Most of this region, in the
valley of the Sutlej River extending up
towards the Tibetan border, is off limits
without permission from the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs in New Delhi. You can only
go us far as the Wangtu Bridge, just beyond
Nachar, without a permit.
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Sightseeing
:
Rampur
Beyond Narkanda, 140 km from Simla, Rampur
is the gateway to the region. It's the site
for a major trade fair in the second week of
November each year. This was once a major
centre for trade between India and Tibet.
There are direct buses from Simla to Rampur.
Rampur has a PWD Rest House.
Sarahan
The last village in the district before
entering Kinnaur, Sarahan is a beautiful
little place with the interesting Bhimkali
temple which shows a curious blend of Hindu
and Buddhist architecture.
Nachar
Situated on the old Hindustan-Tibet road
this picturesque village is four km from the
Wangtu Bridge, beyond which you need a
permit to continue. As in Sarahan the
village is on the old road which has been
replaced by the nearby new Hindustan-Tibet
road. There's a rest house in the orchards.
Tapri & Choltu
Only 15 km further up the valley from Nachar
three roads meet at this scenic spot. One is
the main road continuing up the valley to
Kalpa. The second is the old road, also
continuing to Kalpa via Rogi. The third is a
small road which crosses the river through
Choltu has a pleasant rest house.
Sangla
The main village in the Sangla Valley is 18
km from Karcham, on the new Hindustan -
Tibet road, and can be reached by jeep or on
foot. It's a good base for trekking and
there's a rest house.
Kalpa
The main town in Kinnaur is close to the
foot of 6050 metre high Kinnaur Khailash.
This is the legendary winter home of Lord
Shiva, during the winter the god is said to
retire to his Himalayan home here and
indulge his passion for hashish. In the
month of Magha, January-February, the gods
of Kinnaur are all supposed to meet here for
an annual conference with Lord Shiva. Kalpa
has a rest house and from here you can
continue on the northern side of the river
to Puh and Namgia, close to the Tibetan
border. Only 14 km from Kalpa the tiny
village of Pangli has a small rest house and
a fine view of Kinnaur Khailash. Rarang ,
eight km further on, is another centre for
trade to Tibet.
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