HIMACHAL AND LADAKH ADVENTURE PART 4 KALPA

Our journey continued, and today on 5th day we were heading to Kalpa. Kalpa is a quaint village located at the bank of Sutlej River, where the entire area is covered with apple trees. Unfortunately for us,it was just fruiting and harvest is only in September. At an altitude of 9710ft, the view was simply breathtaking. 

As much as Himachal Pradesh is an all year round tourist destination, the same cannot be said about Kalpa; a hidden gem that receives little tourists. Except for bikers, we did not see any Tempo load of tourists. So we had Kalpa village pretty much to ourselves. 

The Road To Kalpa

A Typical Village Home

First stop was visiting the Narayan Nagini Temple, which is located right smack in the middle of the village. This temple is built with the Tibetan Architecture motive, which typically expounds the Kinnauri craftmanship.  

At The Entrance to To The Narayan Nagini Temple

Narayan Nagini Temple Architecture

The Kathaunni Architecture At Best

A Single Wood Block Resembling A Crocodile

Temple Roof With Himalayas on The Backdrop

Another Single Wood Block Carved Resembling a Tiger

Nagini Wood Carving Adorning The Temple Wall

The Narayan Nagini temple is said to be more than 5000 years old and has its significance rooted in the Mahabharatha. Interestingly the women of Kinnaur district have been practicing  polyandry from time immemorial. Doesn't it ring a bell? The resemblance of the story of Draupadi who shared the 5 Pandava brothers in the Mahabharatha. 

The Gathering of Women of Kalpa

So happen on the day we were there, the local women had their "Panchayat" (village council) meeting. You guys must be wondering where are all the men, well .... this is a matriarchal society, hence its womens power. It all adds up now don't you think?

The Ladies insisted I Pose With Them

But Greeja Got A Hug From Them

Next stop was the Chandika Devi Temple, which has it's own history. Legend has it Chandika Devi is the daughter of the mighty Asura Banasura, She is considered to be a powerful Goddess the protector of the Kinnaur Valley. 

The Chandika Devi Temple Entrance

Kalpa Village at The Backdrop of the Temple

Chandika Devi Temple Pond

The Main Tower of The Chandika Devi Temple

The arhcitecture of the temple uses the shikara concept where the superstructure is made of slated stone in an inverted cone fashion. This temple also houses a chariot that has a gold deity of Maa Chandika Devi. Locals also address the Goddess as Shuvang Chandika. The Dakreini Festival is considered to be the second most important fair in the Kinnaur Valley, which is dedicated to Goddess Chandika Devi. In early days this temple also witnessed animal sacrifice, which has been banned since. The temple priest welcomed us and performed a simple pooja and we obtained the blessing of Maa Chandika Devi before leaving the temple complex.

Hu Ba Lan Kar Monastery

The last stop for the day was the Hu Ban Lan Kar Monastery. It was a daunting walk to the monastery, since the distance to the monastery was from where the above photograph was taken. However the walk was interesting as we had to meandre through the quaint village, occasionally bumping into friendly villagers. This monastery was founded by Rinchensang Po between 950 AD - 1055 AD.

A Closer Look at The Monastery

Greeja Spinning The Prayer Wheel 

A Stupa at the Monastery

Along came the post box

We were not able to go into the monastery as it is closed to visitors after their morning prayer . But the walkabout itself was very enlightening.

The Way To The Monastery

A Buddha Shrine Along The Way

A doorway To A Village Home

Stones are the basic Foundation of all Buildings

A Homestay In The Midst of the Village

An Alley

A Smaller Wooden Dwelling

It was one tiring day, perhaps the total distance walked would have been at least 15km. Walking in a high altitude was no easy feat, but everything we experienced that day was new to us, hence the exitement overwhelmed our state of mind, downplaying our physical discomfort. 

At a Local Chai Stall

Nothing like a hot Ginger tea after an exhilerating day. On the way back to our hotel, we stopped by at chai stall to sooth our dry throat, and give warmth to our already chilling body. Back to the hotel, had a scrumptious dinner, where we were accompanied by a large group of bikers from Delhi. 

Head hit on the pillow and the next thing I remember waking up to the sunshine on our face, it was 5.30am, looking forward to another exciting day........ to TABO our next destination.    

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HIMACHAL AND LADAKH TRIP PART 3 SANGLA + CHITKUL

The distance from Sarahan to Sangla is about 82km. Well we can make it under one hour if it was in Malaysia on a normal day. I said on a normal day, because things can get real hot under the collar during long weekend break, like last week, when Monday was holiday and it took my sister 3 hours to get from Pedas interchange to  Subang Jaya, distance of 86km on the highway. 

Road To Sangla

Enough of the traffic misery in the Klang Valley, lets go to the Sangla valley, in Himachal Pradesh. It took us almost 4 hours to get to Sangla, from Sarahan. Sangla is at an altitude of 8671ft. The heavy breakfast at Sarahan, lasted till we reached Sangla.

Through The Mountain We Go Around

School Children On A Earth Day Awareness March

(Caught this as we were passing a village enroute to Sangla) 

We when straight to our hotel, to check in but for whatever reason the person who attended to us was totally blur or perhaps he was zoned out. Anyway he told us to wait till two other guys came. Upon giving our passport, to our absolute surprise, one young chap quipped, Selamat Datang ('Welcome' in the Malay language). This chap was a Nepali, who had been working in Melaka for almost 4 years, and he speaks fluent Malay. After that the hospitality extended to us was simply great. During summer many Nepali's come over to different parts of India to work in the hospitality industry. 

The Nepali Host in Attendance

This hotel we stayed is surrounded by apple orchads, with Mount Kinnaur Kailash as our backdrop. Kinnaur is known as the land of apples and God. Did you know that this mountain is considered by both Hindus's and Buddhist to be very sacred and is believed to be the exact point of the abode of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati? At the peak of this mountain, a trident like monolithic structure exists, which has become a pilgrimage site for the brave, as it requires 14 km challenging trekking to an altitude of 17200feet. Well I told Greeeja, that we will keep this trekking for another day. But the mountain itself was a sight to behold. 

Kinnaur Kailash

Another View of Kinnaur Kailash

Actually the above photo is the view from our room. Just imagine getting up in the morning looking at this sight, WOW. 

After a simple lunch, we were already in our Tempo, heading to Chitkul Village. Chitkul is often known as the last village of India, nestled at an altitude of 11319ft. The reason Chitkul is known so is because it is the last village in the Indo-Tibetan route and the first village at the Baspa Valley. Though it is merely 22 km from Sangla, but it took slightly more than 2 hours to reach this scenic spot. 

The Untamed Baspa River

The Baspa Valley is also a popular spot for Camping during Summer

The Untamed 3

We were totally taken aback looking at this wonderful landscape. It was simply magnificent, We just felt that we were one with nature.

The Untamed 4

On one side of river Baspa we can see the snow-clad Himalayas and on the other side of is fresh pine forest. The water was crystal clear, perhaps it was the melting glaciers from the Himalayas.

The Untamed 5

There two very important temples located in Chitkul, one is the Bering Nag Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva and the Mathi Temple dedicated to the wife of Lord Badhrinath. The uniqueness of these two temples are that they are built using walnut wood. The festival of Fulaich which is celebrated in the month of September is a major activity in spring. Unfortunately I must say that we were not fortunate enough to see both the temples. Perhaps next time. 

The Untamed 6

The Untamed 7

Mr Neghi's Tea Stall

Guess what, at this spot, we met Mr Neghi, who runs a tea stall. Business was brisk, and we had to wait for a good 20 minutes to get our freshly brewed tea. His hot selling item for the day was Maggi instant noodles. I guess with the cold wind, instant noodle would be comfort food. Mr Neghi is from Chitkul village, and he says he sets up his stall about 11.00am and operates it till sun down. The spot we were standing is popular amongst campers. There are tents set up during summer and rented out to visitors. 

The Washerman

On the way back to Sangla, we bumped into this washerman with his donkeys resting by the river. The doggo on the foreground stood guard to his flock, watching our moves as we tried to take some photos. 

On the way back in the evening, just about 1km from Sangla our TEMPO encountered a flat tyre. Actually a stone tore through the rubber. Our driver Vicky was quick to realise it, stopped the vehicle and manage to bring it to side of the road and got the tyre changed. Meanwhile we became traffic wardens signaling other vehicles to drive slowly. 

Vicky Unscrewing The Spare Tire

By the time we reached the hotel, we were dead tired, and  hungry too. To add to the circumstances we actually had a large family from Gujarat as guest at the hotel too. Interestingly the head of the family approached us during dinner and requested that the chicken curry not to be served on the buffet table as they were vegetarians. We obliged and the hotel staffs brought the chicken directly to our table. They were a friendly bunch, and from there on we kept bumping into them till our journey in Himachal Pradesh ended.

Besides the magnificent sights to behold, we also met many other tourists along the way, some were good company, others were a darn nuisance. But then hey this is a creation that does not belong to anybody. Everybody has the right to be where they are. With greater prosperity, it leads to greater wanting to explore. The expectations, perceptions and appreciation of every individual who travels, definitely will be different, hence expecting everyone on our journey to be like minded, would be more a wish than reality. 

To me it was accepting people as they are, not wanting neither to be judgmental or overly critical, because it only disturbs my mental state. We came here with an open mind, without specific expectations. Greeja and I just went with the flow, accepting it as it came, and I must tell that never a day was dissapointing, it was like everyday was a new beginning. 

A Local Pondering At The Edge of The Road 

 

I wouldn't know what was running in that lady's mind, but whatever it was she looked serene. I don't know whether it is the place or its people there seemed to be  a state of tranquility about them despite living in such harsh conditions. I just then realised, never a problem that is so big that it should stop one from living. Take it in a stride, don't be intimidated by others, neither should we be affected by behaviour of others, because both are something that is not within our control. We should then, be in total control of ourselves, if we can change the behaviour of others, it is well and good, if we see the best in others, no harm in adopting it, but if we can't do both, the best thing to do is to avoid the interaction.

Somehow it dawns to me the saying of Ramana Maharshi, "be still, do nothing". This adventure has questioned me about "who am I", more than ever before. 

I am Not Sure What I Was Doing or Thinking at That Point

(Mount Kinnaur Kailash)

 

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......look out for part 4 of my adventure.....

HIMACHAL AND LADAKH ADVENTURE PART 2 SARAHAN

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.

The Untamed 1

The Untamed 2

We were heading to Sarahan, though merely a distance of 160km, but it took us more than 7 hours to reach our destination.  

The Road Less Travelled

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.

At Sarahan

Street Traders: Selling Pooja items for Bhimakali Temple worship

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.

The Lone Barber Chair

Fruit and Vegetable Vendor at Sarahan Street

Chinese Food Stall in Himachal Pradesh

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 Bheemakali Temple 

Main Entrance To The Inner Sanctum of Bheemakali Temple

The Bheemakali Temple Compound

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.

The Front Facade Of Bheemakali Temple

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.

Entry Point to the Inner Sanctum

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. 

Lord Narashimha's Shrine (known as Lord Narsingh to locals)

Lord Shiva's Shrine

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.

Lord Narsingh Shrine Facade

We stayed at this quaint Hotel Shrikhand, which overlooked the Sutlej valley, and very close to the Bhimakali Temple.

The Hotel Welcomes You

The Royal Enfield Himalayan: A common beast amongst serious Bikers

At the entrance of Shrikhand Hotel, Lord Budhha gives his blessings

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.  

The Journey Continues

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HIMACHAL & LADAKH ADVENTURE: PART 1 SHIMLA

We landed in Delhi, with utmost surprise, our crew was whisked away by the custom's officers for a random enquiry. Upon knowing that all of us were educators much pleasanteries were exchanged, after all they were doing their duty. But it was still puzzling, why us, perhaps we looked kinda motley.

Our adventure only started at Shimla, we took a train from Delhi to Chandigarh and from they a Tempo Traveller to Shimla. Arrived pass 6.00pm, and were greeted to this nice cosy hotel, called Woodville Palace. 

This property had served as the residence of 4 successive commanders in chief of the Indian Army during the British Raj. In 1926 the the Ruler of the Princely state of Gondal, Maharajah Sir Bhagvat Singh bought the property for his daughter Princess Leila Ba.

In 1977, the grandson of Raja Rana Sir Bhagat Chand's, Raj Kumar Udhay Singh of Jubbal converted this 31 bedroomed palace into a heritage hotel, which stands todate.

A quick shower and we were at the bar wanting a warmer before dinner. We met this cute barman who has been with the hotel for good many years. 

Whilst at the bar, we chanced upon the current heir to the Palace, Prince Raj Kumar Jubbal. That is the Prince in the middle next to Greeja, in the photo below. A fine gentleman he is, went on to explain his illustrious family heritage. Currently the family had leased the property to a 3rd party to be managed as a hotel.

Waking up early in the morning, looking at a picturisc scene from our bedroom was a sight to behold. How I wished this would be an everyday scene from my bedroom at USJ. 

The air was so fresh, and the greenery was so refreshing to the eye, that I felt rejuvenated instantly. Greeja and I went for a short walk around the property, soaking in, the early morning sight, and sounds from the valley. The temperature was slighly above 16 degrees C, perfect for a nice stroll. 

  

After breakfast, our journey began, Greeja, Vijay, Baldev and me, got onto our Tempo Traveller, driven by Vicky our able driver. Thus began our seventeen days adventure spearheaded by Sifu Baldev. 

Footnote on Shimla:

Shimla is a Hill Station situated 7238ft above sea level, and in 1864 it was helmed as the summer capital of British India. Situated in the foot of the Himalaya, and was named Shimla, dedicated to Goddess Shyamala Devi the preciding deity and an incarnation of Goddess Kali. I felt kinda sentimental and blessed knowing that we were beginning our journey from Shimla, with Goddess Shymala Devi as our patron. 

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