[hellletloose]

We in Dena Bank 've heard of the legends of our AGM Rajiv Sharma (55), to have driven his bike to unchartered territories all over the Himalayas,when he asked me to join the tour ,I just couldn't refuse.Day-1, We all started from chandigarh on 01.06.12.,reached Rampur Bushahr by 4 pm.We were accomodated by our colleagues from our Rampur Bushahr Branch.Day- 2,On the morning of 02.06.12 we left for the Bhimakali Temple at Sarahan .

[hellletloose]

Once the capital of the princely State of Bushahar, Rampur is presently one of the biggest commercial town of Himachal Pradesh. It is located on the left bank of river Sutlej. The town was once a major center on the old trade route to Kinnaur, Tibet, Ladakh and China. Even today the tradition is as vibrant as ever. Famous International Lavi Fair is held in November and Faag Mela in March every year.

Its old Hindu and Buddhist shrines include the Ragunath Temple, the Ayodhya Temple, the Narsingh Temple and the Dumgir Budh Temple which has a large prayer wheel and holds important scriptures. In an interesting colonial and traditional styles, the Padam Palace is one of Rampur's major attractions.

In the early morning we left for Sarhan .The next day I, Rahul Negi (hellletloose), joined the tour on my Bullet Classic 350 bike, I am a local & belong to Pooh in kinnaur District of H.P., I was to be their guide for the rest of the tour.

after our rather short stint at sarhan we rode towards Pooh, a Tehsil ,in the district of kinnaur,on the same day,some of the pictures we clicked along the way to Pooh

[hellletloose]

By noon we rode our bikes into kinnaur,The land of Gods, Kinnaur is surrounded by the Tibet to the east, in the northeast corner of Himachal Pradesh, about 235 kms from Shimla, is a tremendously beautiful district having the three high mountains ranges i.e. Zanskar, Greater Himalayas and Dhauladhar, enclosing valleys of Sutlej, Spiti, Baspa and their tributaries. All the valleys are strikingly beautiful. The slopes are covered with thick wood, orchards, fields and picturesque hamlets. The much religious Shivlinga lies at the peak of Kinner Kailash mountain. The beautiful district was opened for the outsiders in 1989. The old Hindustan-Tibet road passes through the Kinnaur valley along the bank of river Sutlej and finally enters Tibet at Shipki La Pass. And it is not only the scenic beauty which appeals to the young and old alike but also the life styles of the people, their culture, heritage, customs and traditions.

The strong culture and beliefs generally follow the Buddhism and Hinduism believe that the Pandavas came and resided in the land while in the exile. In the ancient mythology the people of Kinnaur are known as Kinners(celestial musicians), the halfway between men and gods. Thousands years old monasteries still exist in the area. Both the Buddhists and Hindus live in perfect harmony symbolising the traditional brotherhood and friendship of the people of both the faiths.

The district , erstwhile known as Chini tehsil of the former Mahasu district, came into being as an independent district w.e.f. 1st May, 1960. Prior to merger of State on the eve of independence, Kinnaur valley was a part of erstwhile Bushahr State which had its headquarters at Rampur.

During our ride we noticed that the balance of the ecosystem in kinnaur was in disarray due to the rampant Hydro electric power Projects being built by Jaypee Group,Sjvnl,HPPCL & other Private companies, this has resulted in scant & abrupt snowfall in the region & due to this eco-imbalance, the Apple crop has suffered in the recent years.

[hellletloose]

We all had a night stop-over at Pooh (150 kms from Rampur Bushahr),we all rode for Kaza (150 kms from Pooh) the very next day, soon after passing through dubling-nako-chango-sumdoh,There was a police checkpoint at Sumdoh were we all entered the required vehicle details,thereafter we crossed over into the District of Lahaul & Spiti.The man made wonder of the mountainous, rock cut road,we drove on, is a feat of human endurance & will.

There after we rode into Lahaul & Spiti,Lahaul & Spiti is a big district having international boundary with Tibet. It attained the status of a district in the year 1960. Till then it was merely a tehsil of Kullu Sub-division. The valleys. mountains, glaciers, rivers, forests, pastures, gompas (monastries) and ancient buildings of the former ruling dynasty are the principal objects of interest.

The rugged Dry Deserts & awe-inspiring snow clad mountains are standing invitation to the hikers, mountaineers and adventurers. The entire district is full of natural scenery exhorting the tourists and visitors to explore and imbibe its hidden grandeur. The customs, myths, beliefs and conventions of the simple unsophisticated people are the unique features of this border highland. Every village or a hamlet has a prayer flag fluttering over the Buddhist monastery. These shrines are the centers of the cultural life of the people that have influenced their religious beliefs for centuries and round which their social life revolves.

These are the pictures from day-2

[hellletloose]

Kaza, the sub-divisional headquarters of Spiti, is situated on the left bank of the Spiti river at an altitude of about 12,500 ft. above sea level. The village is overlooked by steep ridges. The otherwise soporific place hums with activity of tourists during summer, who converge here for permits, current exchange, information, accommodation, petrol and to witness the annual trade fair which a number of visitors compare with the fairs in some of the gompa towns of Ladakh. Besides, Kaza makes a ideal base camp for all treks and tours within the valley. Guides, porters, pack animals and most importantly permits for treks can be obtained in Kaza.

[hellletloose]

As is clear from the name ‘Lahaul & Spiti’, the district comprises two different mountains tracts, one known as Lahaul and the other as Spiti. Hence the name of the district came into being with the formation of these two parts into a revenue district. The names, Lahaul & Spiti, have different origins.
Hiuen Tsiang stated Lahaul to be 1800 or 1900 li (575 or 610 Km) distant by road from the middle of Kiu-lu-to (Kulu). It is a gross overestimate as the first village in Lahaul is only about 70 kms from Sultanpur. Despite this error, whatever its source may be, Lahaul is clearly the country referred to here. But the Tibetan Li-yul has also been identified by Rockhill with Khotan. If this is correct Hiuen Tsiang's placing Lo-u-lo at 1800 or 1900 li north of Kulu might be intelligible though an under-estimate. Probably Hiuen Tsiang confused the two countries as Li-yul (Khotan) and Lo-u-lo (Lahaul) in his estimate of distances, admittedly derived from hearsay.
In ancient Buddhist scripures, 'Padma thangyiang' and 'Mam-kambum' there is mention of a country named Khasa or Hasha to the south of Ladakh and Zangskar. It is possible also that 'Garzha' may be corruption of Khasa or Hasha. Between the 6th century B.C. and the 5th century A.D., the Saka and Khasa tribes, after having been driven out from Central Asia by the Huns, crossed over into India. many of these settled down in the valleys of Mid-Himalayas between Garhwal and Ladakh. This is borne out by the numerous remains of their graves found in these valleys. There is a nullah near Keylong known as Shaks, which seems to have taken its name after the Saka tribe settled in the Bhaga valley.

Spiti (locally pronounced 'Piti') or the 'middle country', has its sub divisional headquarters at Kaza. The river Spiti originates at the base of the Kunzam range and flows eastward to join the Sutlej at Khab in Kinnaur. In practical isolation for centuries, Spiti has an intensely introvertive culture centred around its several monasteries- Dhankar, Ki, Tabo, Mud, Gungri, Lidang, Hikim, Sagnam, Mane Gogma and Giu to name a few. Spiti was loosely ruled for many centuries by a hereditary wazir, styled Nono. The majority of the people are Buddhists, followers of the Geluk-pa sect. The repetition of the mantra "Om mani padme hum" (literally, 'Behold, the jewel is in the lotus'), is constant; it is believed to bring good fortune and wash away all sins. For all the seeming bleakness, Spiti possesses a haunting beauty. The wildlife in the region includes the elusive snow leopard and ibex, found in the Pin valley.

[hellletloose]

In the evening we all reached kaza, where we clicked pictures at the, Highest petrol pump in the world.

[hellletloose]

Kaza has one of the two Sa- kya- pa sect monasteries. The other monastery is at Hikkim. Opposite Kaza on the right bank of the Spiti river is Kyuling from where the nono of Spiti ruled over his subjects. Rani Damyanti, a descendent of this ruling, family, now resides in Kaza preserving all the stately charm of the yester years.

(The monastery at kaza )

[hellletloose]

(AGM, Rajiv Sharma at Komic, Asia's highest village, at an altitude of almost 14,800 feet (4,513 meters) above sea level.)

[hellletloose]

At Kaza we stayed for the night at Hotel snow lion which was cozy , warm & value for money & even had parking for our Bikes.

[hellletloose]

As Comrade Mao -Tse -Tung once said that a picture is worth a thousand words,& uptill now I've just let the pictures do the talking & now I'ld like to summarise our 3-day tour,as something special, as we had the time to mix & mingle with the local populance along the way, shared stories, we took some time out for some river crossing in a makeshift span ropeway & as i was feeling hot riding the bike ,so I took a plunge in the nearby river.I can now recall that the 3 of us never had the chance to chat much on the way, but what these little excursions 've done, they've made us the best of friends.So now I, end my brief travelogue .

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Travelogues Section. Thanks for sharing!