What better way to explore these beautiful mountains than with a friend who has had a chance to grow up in the profusion of these breathtaking views!!
Yes, the best way to explore a place is to explore with locals..
So, day 1 into the town of Talara, just adjoining Jassur, is the place where we started our journey!! This little town has a vista of beautiful Dhauladhar range and a little railway station 🚉 from where you can take the toy train to explore the Kangra valley. To start off, I witnessed Dham, the traditional food festival of Himachal. The dham offers one with an opportunity to be acquinted with the various delicacies of the state which are cooked in Brass utentils and by a particular caste of Bhramins called Botis
Bathu temple, a drive of about 40 kms from where we started, towards Jawali, are a cluster of temples, that remain submerged in the mighty Maharana Pratap Sagar reservoir, created by Pong Dam, for about 8-9 months a year. The best time to visit this extravagant place is between February and April. The origin of the construction is still a mystery. Some facts prove that this was built by the Pandavas, while the locals claim that it was constructed by the King of Himachal.
Just about 40 more kms, in the Dehra district, lies another 8th century architectural marvel built by the pandavas. It is a version of North Indian Nagara architecture style, dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, Devi and Saura traditions of Hinduism, with its surviving iconography likely inspired by a henotheistic framework. It was carved out of a monolithic rock with the help of Shikaras. Along with three entrances, and the fourth one remaining incomplete, it also has a sacred pool that is recommended in the Hindu texts on temple architecture. Located in the foothills of Himalayas and facing Dhauladhar, parts of the temple have eroded with time while some blocks have resisted the effect of nature and time
The next day, at 3 A.M., we boarded the toy train and started our journey through the breathtaking and spectacular views of the snow clad mountains to Baijnath temple. It took us about 6 hours to reach. By road ithe time is lesser but if you do not want to miss out the scenic beauty of the place, board the train.
The 13th century temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva holds the Svayambhu form of Sivalinga. It is enshrined in the sanctum of the temple that has five projections on each side and is surmounted with a tall curvilinear Shikhara. After spending some peaceful time in the heart of Lord Shiva's city, it was time for some adventure!! Yes, we were now off to worlds most famous paragliding site, Bir Billing. What happens when you see the birds fly high and you wish to be one of those? That's when some crazy dreamer invented paragliding – a thrilling adventure sport that allows you to soar high, with the vast expanse of nature underneath.The paragliding launch site is in the meadow at Billing (14 km north of Bir), at an elevation of 2400 m, while the landing site and most tourist accommodations are in the village of Chowgan, on the southern edge of Bir. You can also avail camping facilities at Biling. The flight lasts for about 20 minutes and gives you an adrenaline rush and some spectacular views at the same time. The beautiful town of bir also houses Tibetan colonies having various monestries and their settlement longs back in 1960s.
Last day, we decided to explore the little towns that have not been on any tourists' list. We stayed at palampur and then started our journey in a local bus to the small village and the ARTIST's COLONY of Andreta. It was named so when Norah Richards, the famous theatre artist shifted here. Having a backdrop of Dhauladhar range, rhis place has attracted many painters, one being Shobha Singh. Shobha singh art gallery is the jewel of the place anf attracts art enthusiasts who admire his work. The gallery portrays Shobha singh's journey through his paintings. In the cultural heritage and magnificent surroundings, this place offers an opportunity to learn pottery with the man himself Mansimran who has taken the legacy of the century old heritage. Full of art, this place also houses the Norah Richards centre for art and is an idyllic spot for art lovers.
The frequency of local transport is quite low, hence apply your hitchhiking skills and explore the city. Three hours away is Pathankot from where you can take buses or trains to almost anywhere.