Right after coming back from her trek to Anjani Mahadev, she thought she would focus on her work with fresh mind. She had no idea that she would end up in another vacation that too within a week. However, when mountains call, she must go. The dilemma continued in her mind regarding the next destination. Always longing for a new place with fewer crowds was her priority, which gives peace to her ever-wandering mind and soul. “A journey of thousand miles begins with a single step.” Keeping this in mind, she along with her travel partner boarded the Manali bound bus without knowing their next destination. Her partner had left on her to decide the destination. Many places popped in her mind but her heart was not agreeing to it. To explore the unexplored was her wish.
Kalga is a quaint yet lesser-known offbeat destination located on the banks of Parvati River near Kasol. It is best suited for travelers/backpackers looking for serenity and away from noisy surroundings. From Barshaini, a thin trail of 30-40 minutes’ hike leads to a beautiful village with rustic and wooden cafe's, home stays and restaurants. They could hardly find anybody on their way to the village and it was drizzling. They were walking through a thin passage made out of snow of almost 1-2 feet. Hardly two home stays were open in Kalga. Upon reaching on top and walking almost for 15 minutes, they reached their destination, Om Shanti Home, a small yet beautiful home stay located towards the end of the village. When she entered, she saw Ratan Singh Negi, the owner of the home stay sitting in a room with heater and enjoying Buddhist chants with his colleagues and invited to join them for a hot cup of tea and maggi. Rain and hot cup of tea are inseparable, therefore; they could not afford to say no. A small cup of tea opened the window for larger conversations about the place, nearby locations; trekking experiences so on and so forth. To her surprise, Ratan also had similar understanding of hills, which she had experienced. It was raining incessantly throughout the night.
She thought it would snow after heavy rain. To her dismay, it snowed in the adjoining hills. Nevertheless, the view, which she woke up to, was mind-blowing. Entire village was dressed in thick sheet of white and the orchards had dried up. Sun was sending its rays gradually throughout the village, lush green forests covered with a thin fresh spell of snow and a vague sound coming from far off gushing stream down the valley adding to its beauty. She got what she was looking for, what she had always dreamed, what she could not get while sitting in a crowded city. She found her peace of mind and her solace in the mountains. While leaving this beautiful paradise, she promised herself that she would come back again during summer to enjoy a different Kalga, full of life, flowers, blossoms and blue sky and star-studded night. It was another long day for them, as they had to leave for another new destination that was yet to be explored on foot. Enjoy the images!
How to reach
From Delhi: Take a state run overnight Volvo from Kashmiri Gate bus stand or private Volvo from Majnu ka Tila and which reached Bhuntar early morning around 6:30am. From Bhuntar bus stand take a local bus or shared jeep (in case you have ample time) or a private taxi (as per union rate) heading towards Barshaini (the last stop).
Distance: Delhi to Bhuntar-489 kms (10-12 hours)
Bhuntar to Barshaini: 50 kms approx. {Minimum 2 hours (taxi)/maximum 4 hours (bus)}
Barshaini to Kalga: 30-40 minutes hike
Stay options
Om Shanti Home, a beautiful yet very simple wooden and affordable home stay located towards the end of the village. This home stay is best suited for people looking for affordable vacation. Ratan Singh Negi, a young lad runs this beautiful house. Apart from this there are many other guesthouses constructed on concrete like Brahma Home stay, Holy cow, Moon light cafe, sunset cafe.
Best time to visit:
Can be visited through out the year. Due to excess snowfall, vehicles do go beyond Manikaran which can be slightly problematic.
In and around Kalga:
• Trek to Kheerganga (11-13 kms one-way) begins near Kalga. Kheerganga is a beautiful valley famous for hot water spring.
• Trek to Tosh (40 minutes to 1-hour hike) Shared taxis and private taxis are available for Tosh and can visit the places enlisted in the below mentioned image. Enjoy & Travel safe :-)
Cheerios !!!
