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Information about Lahaul
Lahaul and Spiti are two remote Himalayan Valleys of Himachal
Pradesh, lying on the Indo-Tibet border. Lahaul and Spiti
valleys, together form a district in Himachal Pradesh.
Strange, exciting, primitive, these valleys are unsurpassed in
mountain scape, in the rugged beauty of their rocky
escapements and the splendor of their snow covered peaks.
Lahaul is marked by a central mass of uniformly high mountains
and massive glaciers. The Bara Shigri, Chota Sigri, Samundari
and Sonapani glaciers are some of the glaciers which are found
here. The two rivers, Chandra and Bhaga which rise on either
side of the Baralacha La, flow through the narrow Chandra and
Bhaga valleys and nourish the Lahaul valley. Lahaul is a land
of fascinating Buddhist art and culture. The monasteries of
Lahaul-Spiti are rich repositories of ancient murals, thankas,
wood carving and golden images of Padmasambhava. The valley
lies at a height of 2745 metres above sea level. Summer in
this valley is cool and pleasant with green grass and alpine
flowers. There are little monsoon in both these valleys and
this enables climbers and trekkers to enjoy a long and
unbroken season in perpetual sunshine to explore the
wilderness and grandeur of the inner Himalaya. This unique
feature makes Lahul-Spiti as an ideal destination for tourists
and trekkers in the month of July, August and September.
Keylong is 115 kms. from Manali and is the District
Headquarters of Lahul-Spiti District.
People of Lahaul
The people of Lahaul are charming, friendly, hospitable and
unique. These people have a unique and distinct culture of
their own, mainly Buddhist. Their songs and dances are pure as
the snow around them and their “Gompas” are the collection of
Buddhist treasures.
Best time to visit Lahaul
Both, the Lahaul and Spiti valley remains cut off from the
rest of India for most of the part of the year. The Rohtang
Pass is opened only from May to October and so during this
time the visitors can visit the Lahaul and Spiti valley to
enjoy its beauty and charm.
Trekking in Lahaul
Manali in the Kullu Valley serves as base for supplies and
equipment for treks in the Lahaul and Spiti area and many
exciting treks that originate in Kullu Valley terminate in
Lahaul and Spiti. A favourite trek in this area is the 4 stage
moderate trek that start from Batal in Southern Lahaul at the
base of the Kunzam la, to the beautiful lake of Chandratal and
ends at the Baralacha-la pass. Over a part of the way this
route overlooks the magnificent Bara Shigri glacier. Taking 8
strenuous stages another trails starts from Udaipur in Upper
Lahaul to Padum in Zanskar over the Kang-la pass.
Tourist Attractions in Lahaul
The main tourist attractions in Lahaul are the monasteries.
The Khardong and Shashur Monastery are some of the famous
monasteries which are found in Lahaul. The other places in
Lahaul are Gondla, Tandi, Guru Ghantal Monastery, Keylong,
Tayul Gompa, Sissu, Koksar, Jispa, Gemur, Darcha, Baralacha La
pass, Sarchu, Shansha, Triloknath Temple and Udaipur. Khardong
is the largest monastery in Lahaul and located across the
valley from Shashur. It is believed to be built in 12th
century. The Monastery has a large library of Kangyur and
Tangyur volumes of Buddhist scriptures in Bhoti. Keylong is
the district Headquarters of Lahaul and Spiti on the main road
to Leh over Rohtang. It is an oasis of green fields and willow
trees, water streams surrounded with brown hills and snow
capped peaks.
More....
How to reach Lahaul
The Lahaul region can be visited only by road from Manali via
the Manali – Leh Highway. The Manali – Leh highway, one of the
highest mountain road in the world, is open for 3 months in
the year from early June to September. It traverses the
subdivision of Lahaul and crosses the Great Himalayan Range
into Ladakh. Manali, in the Kullu district is the ideal base
to visit this fascinating region in the country. Manali is
linked by road and air to Chandigarh, Shimla and Delhi. To
enter the Spiti Valley, one has to cross the Kunzam Pass, at a
height of 14,800 feet. The longer but popular route into the
valley is along the old Hindustan – Tibet road from Shimla
across the scenic district of Kinnaur. |
