the phenomena of lightening around Bijli Mahadev temple was turning out to be true. I thanked her for showing me the trees as I would have most probably missed seeing the same.

According to a popular legend : The temple is called Bijli Mahadev (roughly translated to Lord Shiva of Lightning). According to this legend, the idol or Shiva Lingam in the temple is struck by lightening every year during the monsoons, shattering it into numerous little pieces that get scattered all over the mountain top. These pieces are then collected by the temple priest who binds them together in the original form by using butter and sattu.

After hiking for about 40 odd minutes it felt like we were nearing the end of the forest and a cluster of dhabas was visible after a green clearing. As we made one final climb, we found ourselves amongst green meadows that stretched on both sides of the mountain and horses could be seen grazing in what was an idyllic sight. In less than one hour after beginning the trek / hike to Bijli Mahadev Temple – we saw the entrance of the temple with a Trishul – Shiva’s Trident.

A signboard suggested that photography was not allowed inside the temple. A crowd was gathered outside the doors of the Bijli Mahadev Temple and we were told that the Goddess from Pini village was visiting (she is the sister of Bijli Mahadev devta) and that the doors of the temple are closed until the ceremony.

Some of the dhabas just before reaching the temple were sizeable structures and could possibly serve as sleeping spaces in the night on a per bed / dormitory system. They had a wide variety of offerings and were geared up to served lunch / snacks to the visitors at short notice. One could order something to be made and it would be ready by the time the visitor got back after paying their respects at Bijli Mahadev Temple. The meadow in June had just started turning green after the recent rains and I could only dream of the eye-pleasing shade of green after the plentiful rains of July/August.

We put our shoes in the racks provided outside the temple and after a quick glance at the ceremony opted to walk around the temple to take in the scenery. There was a massive tree in the courtyard where a few sadhus were resting in the shade. I clicked a photograph of three sadhus who were sitting outside one of the smaller temples. The temple structure of Bijli Mahadev was a sort of flat roof which was quite different than the pagoda style temples normally seen in the region. A number of local visitors were sitting on the green meadows just ahead of the temple. Bijli Mahadev Temple is located on a high meadow that has a full 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains.

The views were not very clear but as I went ahead, I could spot the airstrip at Bhuntar airport in the far distance. The aerial sight of Kullu Valley and Parvati Valley was stunning and I could only wonder how pristine it would be on a clear day.

After clicking a few photographs, I decided to lie down for a while on the green meadow and enjoyed the apricots. The apricots were perfectly ripe and super yummy and I decided that to buy a kilo or more from the same lady on the way back. In the meantime, the ceremony of the sister goddess was almost over and the gurs spoke among themselves while the trumpets were sounded and the devotees started returning.

It was close to 1 pm at this juncture and the temple priest informed us that we could enter the temple for paying our respects. I also asked one of the priests if we could click photographs of the temple and he reiterated the fact that we can click photographs from the outside but not from the inside. The entrance door of Bijli Mahadev temple was richly carved and looked incredibly beautiful. We entered the temple and immediately a small crowd had gathered inside. I quickly gave the priest the religious offerings and uncle made me light up the incense and after praying for a while, we were able to feel the solitude and spiritual richness.

The air inside the temple was thick with the aroma of incense while the devotees prayed together. We sat for a while and noticed that opposite to the main temple there were ancient looking small and big stone statues. There was also a huge 20-25 meter tall pole made from the trunk of a tall Deodar tree which attracts lightening.

Some locals told us that the pole is replaced every year by another one made from the tallest Deodar tree found in the nearby forests. It was also quite close to the month of July, denoted by the month of Saawan in hindi when kheer is served to all devotees and visitors to Bijli Mahadev Temple. Saawan is a time for visiting the temples and thereby, an annual fair is held at Bijli Mahadev temple during monsoons.

While strolling on the meadow around the temple, I wondered if there was a staying facility around Bijli Mahadev where the night skies would be quite special and one could also watch lights of Kullu & Parvati Valleys like twinkling stars. The return ceremony of the goddess sister (from Pini village) was full of fanfare and felt quite surreal and lucky for us to be able to see it.

After spending a few minutes soaking in the surroundings, we decided to start our journey at about 130-140 pm. The sun was shining quite brightly and even though it was nice and breezy at the top of the meadow at Bijli Mahadev Temple, we were keen to get back before there was any chance of the weather worsening and the rain coming down.

I had a light moment with uncle and aunty when I remarked that uncle turned out to be much faster and fitter than us and that we ended up making the entire journey together. They asked us where we wanted to be dropped on the way back as we had originally thought that we would descend all the way to Chansari village bus stop. The locals had told us that shared taxis and regular buses were plentiful from Chansari that would ensure we got back to the main road / Kullu bus stand. The hiking trail to and from Chansari continued past the Karate village where private cars were being parked and taxis were dropping tourists.

I was clear about not eating anything while Jita picked up a few pakoras to eat on the way back. We made quick time on the descent even though the steps felt tiresome for the knees. It was quite hot and we were pleased about the cool breeze in the jungle and the relatively relaxed pace that we were at.

Within no time, we reached the closed dhaba where the old lady was selling apricots and ended up buying a kilo of yummy freshly picked ripe apricots! I also bought a few yellow plums from a nearby seller. As we made the final descent to get to the main road, we saw many visitors were getting dropped off in taxis and starting the walk up at about 2-230 pm.

I guess that is what most tourists do; they choose to take it easy in the morning and then make the difficult climb up during the day. I have always preferred to start early in the morning and give plenty of time to enjoy the hike and get back relaxed during the day itself as there are more chances of catching public transport. Uncle and aunty had reached as well and we sat in the car which had become quite hot in the searing heat.

The ride back was uneventful and mostly smooth because only 1 bus crossed on the way before we reached Ramshila. Aunty-uncle were headed to Mandi and dropped us at Akhara Bazaar in Kullu at about 3 pm. We were in a celebratory mood having got back much much earlier than expected and thus decided to go to Sapna Sweets for a snack.

Kullu was extremely hot and Sapna sweets was so crowded that they were taking forever to serve in the cooler section of first floor. We thought about leaving but they agreed to serve samosas in the ground floor section.

We caught a bus and got back to the home in Dobhi before evening and enjoyed a dinner with local wild vegetable of kathu ke patte and chapatis.

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Since it was the middle of June and we are well aware of the dicey status of the Udaipur to Killar road that frequently gets stalled due to landslides, we decided that it was best to perhaps head to Keylong and then decide our further course of action. We left from home in Dobhi village at about 615 am and caught a Punjab Road Transport bus and reached Manali bus stand at 640 am. To complicate our already muddled thought process, I spotted the Kullu to Killar (Via Keylong) bus at the bus stand in Manali and asked Jita if we should sit in that one and simply continue with our original plan of heading to Pangi Valley? Jita suggested we should have breakfast first since he was feeling a bit hungry.

Read : Wanderings in Lahaul : Gemur Gompa (Monastery)

Manali mall road was empty at that early hour and when we didn’t find an open dhaba / eatery serving breakfast, we went behind in the by-lanes near the monastery and sat at one of the promising looking dhabas. The whistling of the pressure cooker was signal to take our seats and we asked for an aloo-pyaaz parantha each and ginger masala chai post the paranthas. It was a small eatery and seemed like a pretty popular place with many orders for packed paranthas. The paranthas were delicious and the chai turned out to be excellent as well. We thanked the guy, paid and as we were leaving for the bus stand it started drizzling.

I took my rain jacket out of the backpack and we walked back to the bus stand. We were a bit confused if we should head to Keylong first or directly go to Jahalman but the status of a homestay in Jahalman was not clear and it was decided we are better off staying a night in Keylong and familiarise ourselves with travel like the old days.

My first memory of Jahalman (Jahalma) is seeing the signboard on the Reckong Peo – Jahalman bus and wondering where exactly was this fascinating sounding place! Later when I would see the bus regularly in Kullu – Lahaul region, I would come to know that Jahalma (also Jhalma) is an important town in Pattan Valley, Lahaul. It is the gateway to the famous Kugti Pass trek from Bharmour to Lahaul as the starting (or ending) point of the trekking trail that starts near Rashil village.

I had a photograph of the timetable of the buses from Kullu – Manali to Keylong and was quite confident that there was a Keylong bound bus every 30 minutes or so. It turned out that some of the buses mentioned in the timetable are non-existent! We waited at the bus stand amid the thick diesel fumes and I kept wearing my mask to avoid any breathing trouble. So, after the Kullu to Killar bus left Manali bus stand at 7 am, the next bus that came was the Haridwar to Keylong bus that turned out to be so jam packed with the migrant Nepali workers and there was not even standing space. The conductor clearly told everyone not to get into the bus and we had to return dejected at our current circumstance!

I kept hoping there was a local bus in the early morning hours but that was not to be and all we did was get wet in the rain and hopelessly wait for a Keylong bound bus! The Haridwar – Keylong bus left the bus stand at about 830 am and now we were determined to somehow get a seat / standing space in the next bus. The drizzle was getting stronger and we had mixed emotions about letting the Keylong-Killar bus go. We kept hovering around the entrance of the bus stand to keep a keen eye on the buses coming so that we could grab the seats!

In the meanwhile, there seemed to be a long queue of people heading to Keylong and a few enterprising taxi guys were asking folks for a shared ride at INR 400 per seat. I proposed one extra smart taxi guy the usual bus fare and he scoffed at my offer! There were a few guys looking for Leh bound travellers as well for a seat in the Sumo / Minibus Traveller.

After some time, sense prevailed and we stood on the other side of the bus stand where the fumes were much lesser and we were able to see the incoming buses without getting wet in the rain. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity a bus to Keylong duly arrived at the Manali bus stand and we ran and somehow pestered the conductor to let us in. He informed us at the outset that there were no seats in the bus and given our 2-3 hours of waiting, we were pretty content with getting standing space and somehow getting to Keylong.

We hauled our bags in front and ended up standing for the entire duration of our journey, only getting a seat in Tandi (hardly 8 kms before Keylong). We requested the bus guys to let us off on the highway (or Old Bus Stand in Keylong) to avoid us the long uphill walk from the New Bus Stand. The scenery on the road after Solang Valley was pristine with the recent rain and clouds occupied centrestage.

We were quite flexible with our thought process and just wanted to take it easy in Keylong. At the outset, since it was about 1230 pm – the first task was to find a cheap place to stay. The weather was sunny and the blue sky was interspersed with clouds. As I spoke to some of my acquaintances who ran guesthouses on the main road, we were told that cheap rooms are a thing of the past and that 1000 Rupees is the minimum we would have to pay for a double room.

Since it was the tourist season for Ladakh, most of the rooms were full and one of my known person in Keylong indicated to me to quickly finalise a room as once the tourists started coming in it would become difficult to even get a room! I went to check a homestay and that turned out to be so spic-and-span that we felt it was easier to just stay at a normal guesthouse. It was decided that we would most probably leave for Killar in the early morning bus from Keylong.

Also read : Wanderings in Lahaul : Trilokinath Temple

We finalised a room for 1000 Rs. and immediately stepped out since it was a long time since we had the early morning breakfast. It was rusty decision making when we ended up ordering chowmein that turned out to be quite passable at one erstwhile good Angmo Dhaba! Nevertheless, we were keen on having a stroll in Keylong and see how much the town had changed with the Atal Tunnel. We descended onto the Mall Road of Keylong from one of the staircases and were frankly surprised with the level of frantic construction activity going on in Keylong Bazaar. There were loads of vegetable shops selling a wide variety of vegetables and some even had fresh strawberries from Sissu/Gondhla. There were a few fancy looking cafés and a new branch of HDFC Bank in Keylong town!

We loitered around for a good part of almost 2 hours and after enjoying the food at The Climber’s Café walked back to our room; and it turned out just in the nick of time as it started raining as soon as we got back. The temperature dropped instantly and it became quite cold. After it kept drizzling for an hour or so, we checked the weather updates again and deduced that it was better to call a local from Killar and get hands-on information. I called a guest house owner in Killar and he said that it had rained all day and that we should defer our plan by at least 2 days. We were quite stunned by the information and suggestion and decided to let go of the Pangi Valley plan for the time being and just head to Jahalman.

We stepped out for dinner at about 7 pm and saw that the rooms in Keylong were all sold out and one of the restaurants even refused to serve us dinner and said that the rush means that they are only serving food to in-house guests. Ultimately we ended up eating food at the restaurant of the guest house we were staying in and decided to call it an early night. It was very cold and we woke up to a sunny morning and immaculate blue skies with fresh snow on the mountaintops.

The views were epic prompting us to click a few pictures with our dslr cameras and after a quick breakfast we rushed to the bus stand. I called the HRTC officer in Keylong and he asked us to come to the bus stand itself. Upon reaching the bus stand, we were overjoyed to see the Shimla to Killar – Sural bus and quickly put our bags inside.

The HRTC officer informed us that there have been multiple landslides on the road to Pangi Valley between Udaipur and Killar near Thirot and that the previous day’s HRTC bus between Kullu to Killar was stuck at a very peculiar spot for the last 14-16 hours. The bus was stuck on a stretch and was able to neither move forward nor back since both the sides were closed due to a landslide. Thankfully, no damage was done and the passengers were safe. However, the HRTC officer said that the Shimla – Sural bus was supposed to leave from Keylong much earlier but had been waiting for the Kullu to Killar bus to reach so that all the passengers could be transferred to one bus till Udaipur and then depending on the status of the road, the final decision will be taken.

In the meanwhile, I also got fascinated with a JKSRTC bus stationed at the bus stand and saw a few backpackers triumphantly holding the tickets in their hands. I briefly toyed with the idea of heading to Ladakh but the supposed tourist rush quickly nipped the thought in the bud. We kept our bags in the Shimla to Sural bus bound for Udaipur and I chanced upon talking to local ladies of Pangi Valley (Pangwals) who belonged to different villages scattered around Pangi Valley.

Anyhow, the bus was jam packed and we had to step out when the seats that we had occupied turned out to be booked online and those gentlemen had made their way inside! Thankfully, another bus to Udaipur was supposed to depart in another 30 minutes. There were plenty of empty seats in the bus and after more time wasting at the HRTC workshop in Tandi we eventually made it to Jahalman village at around noon.

The scenery of Pattan Valley was as beautiful as ever with stunning green fields dominating the landscape while the Chenab (Chandrabhaga) river kept flowing serenely. As soon as we stepped out of the bus at the Jahalman bus stop, we spotted a signboard for a homestay. In keeping with the general style of the current travel, I was adamant that there might be a homestay at a better location and we kept walking ahead of the village until we reached no man’s land! Someone informed us that there are only two homestays and a Forest Rest House in the village and both of them are close to where the bus dropped us! So, we walked back and eventually reached the homestay after a short walk from the main road.

The weather felt perfect with a nice breeze blowing and the sun was largely hidden by the clouds. The lady at the homestay quoted us INR 600 for a room; it was a basic room with a common bathroom and I thanked her and asked her to quote us a price including the meals. Since she asked for a reasonable INR 1000 for both of us including meals and breakfast the next day, there was no need to bargain and we put our bags inside.

The morning parantha at Nalwa Restaurant had long been digested and I requested her if she could make a quick lunch for us since we were quite hungry. She casually remarked that we can finish the lunch and then head to Othang Gompa that was hardly an hour’s walk from the homestay and rushed to make rajma chawal for lunch for the entire family.

In the true essence of being in a homestay, I made sure of telling her to just cook something that she would anyway make for lunch for the family. Me and Jita were quite overjoyed at finding a reasonably priced homestay and the mention of a hike to Othang Gompa got us interested. We went out for a stroll and I came across the stunning location of the Forest Rest House that seemed to be in urgent need of repair. Once on the road, there was a small crowd gathered at the Beer & Wine Shop and upon asking, someone pointed to us the Yellow roofed structure of the Othang Gompa located on a hillock at a much higher elevation from Jahalman. We ended up walking back to our homestay since lunch would be ready.

Lunch was served at about 1 pm and after a hearty meal, the lady led us to the start of the trail through the fields and told us that the path is pretty straightforward and that we have to reach a yellow roofed building that will be visible after a bit of climbing. She also asked us to remember to take the same path back to get back to the homestay in the evening.

We were feeling quite lazy after a super heavy lunch but the incredible scenery on offer was a happy surprise. When the Pangi Valley plan did not materialise, we had started thinking maybe this will turn out to be a failed trip but it seemed like our luck had turned a corner and the troubles would lead to something good.

We were walking through a water canal fed by the snowmelt and being directed to one of the fields. Almost all the valleys of Lahaul grow a variety of exotic vegetables during the short summer season and the chief reason for the high yield of broccoli, iceberg, lettuce, leafy etc. is the ample water supply through the channels. There was a variety of wildflowers surrounding the path, white, yellow, pink, blue and different shades of other colours of flora was delightful. We stopped every few steps to admire the view in front of us and had our first glimpse of the wild rose – Sia (on this trip). There is an unsaid pleasure in revelling in nature’s delights and after 15 odd minutes of the lazy trundle, we had ascended to a path that was clearly visible. The weather was still cloudy and we were thankful that it wasn’t sunny!

Even though the lady had said that it is not more than an hour’s walk, we were quite certain that we would take at least 2 hours to make the climb all the way to Othang Gompa / Monastery. We crossed a nice grove filled with wild roses – sia and looked back to marvel at the stunning green fields of Pattan Valley with the Chandrabhaga river flowing calmly. It was an unrelenting ascent and quite stiff in some sections. We were passing through a juniper forest and the nice fragrance added to the feeling of exuberance that only the vast skies of high altitude regions give.

After about an hour or so, as we made a long climb – we came across a dirt road and quickly understood that there is also a motorable (sort of!) road to Othang Gompa. At this point the yellow roof of the monastery was clearly visible and the short-cut walking path became even more uphill.

The views kept getting better as we climbed higher and the sun also shone through the clouds. Thankfully, I had carried my hat that protected me from the full blast of the sunshine. We were huffing and puffing and were grateful to have carried water with us since it had become quite hot. We were having a gala time clicking the landscapes with the blooming wild roses reminding ourselves of the glorious days of travel in the pre-pandemic era.

On one of the climbs, I saw a car zoom on the road and before I could scamper to get to the road – it was gone. We met a shepherd who told us that it was the Lama Ji’s car that had just whizzed by and that we just missed it by a whisker. We were concerned with the opening of the monastery and now it was more or less guaranteed that the Lama Ji will be there to open the monastery doors.

At this point, the climb became almost vertical and we crossed an old mud chorten with a newly built white chorten near it. To our massive surprise, we saw a few homes just before we reached the monastery. Apparently, there are a total of some 8 houses that comprise Othang village. All the houses in Othang village seemed to be quite sizeable and had cow sheds and fields surrounding the houses. There were a number of colourful wildflowers growing near the houses and for a while the numerous paths had us confused but ultimately we ended up asking a few locals working in the fields who guided us on the right trail.

A few fields were being sown with green peas for the family home consumption. The view from this village located on a much higher altitude than the road in Pattan Valley was stunning with snowy peaks clearly visible on multiple sides and the fields below us felt like a green chess board! On the way back, I even remarked to one of the locals to convert one of the homes to a homestay since it was clearly one of the prettiest hamlets of Pattan Valley in Lahaul.

After one final turn, we were in front of the yellow roofed Othang Gompa that had a green field in front of the monastery. The windows looked very pretty with the bold coloured patterns that are a hallmark of most Buddhist monasteries. Othang Gompa is a monastery of the Gelugpa sect (Yellow hat sect) and the yellow roof signified the same. Othang Gompa is also the among the very few monasteries left in Pattan Valley and perhaps the most widely regarded as well. A tall prayer flag (Darchog) fluttered in the courtyard of the monastery and the view from the top was quite epic. Lama ji was quickly spotted and he was clad in a red goncha. Here, we saw an old building and Lama ji said that one part was the old gompa and the adjacent building was the monks’ residence.

He showed us the insides of both the old and new monasteries and said that Othang Gompa was originally built in the 15th Century. The yellow building was recently built about 5-10 odd years ago and Lama ji said that the work was completed under his supervision. The old monastery had old statues of Bodhisattvas and also housed sacred Buddhist texts and manuscripts. He was very kind and even let me light a butter lamp when I offered to pray. Lama Ji belonged to Tungri village in Zanskar but had been living at Othang Gompa since the 1970s.

Check : Khangsar, Kwaring, Sarang, Kolong – Exploring Lahaul Valley

He said that there is another Lama from Ralakung who lives at Othang Gompa and he is in charge of the kitchen etc. So, even though he was keen to offer us tea – the Ralakung lama ji had gone to a village somewhere nearby to perform some duties. Earlier Kee Gompa was in charge of Othang Monastery, now the same is done through Karsha Gompa and that perhaps explains the monks from Zanskar at Othang Gompa.

It was a very interesting and fun conversation with Lama Ji about Zanskar, Pattan Valley and life in general and he even invited us to spend the night at the monastery itself. I asked him if the monastery offers services like a guest house but he replied that there are plenty of rooms and a big hall and some mattresses are kept so it should be a comfortable night’s sleep! He said that the lama from Ralakung made excellent food and that we would love spending the night at the monastery.

We were quite interested in the same but told him that the homestay guys will make dinner for us and that we have already booked a room at the homestay. We thanked him for the offer and I exchanged numbers with Lama ji to meet someday in Manali for a meal at Chopsticks! (Oh, in case you didn’t know when the tourists are gone from Manali, red robed lamas at Chopsticks is a regular sight!)

At that instant, we heard the sounds of a bus crossing the road behind the monastery and it simply continued on the road that climbed ahead. I asked Lama ji and he nonchalantly remarked that there is a daily evening bus to the next village. Me and Jita wondered if knowing this piece of information might have made us more laid-back and try to catch the bus rather than hiking all the way up from Jahalman!

Sometimes, it is best to not know otherwise the mind gets confused with multiple thoughts and ultimately you end up achieving nothing. We were triumphant at having come via the trekking trail to Othang Gompa. Lama ji told us that via road the distance from Othang Monastery to Jahalman was 13 kms while we would hardly take about 45 minutes via the downward sloping hiking trail.

We spotted a few bright blue lupines growing in the monastery compound and were quite astounded with the beauty. It was about 5 pm when we decided to start our walk back to the homestay in Jahalman. After initially trying to take the hiking trail, we decided to enjoy the walk on the dirt road for a few kilometres before rejoining the hiking trail somewhere along the way. That way, we would be able to savour the stunning views that were visible now that we were at a vantage point in Pattan Valley. We were able to clearly see the beautiful villages of Jobrang, Rapay and Rashil alongwith few other villages the names of which I have forgotten. Finally, we took leave of Lama ji and started our return on foot via the road only.

I was excited to see if the bus would make the return journey so that we would be able to see a different side of Pattan Valley at close quarters. As if on cue, the sun came out and made the proceedings quite hot. I had to pull my hat out once again and just when I thought it was time to put the dslr camera in, a nice frame came into the picture with the sun shining on the pink wild roses with the Othang Gompa flanked by snowy peaks in the background.

Read : Wanderings in Lahaul : Kardang Monastery

After walking for about 2-3 kms on the road, we came to one of the hairpin bends where the walking trail joined the dirt road and now opted to take the hiking trail and get back to the homestay. If we had followed the road, we would have ended up in a totally different area much farther than Jahalma.

The heavy lunch was nicely digested with the excursion. It was a very satisfactory and easy walk back and took more than an hour as we were at a relaxed pace. I remarked to Jita that for the first time in more than a year (or two) I had actually seen a place where I had not been earlier and hence felt very elated at clicking photographs with the dslr camera. With that ecstatic feeling in the heart, when we approached Jahalman village near the homestay I was already planning our next exploration in Pattan Valley.

There were a few locals working in the fields and one of them remarked that the cherries of Pattan Valley were almost ripe and if we had come a week later, we would have been able to savour those!

I am well aware of the joys of cherries and strawberries of Lahaul and asked them if those would be available in the market in Manali / Kullu?! There was another chance encounter with a contractor who was in charge of procurement of exotic vegetables from this region in the summer and he seemed pretty miserable at his plight when he had to wear a jacket in the Lahauli summer as the weather changed at the drop of a hat!

At the homestay, we thanked the lady for suggesting the Othang Monastery hike and for not telling us about the bus! She mentioned that there is a curry of the local buckwheat leaves (Kathu ke patte) for dinner alongwith chapati.

We were also looking forward to tasting the local brew that she made from barley grains. She claimed to be an expert at the brew since her husband was in the habit of regular consumption! It was an eventful evening with an excellent dinner and a glass of the local brew. The night was cold and the mobile batteries would be dead since there was no electricity in Jahalman. It was a comfortable and warm room with wooden flooring. Maybe the locals forgot to inform us – but when we returned to Kullu someone asked us about visiting Hidimba Temple in Jahalman and all we could do was show blank faces!

This small prelude calls for a longer and more detailed exploration of Pattan Valley in Lahaul.

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Also read : Musings from the new Home : Winter in Kullu Valley

We had a heavy early lunch at home at about 10 am and left for Kullu. The June tourist rush meant that we were stuck in traffic and could only make it to the Lug Valley road bus stop near Dhalpur, Kullu at about 1115 am. The weather is very humid and I am reminded that whenever it has got hot in Kullu Valley, it usually rained within a day or two. I packed a few ripe plums and apricots in the daypack along-with a water bottle and perhaps for the first time embarked on a trek without any warm clothing/rain-jacket. I’ll blame it on the familiarity of laid-back living in Kullu and basically assuming that the trek to Mathasaur was an easy one.

I had collected basic information that the trek route from Bhalyani-Jathani village was the longest but the easiest as well with a well marked trail. The distance from Kullu to Bhalyani is 14-15 kms and only the last 1-2 kms have to be covered by foot as the road is still under construction. I had been to Bhalyani earlier on a drive in the summer of 2021, when we lived in Kullu Valley for about 5 months at Yuthok Homestay at Raison; which ultimately paved the way for us to find a home in the valley. At the bus stop, I asked around and got conflicting information about the next bus to Bhalyani. The local sumo drivers assured me that the next bus to Bhalyani was only at 1 pm which made us quickly reconsider an alternate idea. Someone informed me that the first bus from Kullu to Bhalyani was at 8 am and that would have been just perfect for us for embarking on the Mathasaur Day hike.

If we left at 1 pm, it would be almost impossible to get back to Kullu before it got dark. The to and fro bus journeys would take us about 45 minutes each one way. We had kept the trek time from Bhalyani to Mathasaur as 1.5 hours and return time of 1 hour while spending about 30 mins at Mathasaur and an hour for contingencies. A basic calculation indicated that we were far behind and that we had already made a mistake by not starting early in the morning.

At 1130 am, a bus headed to Kalang (a sizeable village in Lag Valley) arrived at the bus stop. I chatted with the driver and conductor and was able to convince them to drop us at a convenient point from where we would be able to hitch a ride towards Bhalyani village. They discussed amongst themselves and decided to drop us at Dadka village where the roads bifurcated in Lag Valley. The bus left Kullu at 1145 am and within no time we were dropped at the intersection of Dadka village. Honestly, I was quite disappointed since we had hardly covered 3-4 kms and it turned out that I was right because the actual road bifurcation for Bhalyani was still quite quite far from where we were dropped.

Of course, in their defence the bus guys had heard me talking about Mathasaur trek and a different road also bifurcated from Dadka village – towards Bhumtir (also Bhumteer). I had discussed the Mathasaur and Fungni Mata Temple trek idea with my landlord’s son the previous day and while he had not been to Mathasaur, he had happened to mention the name Bhumtir as an alternate and shorter (but confusing) route to Mathasaur. Now we were in a quandary about our next steps. We didn’t have to think too much as a driver of a camper stationed there took note of our confusion and said that he was headed to Bhumtir and that we can climb on the open carrier.

Meanwhile, the carrier itself was loaded with a massive stone crusher along-with plywood, cylinder and other construction materials and there was barely any space to stand. The other guy in the camper was a bit confused and 2 other villagers added to the confusion by not giving a clear decision on whether it was better for us to trek to Mathasaur from Bhumtir or from Bhalyani. Finally as it was time to leave for the camper, the driver motioned us to jump into the carrier. With great difficulty, we somehow made space to stand and the other guy also told us to be safe from the stone crusher (especially on turns).

It was exhilarating and a hark back to the good old travel days for us; even though age was catching up it still felt nice that we were able to take a ride in the carrier of a camper on a remote road in Himachal Pradesh. The road was full of winding turns and as expected was in a bad shape. A part of my tee-shirt had turned black from the grease of the stone crusher. There were a few sharp hairpin bends and we had to be extra careful to hold on and not get thrown off. After 4-5 kms, the camper stopped abruptly and the guy indicated to us to get down and showed us a diversion to Bhalyani.

It was essentially an uphill dirt trail and thankfully there was a local taking his cows for grazing who was able to reconfirm that the path indeed went to Bhalyani. He mentioned that we could have (should have) continued towards Bhumtir from where Mathasaur was a shorter hike compared to the current idea of us going to Bhalyani and then trekking up to Mathasaur. He even indicated an alternate route to Mathasaur through the jungle but it wasn’t clear if the trail was marked so we chose to trundle up on the excruciating climb. The sun was out in full force and it was making the hike very tiring; we stopped for a breather every few steps.

Finally the dirt trail ended and gave way to another uphill section lined with stones. Thankfully, there was a water source at this point and I was able to wash my face with cold water, sit for a while to let the sweat dry. Jita joined me at the same point a few minutes later and we wondered for a while if this was indeed the way to Bhalyani village. As we ascended on this path, we met a local who confirmed that this trail indeed led to Bhalyani. We would first cross the houses of Kharka. It was a small village and a lady even suggested that we take an alternate route to Mathasaur and that we didn’t really need to go to Bhalyani. The trail was in the midst of fields and sowing of peas and other crops had been done quite recently.

We were clear in our mind that it was best to go via the most used trail and that was the Bhalyani-Jathani (also Jethani) trail to Mathasaur and Jai Maa Fungni Temple. We kept walking and in 10 odd minutes reached a lovely grassland meadow also called Bhalyani Ground with a huge deodhar tree flanked on the Katrusi Narayan Temple (Shri Krishna Temple) on one side and open vistas in the other directions. It was incredibly beautiful and we also sat under the shade of a tree for a while enjoying the sight of the animals grazing. I relished a few freshly plucked apricots and plums that I had carried from home in Dobhi village. There was a nearby shop where I asked for directions for Mathasaur. I also went for a closer look at the Katrusi Narayan Temple and while it looked old, I got the impression that outsiders were not welcome in the temple (like most other places in Kullu Valley).

The trail for Mathasaur would first reach Jethani (Jathani) village and started just behind the grassland. We crossed a Primary Health Centre (PHC) at about 130 pm and met a lady who was heading to Chorkpin village (hope I got the spelling right) near Jathani. She had spotted me earlier asking for directions at the shop near the Bhalyani Ground and struck a conversation. There were steps on the trail and the lady remarked that there is a different trail to Mathasaur and Jai Fungni Maa Temple from almost every village near Bhalyani and Bhumtir. She mentioned that she was heading to Chorkpin village and that it was best that we went via the Jathani trail only since the Chorkpin trail would be very confusing.

One stark difference between the locals of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand is their attitude towards outsiders hiking on a trail. While the Uttarakhand guys are likely to discourage outsiders by saying the trail is difficult etc.; Himachalis usually give the required confidence and tell that the trail is not that long and to make sure we have enough water with us if there is no water source on the trail. Since it was (seemingly) a never ending uphill climb, Jita was lagging behind and the lady showed us the straight steps to Jathani before she took the path that diverted to Chorkpin. We reached Jathani village in no time and came across another Krishna Temple constructed in the traditional style of a wooden temple.

The sound of the wooden chimes of the temple was like music to the ears in the swaying wind now that a breeze had started blowing. It was excruciatingly humid and I was secretly hoping that the rain stay away on this day since we had both not carried our rain jackets or any jackets for that matter. I requested a local for drinking water and he indicated that a tap was just a few steps away. I refilled my water bottle and washed my face again to let the sweat dry. We were asked to check for the trail to Mathasaur at the last house once the village ended. There was some road construction work going on and some ladies remarked that we must take a trail to our right just before the bridge on the road. The ladies also said that after a while the trail will have a bifurcation to the right and that we are supposed to take the left path at that juncture.

We were told that it was a straightforward uphill trail and that we should reach Mathasaur and Jai Maa Fungni Temple in about an hour. At this point the time was about 150-2 pm and even though the sun was out, storm clouds could be seen brewing from a distance. We were told that there were return buses for Kullu from both Bhumtir and Bhalyani at 430 pm and we were aiming to return via Bhalyani as that was the village we had seen and I was aware of the bus stand place just before Bhalyani. The trail was quite confusing from the start itself and was a non-stop but the presence of memorial stones on the path served as a marker. We deduced that these memorial stones and places to rest had been made specifically for pilgrims heading on the Mathasaur – Jai Maa Fungni trail.

We would stop for a breather every few minutes and came at a point where the route bifurcated to the left. While logic suggested that the trekking trail to Mathasaur was the one on the right, the prior information given by the ladies meant we took the trail to the left. It didn’t lead anywhere and we ended up reaching a small meadow with a few cows grazing and a solitary home visible in some distance to our left. In the meanwhile, a light drizzle had started with thunder prompting us to wonder if we should be going ahead for the Mathasaur trek after all. We tried seeking the attention of the home but it was quite far and there was nobody to be seen so we decided to go back to the main trail and take the path continuing on the right.

After climbing a few turns, the presence of memorial stones assured us that we were indeed on the right trail. The drizzle was intermittent but the sounds of thunder kept putting doubts in our mind about the feasibility of this trek to Mathasaur and Jai Maa Fungni Temple. Anyhow, after about 40 minutes of the narrow uphill climb, we came to a sort of a meadow with multiple trails heading in different directions. The view of Lug Valley could be seen but our mind was pre-occupied with reaching Mathasaur. The storm clouds had gathered and we were praying that like the preceding week in Kullu Valley, it would just drizzle and not result in a downpour.

Pine needles were scattered everywhere and on one of the trails, the ground was littered with pine cones that felt like confetti. Although that path did not turn out to be right, I still remember the immense feeling of happiness upon seeing that sight. It was already close to 3 pm now and the weather was definitely worsening and the visibility was a bit poor as the sky was covered with clouds. Jita was looking at the maps on the phone and deduced that we were going in the right direction and that Mathasaur and Jai Maa Fungni Temple should not be more than 10-15 minutes away from where we were. We discussed a ‘Plan B’ possibility that if we are not able to reach Mathasaur or find the proper trail by 330 pm then we will reconsider our plan of action and possibly turn back.

Of course, we might not have thought otherwise but the weather conditions had really worsened and since we had not met anyone after crossing Jathani village, we were not really sure if we were on the right trekking trail to Mathasaur. To put all doubts on hold, I spotted someone coming down a slope and rushed to ask him if we were indeed close to Mathasaur. He confirmed that we were on the right trail and said that Mathasaur is hardly 5-10 minutes from there. We also asked him about the best trail to return and he suggested that Bhumtir is a shorter trail and if we had to catch the bus then there is a Bhumtir to Kullu bus at 430 pm. He said that the trail to Bhumtir can be seen from a specific hut once we descend from the right side of the Mathasaur Lake or Jai Maa Fungni Temple.

We felt very confident after meeting this gentleman and with a spring in our step quickly made good time and reached a huge meadow that housed the Mathasaur Lake and Jai Maa Fungni Temple. There were a number of cows grazing on the green grass and on a clear day the view from Mathasaur might have been impeccable. We were ecstatic upon spotting the Jai Maa Fungni Temple from afar and chose to quickly walk to that side when I was halted in my steps. I could see 2 foxes near the carcass of an animal. At first I thought they were dogs but when they saw me they slyly made their way from the scene and ran away in the jungle. We stood outside the temple, paid our respects and clicked a few photos of Mathasaur – a small lake with greenery sprouting from the water – which reminded me of Pundrik Rishi Lake in Sainj Valley.

The meadow was stunning and would get even more prettier in the monsoon. The locals had informed us that we are likely to meet a lot of people at Mathasaur who take their cattle for grazing but it seemed that they had either returned to their homes or chosen to stay back that day. After clicking a few pictures of the Jai Maa Fungni Temple and Mathasaur and reading the information and rules written on the signboard, we wandered around the meadow for a bit and then crossed over to the other side automatically assuming that the way to Bhumtir was from there. We started descending at around 330 pm and within no time realised there was no trail where we were.

I remembered the village guy’s directions where he had mentioned that the path to Bhumtir would be from a small water source near the temple from where a straight path would lead to a sort of a hut. He was quite confident that we would easily find the hut and thankfully I had seen the water source and mentioned it to Jita which prompted our return. We headed to the other side of the water source and saw a bunch of beautiful horses grazing and loitering around and duly spotted the stone hut. At this juncture the time was almost 330 pm and we had began thinking that it would be quite difficult to reach Bhumtir in time to catch the 430 pm bus to Kullu.

I tried my best to find a trail near the stone hut as we had been advised that the path to Bhumtir was a wide trail but to no avail. Jita looked around as well and just as it started raining we started descending via what we thought was the trekking trail to Bhumtir. We were in a dense jungle and as the rain got heavier any semblance of a path disappeared and within five minutes we had absolutely no idea of any trail. The rain got heavier and heavier and we were drenched in no time. As I mentioned earlier, we had not carried any raincoats or jackets, it quickly became a case for survival. I was worried about the camera getting wet in the rain as the small backpack would not be able to hold off the rain water for too long.

We kept descending through the jungle through any semblance of a trail we could see (Bhumtir or not). And just then when we thought it couldn’t get any worse, hailstones started coming down with full fury. For a moment I felt an eerie thought come to my mind that we were lost in the jungle and had to call for rescue but I quickly calculated that we had more than 3 hours of daylight left and since we were surrounded by villages in Lug Valley – we would surely arrive somewhere if we kept descending. After 10-15 minutes of rapid descent, I had to give up any thoughts of retracing our path to Mathasaur and going back via the same trekking trail that we came via Jathani and Bhalyani.

I was going ahead and Jita was coming behind; we were constantly speaking to each other about the next steps in case we are unable to find any headway say by 430 pm. We agreed on the fact that if we kept descending we would surely arrive somewhere if not Bhumtir! Thankfully I was wearing a panama hat that shielded me from the direct brunt of the hailstones and I was still able to see clearly through my spectacles. Jita was struggling due to water on the glasses and I would soon be in the same situation. As soon as the rainwater made it on the spectacles, it became almost impossible to navigate through the slush, mud and a slippery downhill descent.

It had suddenly got quite cold and we were just not prepared for it. At one point Jita even suggested if we should wait for a while in the jungle shielded from the rain in the shadow of a big deodhar tree and start again once the rain had subsided. He was also checking a map and said that we should soon be near a village in the next 20 odd minutes since it had only taken us about an hour to climb to Mathasaur and Jai Fungni Maa Temple. I was also feeling very cold and my jeans and tee-shirt was totally soaked. I wanted to save the phone from water and quickly put it in the small backpack and checked that no water had yet entered the insides of the bag. The hailstones fury lasted for about 10-15 minutes and we didn’t stop anywhere but kept descending.

We can call ourselves a bit lucky that some semblance of a trail had been spotted and we were quite positive about that being the right way when water had started flowing down from where we were descending. The paths in the jungle had become very slippery and at one point I was in a dire situation and had to be on all fours to get down without falling down. The mud made my fingers slippery and caused a ring to get off my finger. I realised that something was amiss even before I had taken a further step, tried to locate the ring in the nearby area with my bare eyes / watered spectacles. At that very moment I noticed that the heavy rain had sobered down to a slight drizzle and that meant I could see Jita had reached this spot too.

I told him that a finger ring was missing and that I was certain that I had dropped it somewhere close. As we were looking around I quickly replayed the slippery stretch in my mind and spotted a shiny object shielded by a pine cone. I was mighty relieved as it was a gold ring and quickly cleaned it and put it in my pocket to avoid further trouble. In retrospect, I wonder what would we have done if we had been unable to find the ring after about 10 odd minutes of searching – given our precarious situation. All I can say now that it was serendipity that the rain had almost stopped at that very moment and I was able to spot the ring with my bare eyes since there was no way the spectacles would be clear now that everything was wet.

That moment made us lighten the mood and we let out a chuckle at our dire situation and the cold. In our defence, we had made sure to not rest and keep descending and make sure that the body heat was maintained. If we had rested we would have really felt the cold and the momentum had been lost. We joked among ourselves that someone should make a reel of the current status of this adventure in our drenched condition! I checked the camera again and saw that the inside of the bag had started getting moist and that it would not hold on for much longer. There was still no sign of any habitation or a village but now that the rain had completely stopped, we were able to see clearly and I was now trekking without my spectacles.

At about 415 pm, Jita looked at the map and said that we must reach a village anytime now. I was not sure of where we were but we had followed a trail in the jungle and now that trail had turned into a sort of a water trail. At this juncture, we came across a memorial stone and we were quickly reminded that the trekking trail from Jathani village was also exactly like this. This made me very confident and I started descending even more rapidly now (thanks to the Salomon shoes). Within 5 minutes, I spotted a house beneath us and let out a shout of joy+relief to Jita even as it started drizzling again.

I was worried about not being able to make it to Kullu by a bus and continued walking ahead. The trail crossed a few houses and I shouted at the top of my voice to ask for our whereabouts but there was nobody to be seen and I was mighty relieved when the trekking path finally ended and joined a sizeable dirt road. I was super confused in my mind and ran helter-skelter on the road and was wondering where I should go when I just spotted a lady sitting in the balcony of her house. I told her to tell my companion coming behind that I am continuing on the road itself. She told me that this is the Bhalyani side and that we have not descended by the Bhumtir way and that there is a possibility of catching the bus if we are quick enough.

I was almost running on the road when I met another woman carrying some fodder for the cows – at this point the rain had totally stopped. It was about 430 pm and she said that the road would lead to a place called Satreem where we might be able to catch the bus at a turn coming from Bhumtir. I then asked her if there were more possibilities of buses late in the evening from Bhalyani for which she pointed the walking trail to Bhalyani which I had left behind. Jita had also made it to the road and now we were both together and on the walking trail to Bhalyani. We were almost shivering with the cold but could not afford to take it slow as we had no idea of the status of the bus.

Just then we got a few houses in the village and met some school kids coming back from school. At this moment the sun also decided to come out making us feel like the gods had caused the rain and hail just for us! Someone at the house informed us that there’s a 515 pm HRTC bus from Bhalyani to Kullu and that we should easily be able to make it to Bhalyani from where we were. It was then that I realised that this village was Chorkpin (near Jathani) – where the lady in the morning had gone. We continued walking past green fields and felt nice when the sun dried a bit of our clothes and shoes and provided the much needed heat in our bodies. By about 440 we were at the Bhalyani ground near the Katrusi Narayan Temple (Shri Krishna Temple) and I heaved a sigh of relief.

We quickly went to the shop guy and I requested him if he had a polythene to keep the camera and mobile. He obliged and asked us to rush since the bus stand/road where the bus came in Bhalyani was still quite far from there. That bit of information surprised us as I had never thought Bhalyani of such a big village. On the way we met a lady who was headed to the bus stand too and now we were finally at peace knowing that the 515 pm Bhalyani to Kullu bus was not a figment of our imagination!

It was a funny coincidence when we kept walking and walking and ended up in another village at 5 pm and had apparently left the Bhalyani bus stand behind. Now that the sun had gone down and it was back to being cold, we deduced that it was better that we walk back to Bhalyani bus stand in case there is any confusion or miscommunication about the bus. The lady was happy to see us at the bus stop and the bus duly came at 520. We shivered throughout the ride to Kullu and only steaming cups of Darjeeling tea in the home in Dobhi and a change of clothes helped us get back to normalcy!

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The Tiger’s Nest Monastery is said to have originally been founded in the eighth century by Buddhist saint Padmasambhava also known as Guru Rinpoche. Guru Padmasambhava is believed to have arrived at Tiger’s Nest from Tibet, on the back of a flying tiger. Here, he meditated in a cave on the cliff before he set out to convert Bhutan and nearby regions in the Himalaya to Buddhism. In 1692, a temple was built at the site known locally as the Taktsang Lakhang or more popularly Tiger’s Nest Monastery.

We reach the parking area that is quite sizeable and there is a recently put up signboard of 500 Nu (Bhutanese currency Ngultrum equivalent to INR) entry fee to be paid by Indian Nationals. Since this trip was a part of a package with the family; there was a guide accompanying us for the hike and he remarked that the trek distance is about 10-11 kms (round trip) and that we should easily be back by evening. One can rent hiking sticks from the entrance point for 50 Nu. Official trek timings for the Tiger’s Nest Monastery are from 8 am to 5 pm (timings differ in the winters). My mom and dad opted to stay back in the parking lot. We started our hike and there was also a newly married Indian couple in our group who were unsure whether they would be able to hike up as the lady had come in her leather chappals. We just gave them the moral support as they seemed reasonably fit and urged them to keep walking and that they will surely make it to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery.

We started the hike at around eight in the morning, while the numerous souvenir-selling stalls were being set up in the designated area close to the car park. The trail to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery is the most visited trail in Bhutan and is quite well marked (there is no possibility of losing your way). I spotted school groups, college kids, youngsters, lamas and foreign tourists numerous times on the hike. The trail begins with a stiff uphill ascent, and is a steady climb all the way to the Tiger’s Nest with a few slushy patches because of the rain. The air felt nippy in the morning, then progressed to humid as the sun made its way through the clouds and then turned properly cold as we gained altitude while reaching the monastery. The hike was pleasant as most of it goes through the forest and there is rarely a sunny stretch on the entire trail. There are sweeping views of the valley below and since the monsoon was in full swing, the greenery is eye-catching.

At the start of the trail; along the way, we encounter numerous shrines that have a rotating mane prayer wheel run by a flowing waterfall. After trekking for an hour or so, we reach a sort of flat ground with rows of prayer flags strung across trees. Along the trail, there are benches to sit / numerous places to rest for pilgrims – especially on the uphill climbs. We can hear the sounds of numerous streams and waterfalls even before the halfway point of the trek, that is the Taktsang Cafeteria. It is a well equipped cafeteria with a nice indoor space to sit and eat for cold and rainy days, while the outdoor space has a stunning view of the Tiger’s Nest Monastery while the clouds continue playing games.

The Taktsang cafeteria is immensely crowded with tour groups and I am able to get hold of a chair and simply gaze at the surreal sight in front of me! We opt to not eat / drink anything and to just stop there for a quick breather. I have a quick glance at the menu and notice that everything is quite overpriced but I guess thats ok since the supplies have to be carried on mules/foot. There is a small souvenir shop as well and I wonder that the café would indeed be a good place to sit and relax on the way back – if one is hungry, or if it rains! It is a nice 5-10 minute break for us and everyone catches their breath back. The newly-married couple is doing well and have grown in confidence now that they know that they have reached the halfway point of the trek within reasonable time. We get back on the trail and are pleased to enter a dense shaded area since the sun is out after battling with the clouds and the humidity is high.

As soon as we make a small ascent, a nice breeze blows and makes the hike enjoyable once again. I spot a number of mules tethered near the Taktsang cafeteria and realise that mules can be hired by visitors from the parking lot to the halfway point of Taktsang Cafeteria for about 600-800 Nu. The trail is a continuous gentle climb from now on and after 30 minutes or so, we are on a platform with level views of the Tiger’s Nest Monastery. Clouds have come floating around and I spot a raised platform nearby specifically meant for sitting. There’s a mane prayer wheel inside a small shrine where I chat up with a few lamas.

Just after that, there are a number of stairs heading towards a shrine set in a cave to the left. We have apparently reached one of the caves where Padmasambhava meditated; that are spread around the temple complex. The sounds of a roaring waterfall nearby feel like music to the ears in a serene environment. We are on a bridge and have nearly reached the main Tiger’s Nest Monastery. I am a bit disappointed to know at the entrance that cameras are not allowed inside! There’s a locker service (free of charge) where visitor’s bags, mobile phones, cameras and other belongings are to be compulsorily kept. We keep our stuff and notice that tea and snacks are being served to a tour group (free of charge, again) but since we don’t feel like eating anything, we opt to just enter the monastery since the crowd was increasing.

Inside the monastery, it is a complex of caves and dimly-lit shrines connected by stone steps and rickety bridges. The meditation cave is open only once a year from 6am-6pm on a chosen date based on the lunar calendar.

The guide explained the different parts of the monastery and the unique features that made it different than say monasteries in Ladakh or Spiti or Lahaul or Zanskar but it was too much information too fast and the fact that there wasn’t much time allowed since the different parts would get crowded with tourists. I was unable to click any photographs and can’t even rely on memory to rescue me! After trying to spend a few peaceful moments inside the Tiger’s Nest Monastery, we started on our hike back. It was pretty uneventful and was relatively faster and much easier than the way up (obviously!).

We hardly took an hour and a half to get back to the parking lot. On the drive back to Paro, I made a mental note to stay near the base of the Tiger’s Nest Monastery next time for its pretty location close to the river.

Good to Know

There’s a compulsory 500 Nu entry fee to be paid by Indian Nationals. Round trip distance from the parking spot to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery is about 10-11 km and the entire day hike should take about 6-7 hours. Hiking sticks are available for rent from the entrance point for 50 Nu. Trek timings for the Tiger’s Nest Monastery are from 8 am to 5 pm. Halfway Taktsang Cafeteria. It is recommended to carry a jackets as the weather can change in an instant and it is almost always cold at over 3000m altitude.

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Once the rains started in the latter part of July, the humid weather became more pleasant but there was still that characteristically sticky weather that deterred whenever I thought of a hike. Also, there was also the small matter of me ending up with an upset tummy after excess consumption of plum and then pears. There were minor hiccups with apricots and peaches but that is just me at my best – eating fruits like only I can do! With the added incentive of being in an orchard at Yuthok Homestay, it would have been surprising if I had remained sober and not given in to temptation of the fruit trees in my vicinity.

My friend and Yuthok House host, Rajeshwar Thakur had mentioned Mahling Day Hike and Rani Sui Lake but both those required prior planning and that ensured we struck them off our ‘plan’. One fine Saturday morning when we were having chai, Thakur mentioned that we could walk to Jana … Yes, we could walk to Jana directly from Raison. It sounded perfect; because of the fact that we wouldn’t have to catch a bus or drive anywhere but could start walking straight after breakfast at home. Of course, there was the small matter of it being an entirely uphill hike and the fact that there was no well-marked trail.

A comfort factor that ultimately settled the decision was the presence of locals on the hike from Raison to Jana – locals own orchards along the trail and have houses along the trail. That meant we could ask for help in case we ended up losing our way. So, we had an extra tingmo while eating breakfast and packed a few apples and pears for the hike. We had estimated that we would take about 5-6 hours to reach Jana village since the locals take about 2 hours. Our worst-case scenario assumption was that even if we get there by 4-430, the popularity of the waterfall at Jana would mean there would be plenty of chances for us to hitch a ride on our way back.

So, at 1030 we started walking from our orchard home in Raison and crossed the bridge in Raison Bazaar to make it to the other side. The breeze felt nice in the cloudy weather but soon the sun would be out and we would be huffing and puffing for every step. Anyhow, we ascended the first shortcut and got to the main road. While we were sipping chai in the morning, Thakur had indicated the electric pole from where we were supposed to start hiking to Raugi village and then Jana village. There were 2-3 groups of locals sitting by the side of the road and waiting for the bus.

Not to miss a chance, I went and spoke separately to the 2 groups and one group pointed to the start of the trail to us and told us that we should only ask for the trail to Jana village. I posed all the possible questions to them and got the information that the trail crosses many houses and there is nothing to worry about; if we went through Raugi village it will just take longer; that the trail will keep climbing and there will never be a straight patch. As soon as we started ascending, the humidity factor came into the picture. The sun was out after only 3 turns and we couldn’t have been happier to be walking amidst a pine/deodhar forest. There was a nice trail in the jungle and like always the first 30 odd minutes were a little difficult. Sweat trickled down my face and my tee-shirt was wet in no time.

We figured that it could get very tiring if we continued this way and therefore decided to enjoy the shade whenever we got a chance. On the way, we met a gentleman catching up his breath in the shade and munching on (still) raw apples. I asked him about the way and he confirmed that there was only one trail to Jana and even if we missed the trail in a few places, the presence of homes and people working in the orchards along the way would ensure we had little chance of getting lost. I thanked him and we too sat in the shade; it was a sort of a vantage point and we enjoyed a grand aerial view of Kullu Valley with the lush greenery and clouds floating around and Beas river meandering through the divine setting.

The break got us thinking rationally and we were clear now that we needed to rest every 10 minutes. After all, hikes are meant to be enjoyable and if all we are thinking of is reaching the destination, then we need to do things differently. The gentleman we had met was unsure about the distance / time taken till Jana but remarked that we won’t take till 4 pm to get there. We were overjoyed to cross a section full of apple trees and ripe mariposa plums waiting to be picked. A local lady was in quite a rush and was speaking on the phone on the downhill walk; I figured she would have all the answers and politely queried her if the same trail would continue to Jana village? She put the phone on hold, gave us 2 mariposa plums and told us that we need not change the trail anywhere and that we would anyhow reach Jana village by about 2 pm.

We were overjoyed with this piece of information and it seemed the weather gods also started to become a little favourable when the sun was covered by clouds. It was a welcome change and hiking just became more pleasurable when we figured that we could actually relax and not get unduly worried about reaching Jana and then making our way back. We crossed a number of houses to our left and right on the way up and noticed that we left Raugi village to our right. Since the idea was to make it to Jana village we didn’t bother asking about the way to Raugi village.

As we continued on the trail, we encountered a newly cut road on different corners but it was totally a dirt road and there was no vehicle to be seen. I had to rely on past experiences and remember that a walking trail would always be visible where the previous walking trail ends and even if it was faint we would continue and later realise it was the correct path. We went on an incorrect trail 2-3 times halfway to Jana village but were lucky that whenever we felt like we should retrace our path and turn back, a house was always seen and they would guide us on the correct path.

So it was close to a village called Dhama that we met a gentleman just chilling in the shade. We had only half litre of water left and it was only 30 minutes past noon; I asked him if there was a water source nearby? He offered to fill the water bottle from his home since the water source was quite a distance away. I walked with him and was super happy to see grandma at a wooden home and cauliflower freshly picked from the fields. Grandma scolded me in her own sweet manner and suggested that we must rest for a while to avoid the sun that had just come out!

We chatted for a while; it was a fun conversation when I could barely understand what grandma meant when she spoke in her Kullvi dialect but she was so kind she gave a cauliflower and waved us goodbye! I have kind of missed these random encounters on the road that were so often a hallmark of my travels. The gentleman showed us the way to the main trail to Jana and informed that we should hardly take 1 hour to reach Jana village from his home. The distance from Raison to Jana village by road is 31 Kms and here we were walking by the classic old trail that was the only way of reaching Jana before the road was built.

We crossed some confusing sections on our way to Jana village and just as we thought we would lose our way again, we met a local who was collecting dried leaves in a bag to be used as a warm bed for the cow. I gave him an apple from our orchard and he started leading the way for us. Just as we made a final ascent and saw the houses of Jana village in front of us, it was about 120 pm and we couldn’t believe our eyes! We had covered almost 6.5 kms of steep uphill climb in less than 3 hours. The local reminded me that there are 2 temples in Jana village, one is an ancient temple and another is the recently built one that is on the way to the Jana waterfall.

The ancient temple reminded me of the visit to Jana village in 2014. There were a few concrete houses visible at the start of the village close to the road-head. A number of villagers had gathered near the road and were loading a camper with fresh cauliflower packed in boxes. We made a small conversation and they were astounded to hear that we had walked from Raison! The locals congratulated us and said that nobody does that anymore. With a spring in our step, we entered the lush greenery of Jana village.

After crossing a few newly built houses, we were amidst huge wooden homes that were at least 100-200 years old. Jana village boasts of some of the oldest houses in Kullu Valley. The locals were very welcoming and it was with a happy surprise that we saw an ice-cream seller in Jana Village. Young and old alike were eating away at the ice-creams and the seller was happy with the rousing business! It reminded me that there may not be an ice-cream shop in the remote villages of Kullu Valley but development and roads mean the ice-cream guys come to the village itself! A few elder men were still wearing their smart woollen jackets and trousers and I felt as if my old travels never ended. I had a nice conversation with them maintaining a safe distance and it just felt so normal to forget about the pandemic at hand.

We walked to the new temple made of wood that turned out to be so huge that I couldn’t even capture it in the phone camera. I ogled at the richly carved doors in wood and clicked a few photographs. The weather was simply perfect with a thick layer of cloud over the horizon and the green fields looked stunning with the fog in the background. We had got to Jana village well before our estimated time and looked forward to a yummy lunch at Mani Ram Dhaba at Jana Waterfalls.

We kept walking and joined the main road to Jana Waterfall after one final sharp ascent. On the way a few locals that I spoke to said that other dhabas had also come up and that everyone served similar fare. I had heard a few accounts that suggested Jana Waterfall had become a very popular place even for the locals. It was fun to walk on the dirt road through the dense forest that remains one of my favourite forests in the entire Kullu Valley. As we reached the waterfalls, I saw one Sachin Thakur dhaba at the start. To its left, there was a trickling small waterfall and I instantly rushed there to wash my face with the cold water and feel refreshed.

The owner Ramesh Thakur was taking a walk outside and over a short conversation congratulated us on hiking up from Raison in such a short time! It was a fun conversation and while we were walking to Mani Ram Dhaba, the honesty with which Ramesh Bhai said that his food is better made me do a u-turn and we were sitting at the other dhaba instead. I had spotted a tempo traveller at Mani Ram Dhaba that of course had a better location right beside the waterfall but the instinct had spoken in favour of Sachin Thakur Dhaba.

Ramesh Thakur’s wife laid out 4 bowls of accompaniments on the table – desi ghee, jaggery powder, green chutney and home-made lingdi ka achaar (fiddlehead fern pickle). The thalis for the other table for local tourists who came after us was served quickly and we were told that the food is being made fresh for us as I had requested Ramesh bhai that we are in no hurry and that good food is our only criteria! We relished the thalis that were laid out in front of us – makki ki roti, sarson ka saag, kadhi, rajma, locally grown red rice, and poppy seeds siddu. Since we had eaten perfect siddus every other week at Yuthok Homestay in Raison, we asked for an extra makki ki roti in exchange of the Siddu!

The food turned out to be incredibly yummy and I thanked Ramesh Thakur and his wife numerous times. The jaggery powder mixed with ghee was a deadly combination to be eaten with the makke ki roti. The rajma, kadhi and sarson ka saag were excellent too and the lingdi ka achaar was a nice surprise. The siddu was a little spicy and with the spicy green chutney gave a nice kick! Ramesh Thakur was generous and only took 300 INR for the 2 thalis, less than his usual rate. He said because we had walked all the way from Raison, we were entitled to a discount! I took a few photos of him and the dhaba and promised to share the review for prospective travellers.

The dirt road looked very beautiful in the mist and we debated for a while if we wanted to walk a bit ahead and feel the calm but since it was a Sunday there would be no return bus from Jana in the evening. That was reason enough for us to think about returning even if it was only 3 pm. We started walking back to Jana village and kept a timeline for ourselves that if we got a ride till Naggar village, we would go back by the road but if we didn’t get a ride in a vehicle, then we would hike back to Raison from Jana village.

As luck would have it, we walked all the way back to Raison. The downhill hike was relatively easier and we were back in the orchard home of Yuthok Homestay at about 5-515 pm.

Memorable hike if you are living in Kullu Valley for a long time and want to see an old village!

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