So here I was at - Tirthan valley, the lush green forests, all covered with deodar and pine woods, the best decision I ever took, I guess, while knowing very little about the place, I embarked on a journey to uncover this lesser known paradise in the immediate vicinity of Himachal Pradesh. The closer I got to Jibhi, the fonder I grew of this hidden treasure, unadulterated by the outside world, it still breathes afresh.
It was the moment when after hoping around the world, my eyes were gazed looking at Tirthan Valley and it gave me the feeling that my dream has been sketched and nature is my artist putting everything alive right in front of me in more wondrous ways than ever. I witnessed things what ancients would have called miracles, but unfortunately they are not miracles, It was a product of my dream and this only happens when you crave badly for it. Undoubtedly I was just a molecule around those tall sheltering trees but I am reliving the best days of my life.
To enter the Tirthan Valley one deboards the bus at the Aut tunnel. Here on, one might want to worry about the world that one leaves behind or one might want to miss the pizzas that fattened the tummy, or maybe one might want to search for networks in their phones, but it’s not for long before one forgets all this. Sooner one finds oneself in the orchards of trees, apricots, almonds, streams of fresh water along the way, and fields lush with the cereals and vegetables that have touched sky high prices in the city where one comes from. The entire route is quite panoramic, with Tirthan river and Beas river flowing along the road. There also comes a point where both the rivers meet each other, and the magical views is a must do when coming to Tirthan valley.
The visit to the waterfall is a must do for all coming to this valley. It’s half a km walk as one feels majestic gazing at the panoramal sceneries, feeling the air gushes crossing the body, hear the chants of the animals and birds around, and moistened one's skin in the water vapours erupting from the waterfall. This waterfall is definitely one of the many highlights of the trip to Tirthan Valley. The magical walk is steep at places though one is bound to be rewarded with the hidden jewel.
I ventured towards the Serlosar lake from Jalori Paas, the most amazing adventure is the 5 km trek to this beautiful lake. Serolsar lake is also a pilgrim site for the people local people as they pray over there, located at about 3,050m. This lake offers tranquility and has been known for being the seat of local goddess Budhi Nagin. Pilgrims walk around the lake, pouring an unbroken line of ghee. This is one of the good camping ground with small caves to explore. The area is surrounded by dense forests interspersed with meadows of wild flowers and tall pine trees.
The next I experienced was the trek to Balo temple which started from the Bahu Village, another 10 kms from Jibhi. Bus services are easily available to Bahu village. The 2 km trek is an amateur level trek, and provides a beautiful sight of the meadows. There are no directions and signs to reach the Balo temple in particular. There is just one deviation in the whole way from where one just has to move onto the right direction.
On reaching the Balo temple, one can see several small temples with simple yet beautiful architecture and a tree surrounded with some tridents known as Trishuls. It is a clean grassland with a small lake and beautiful sight of the pine trees. One can sit over there and have a pleasant experience of the breeze.
For me to sum up, I would clearly stand right to the remark that the Tirthan valley is one of the most beautiful virgin valleys of Himachal & an amazing destination by the side of the amazing Tirthan river. Treks, bird watching , waterfalls, and a host of other adventure activities are a lot refreshing here.