It is bounded in the north by the Spiti-Lahaul valleys and the Great Himalayan National Park, to the south by the higher ranges of the Sivaliks and the Gangotri – Yamunotri glaciers, to the east by Tibet and you enter heaven from the west. As can be expected, it is an ancient land that was home to celestial beings.
Kinnaur – the ‘Land of the Gods’ – unsurpassed in beauty, haunting in ruggedness and carved by the Sutlej as it flows through with untrammeled ferocity.
Home to those, whose ancestors claim descent from the celestials who were part of the lore of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. An adventure perfect, unexplored and as yet un-spoilt frontier post, nestling cheek by jowl with Tibet.
The first thing you do in Shimla is to make sure that the suspension of your car is in good shape. Eight ragged hours later, driving through roads which are still being constructed and driving alongside some of India’s newest and biggest hydel projects, you reach Sangla. The Baspa is a tributary of the Sutlej and the Baspa valley borders the Sangla valley. The Baspa flows through the Sangla Valley. Sangla valley offers some of the most breath taking vistas of the Himalayan ranges and some the most scenic and spectacular Himalayan landscapes and camping sites. The Nako Lake is a high altitude lake fed of streams originating in the Tibet plateau and legend has it the renowned Buddhist teacher Guru Padmasambhava stopped at Nako and this story is enshrined in a small temple which has his footprint on a rock. The Nako monastery is still a place of Buddhist learning and scholarship. Guru Padmasabhava is associated with the legends of the flying tigress in Tibetan Buddhism.
Rich in culture, the Kinnar Kailash circumambulation is a ritual must for those who cannot do the Kailash parikrama in Mansarovar. The Kinnar Kailash is peak on which Lord Shiva is believed to reside. The eight day parikrama ends in a rich cultural festival in the Kamru palace. The Kamru palace was the home of many of the erstwhile royalty of Himachal. The Kamakhya Devi temple within the palace precincts has an idol of Kamakhya Devi ( we know her as Kamakshi in the South) which was purportedly brought by force from its original home in Assam. Many of the royalty still make a visit to this temple before ascending their throne.
The landscape and fauna of Kinnaur is finally what make the journey memorable. It is almost as if the culture and heritage are just distractions to what Nature has to offer. Migratory birds from other continents and endemic species make this a paradise for bird watchers – finches, grosbeaks, redstarts and the blue tailed Magpies. The landscape changes from dramatic forests to the most inhospitable rocky terrain. The Kinnauri apple is the backbone of the state’s economy. Throughout this journey, the Sutlej keeps you company.
The Sutlej here is called the Khooni ( bloody) river. Nothing escapes the wrath of an angry Sutlej.
But when you are heaven, you are always in bliss.
L Venkatesh
…oh, the THINKS that you can think up if only you try!
