We got up next morning, had a big breakfast at Woodville Palace (Shimla), and then got on our Tempo Traveller for our first leg into our journey to the untamed landscape.
You may ask, why, well it was a long winding road moving up the mountain. to reach an altitude of 7589ft. The roads were not only serpentined but many stretches were also bad. Well summer just started and many of these roads just got cleared from snow, and along with it roads were damaged as well.
Sarahan is a small town with about 300 odd households located in the Sutlej valley. A beautiful location surrounded by pine trees and not forgetting apple farms. Unfortunately we were not able to savour the local apples, because it was just fruiting and harvest will be September.
Legend has it that in ancient time, during the battle between the Kingdom of Kullu and Kingdom of Bushair, the defeated King of Kullu had his head decapitated and was brought to Sarahan where it was displayed to the people of Kullu for an eventual submission to the victor. Since then Dusherra is a festival that has been decreed to be celebrated in the region.
The highlight of Sarahan is the Bhimakali Temple or also known as the Bhimadevi Temple. One legend has it this spot became of spiritual significance as one of the 51 Shakti Peeth, because this was the place where Sati's ear fell off after the Dakshan-Yaga episode.
Another legend states that it was the place where Lord Krishna beheaded King Banasur in a battle and placed Pradyuman his son, as the ruler of Bhushar. It is believed that the lineage of the princely state of Bushar are decendants of Lord Krishna himself and BhimaDevi became the ancestral deity of the Bushar Kingdom. By the way, it is believed that King Banasur's head was buried in front of the entrance gate of the Bhimakali temple, marked with an elevated platform at the entrance. BhimaDevi is regarded as the reincarnation of Goddess Durga.
The current temple is estimated to be about 800 years old which blends both Hindu and Buddhist architectural features. More importantly the blend of the use of both local stone and wood based materials gives this temple a unique stature that has not been replicated elsewhere in this region. This style is known as the Kathkuni style alternating between wood and stone, to give the structure a sense of flexibility to withstand earthquakes.
According to the history of the temple, human sacrifices were carried out till the late 18th century, after which animals were substituted. However after the 2014 Himachal Pradesh High Court ruling, the said practice has been prohibited.
We stayed at this quaint Hotel Shrikhand, which overlooked the Sutlej valley, and very close to the Bhimakali Temple.
The people, the place, the atmosphere and its ancient past simply took my breath away. I bought myself this Himachali headgear as a remembrance not only to Sarahan but also had this feel of connectivity with its ancient past.
Interestingly I wore this headgear throughout the rest of our journey, as though invoking the blessings of Maa Bhimakali for a safe adventure.
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