b. Sarahan to Recong Peo and Kalpa
Day 3
We got up at 5:45am to have a glimpse of the majestic hills
at Sunrise. The pristine skies offered an amazing view of the Shrikhand range
of mountains which includes twin peaks of Gishu Pishu and Srikhand Mahadev. Nothing
can beat the picturesque beauty of Sarahan with snow capped mountains towering
the turquoise green vegetation dappled with colourful blossoms. Sarahan has a
glorious history to its name. The temple of the Bhimakali Temple of Sarahan
identified as Sonitpur (referred in Puranas) is one of 51 Shakti Peethams or
Places of strength where Goddess reincarnated. Bhimakali is the presiding deity
of the Bushahr rulers.
View from Hotel
Bhimakali temple is a historic twin towered structure built
in Indo-Tibetan style and bear resemblances to Chinese pagodas. The temple is
built in Indo-Tibetan style and has alternating layers of wood and stone. The
thick walls and low roofs offers needed insulation in the high mountainous
terrain during winters. The temple, a mark of pride with its intricate designs
of the wood work reflects the local Kinnauri architecture. Historians believe
that the stones of Sarahan are steeped in history for its references in puranas
and legendary tales. Goddess was considered to be manifestation of Dakhsa Yagna
incident when the ear of Sati fell in this place and became the place of
worship as Pitha Sthan. The region was believed to be ruled by Banasura, ardent
devotee of Lord Vishnu who was the great grandson of Prahlad.
Twin Towers of Bhimakali temple
The treasured identical twin towers constitute the prized
embodiments of the temple. The old tower damaged by the earth quake in 1905 is
now locked and used as repository the new structure is its resurrected version constructed
with exquisite artistic woodwork. The new temple has three-storeyed deep
foundations and an underground tunnel that leads to a village Ranwin. Pundits
usually enter and leave the temple through this tunnel. The 200 year old idol
of Bhimakali is worshipped in this immaculately clean two-storeyed building. It houses two idols of the Goddess-the virgin
form of the Goddess and another one enshrined in the form of Parvati, the
consort of Lord Siva. These towers are on a raised stone platform and
constitute the inner chambers of the temple premises. Cell phones, cameras and
other leather material are strictly prohibited inside these chambers. The
temple complex is encased in court chambers. The chambers in outer corridor
serve as temple office and rest houses for devotees. The shrines of Lord Narasingh
(Narasimha) and Lord Shiva that lie in outer chamber are relatively old and are
built in classical shikara style.
Lord Shiva Shrine
The fabulous temple has a gruesome history attached to it as
human sacrifices were carried out here till the early 19th century
in the Lankra Vir Temple within the complex. After which the subtler form of
lamb sacrifice was a regular practice till 2013 during the Dusshera
celebrations. Following the court order even that ritual is now abandoned. The
descendants of the Royal family serve as Pandits of the temple. The Chief
Minister of Himachal Pradesh Virabhadra Singh, a member of the Royal family is
the elected representative from Sarahan.
View of the mountain peaks
The serene environs and the exquisite location of the temple
make the visit more auspicious and enchanting. Another interesting place in the
town is Tragopan pheasantry, where local breeds of birds are scientifically
bred. The place remained closed during our visit as it was breeding season.
Before waving bye to the place, we relaxed on the swings in the beautiful lawns
of the Hotel that offers a panoramic view of the peaks and the valley. As we
began to set out for Kalpa in Kinnaur district 100km away, people cautioned us
about the bad roads on the way.
Sarahan located in Shimla district is gateway to Kinnaur.
Himachal Pradesh is bountifully blessed with nature’s splendour. The Himalayan
ranges that run through the state divide it into two regions. The monsoon winds
which bring rains to most parts of the country fail to cross the towering
mountain peaks. Hence the region to the south of the ranges is rain fed by the
monsoons. But the plateau to the North of the Trans-Himalayan regions, past the
ranges falls remains dry (falls in rain shadow region) is characteristically
treeless with seamless fast flowing rivers and deep valleys. Kinnaur district
is South East of the ranges and its unparalleled scenic beauty is enhanced by
the near vertical mountain peaks that constantly reminds us of the invincible
power of nature. Quite akin to this fact people, (Kinnauris) respect and
worship nature in every form. We hit the national highway NH-22 at Jeori and
proceeded to towards Kinnaur district.
Road to Kinnaur
Legend says that Kinnaur with its mesmerising scenic beauty
fell from heaven as a gift from Gods. The district is criss-crossed by rivers
Sutlej originating from Tibet and Spiti River. While the lower river basins are
floored by orchards the hilly slopes are enveloped by thick woods. The region
once part of the largest Bushahr princely state holds greater Himalayas and
Zanskar mountain ranges. This part of the state is largely referred to in
Mahabharata as it was believed that Pandavas spent several years of their exile
in these tracts. Ancient texts consider the people of Kinnaur were the Kinners-
halfway between Gods and men. Much of this region was largely cut off from the
rest of India until the construction of Hindustan-Tibet road (NH-22) in 1850 by
Lord Dalhousie. During the recent years with the construction of Hydel Power
projects across the rivers and with spread of scientific agricultural and
horticultural practices people began to catch with the rest of the World. With
its proximity to Tibet, people have strong cultural, religious with them. It is
manifested in their language, customs, traditions and Hinduism in this region
is embellished with Buddhist practices. The Tibetan influence is clearly
reflected in construction of temples and other huge heritage structures. Entry
of foreigners into this region has been restricted for security reasons. They
are required to obtain an inner line permit if they wish to travel beyond Jangi
in Kinnaur.
Hindustan-Tibet road (NH-22)
Our wild fantasy to visit this place stemmed from its picturesque scenic images showcased in the movie Highway. Kinnaur district also called as Baspa valley or Sangla valley has many beautiful nuggets. Exciting details of this valley details has spurred us into a road trip. The rigours and dangers associated with driving these inhospitable terrains are worth the risk to rejoice the unrivalled scenic beauty of this mountainous terrain.
Rock Tunnel on NH-22
At the border of Kinnaur district we were stopped at security
check post and were asked to furnish a valid ID card and itinerary of our trip.
It was a bright sunny day and we were amazed by the sheer grandeur of the
Kinnauri landscape. We marvelled at the ingenuity of the engineers who contrived
the plans of constructing the Hindustan- Tibet highway through the gigantic
rocky terrain and held tribute to the unsung heroes- the labourers who toiled
for years to make our journey so pleasant and comfortable. All along the
labyrinthine trail we travelled by the side of river Sutlej. The near vertical
rocky mountain cliffs devoid of vegetation revealed its colossal existence.
Gushing waters of Sutlej added ruggedness to the terrain.
Sutlej @ Karcham
We passed through the villages of Nigulsari, Bhabhanagar,
Nathpa and Wangtu. From Nathpa the ongoing construction for the Karcham Wangtu
power plant has severely damaged the highway. Roads are completely chipped off
its outer surface and the layer of pebbles beneath began impeding our drive.
Till Tapri the roads are were badly damaged and the Hindustan Tibet road ahead
of it which lies in landslide prone region is badly damaged due to falling
boulders. Hence this road was closed. The traffic was being diverted to a steep
narrow hilly road which went all the way up to Urni. The drive along this road
was extremely scary as the un-shouldered road touches an elevation of 2875msl. While driving along a single lane road at such
an elevation is hair-rising, meandering through heavy vehicle traffic has made
the ride doubly challenging and gruesome. The road slowly descended to meet the
riverside bridge across the Chooling Nallah. The ordeal of cracked roads
continued to haunt us till Powari. This roundabout treacherous route was 20 km
longer than the old road which was closed due to landslides. Finally we reached
Karcham cantonment area the place where River Baspa joins River Sutlej. NH 22
along this entire stretch till Powari is very dusty and the construction
activity of the Karcham-Wangtu Power plant has worsened the situation.
Karcham-Wangtu Power plant
Little ahead of Karcham is a stony bridge and a left turn
from this place leads to Sangla Valley. We drove towards Recong Peo crossing
the Shongtong Bridge. As we began to ascend slowly we had an amazing view of
the colossal range of snow-capped mountains.
Shongtong Bridge
Recong Peo, the capital of Kinnaur district is perched at an
elevation of 2290 msl. Peo is a serene town and relatively sparsely populated.
Peo is earlier referred to as Kinnara in legends. Between 9th and 12th
century the district was under the rule of Guge Kingdom of Tibet. After a very
tiresome drive, we stopped at Peo for an evening stroll. We spotted a Tourism
centre and walked in to enquire about places of interest nearby. From Peo we
had a panoramic view of Jorkanden and Kinner Kailash mountains.
Recong Peo
Peo is known for the Kothi Durga Temple also called Chandika
temple, 3 km from Peo on the way to Kalpa. A steep motor able road led to the
temple entrance. Built amidst of Orchards and lapped in mountains, it has a
very unique architecture and the roofs are embossed with intricate wooden
sculptures bearing animal motifs. Entry of outsiders is strictly prohibited to
the inner chambers of the shrine. The golden idol of the goddess is posited on
a grand wooden palanquin.
Kothi Durga Temple
Few metres from this temple is Bhairava Mandir, where the
marble sculpted image of Lord Shiva open to sky was installed. This temple has
a unique tradition wherein the Pandit alone would enter the premises to clean
and perform all the rituals. Entry of outsiders or even local people is
prohibited.
Bhairava Mandir
Peo was overlooked by a huge statue of Lord Buddha of the
Brelengi Gompa Monastery of Brelengi 5 km from Peo. The road leading to
monastery is under construction, so we walked up to the monastery. Since there
are no sign boards marking directions we got lost and made our entry into
Kalachakra Monastery from backside. The monastery was built in 1992 upon the
instructions of Dalai-Lama to perform the Kalachakra ceremony. It has an
impressive modern edifice and next to it is a 10 meter statue of Lord Buddha
which is visible from distant surroundings. Enclosed by dense orchards, the
place is ideally suited for mediation.
Kalachakra Monastery
We then slowly moved along the winding steep road going
through apple orchards and Pine Woods towards Kalpa 7 km from Peo at an
altitude of 2960mts. It is intriguing that Kinner Kailash which is bestowed
greater religious significance is clearly visible from Kalpa alone. The place
earlier called as Chini offers a spectacular view of the majestic Kinner
Kailash range. It is believed to be the point where the mountains halt the
progression of the monsoon winds. We booked our rooms at HPTDC Kinnaur Kailash,
which offers a peerless view of the Kailash range. As dusk settled over the
town a feeling of eternal peace and contentment dawned on us. We quietly sat in
the lawns of the hotel watching these ranges and began munching hot pakodas.
Photographs courtesy: Dr. T. L. S. Bhaskar & Samanvit Teegela
@ Copyrights reserved.
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