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Not Your Typical Travel Guide to Parvati Valley

in India travel on September 21, 2019 September 21, 2019

paravti river flowing in parvati valley himachal pradesh

The Ravishing Parvati Valley.

Originating from the popular Mantalai Glacier below the Pin Parvati pass in Himachal Pradesh, Parvati river flows unrestricted towards the West to merge with her sister Beas at Bhuntar. On her way Parvati curls through the Himalayas to form a gorgeous valley which is known as Parvati Valley.

Villages of Kasol, Manikaran, Shilha, Barshaini, Gargi, Kalga, Pulga are dotted around the rich banks of the curvy Parvati. Apart from the Pin Parvati, many high treks also rise up from the Parvati basin to meet the higher Himalayan peaks and snowy villages at their summits.

But from where does the Parvati river gets her name? Legends say that long time ago Lord Shiva meditated in the mountains for about 3,000 years. Oblivious of his landscape, he continued to meditate, only to open his eyes one day to realize that he was in a gorgeous valley. He called the valley Parvati, after his wife.

Kasol – The Unappetizing Smoker’s Hub of Parvati Valley

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Kasol: An overhyped, but a connected town of Parvati Valley

I found many Kasol travel blogs that describe Kasol as a heaven or a tiny hamlet in the middle of Parvati Valley. Until I traveled to Kasol, I also fantasized Kasol as a misty village where you start your day with mushroom thukpas and end it with an apple tea.

While you can still have your thukpas and tea, let me tell you that Kasol is not a dreamy hamlet, at least not anymore.

One thing you should know while planning a Kasol trip is that you would be in a commercialized small town that has over-utilized its presence in the mountains, therefore, taking out the essence of the hills altogether.

Whether you are on a solo trip to Kasol or you are with a group, your experience will depend on what you plan to do in Kasol and how many days you spent there.

In this Kasol travel article, we will talk about how Kasol is and the logistics that you need to plan a solo or group trip to Kasol. Knowing how to move around Kasol is important as Kasol is the entrance to the gorgeous Parvati valley, and to experience Parvati you have to head to Kasol first.

Why I Ran Away From the Gorgeous Shila Village in Parvati Valley

in India travel on September 4, 2019 September 21, 2019 with 2 Comments

shila village manikaran parvati valley himachal

Shila – A Timeless Village Ruined by Smokers

It was nothing less than perfect. A velvety green path going up to a small hut. A river flowed below while lush fields swayed with the wind. A deep blue sky watched from above. Snow-capped mountains peaked from a distance.

But even a storm of beauty couldn’t keep me hooked to Shila, one of the most beautiful villages I have ever seen. Do you want to know why?

Here goes my story of running away from Shilha village.

Natural Hot Springs, Chai, and the Timeless Manikaran Sahib

in India travel on August 31, 2019 September 21, 2019 with 1 Comment

gurudwara manikaran sahib above parvati river in parvati valley in manikaran sahib images

A timeless journey through Manikaran.

While sauntering around in Manikaran’s narrow lanes on my recent trip to Parvati Valley, I reminisced about my childhood journeys to Shukkartal and Haridwar with my family.

Like in those religious towns, time didn’t seem to have passed in Manikaran Sahib either.

Young girls dressed up in traditional bright Kullu dresses and Himachali topis waited to be clicked. Streets were lined with kitschy souvenir shops that flaunted neon plastic toys, rudraksha malas, and brass bracelets.

Devoted Sikhs with their Kirpans hanging around their waist walked swiftly towards the Manikaran Sahib Gurudwara. Hindu families strode to the Shiva and Ram temple to bathe their young ones who trailed behind eyeing the hot jalebis and crispy samosas that were on display at the local sweet’s shop.

If only their mother could buy them a hundred gram of jalebis the children might walk faster. But the mothers were already thinking about quickly getting their little ones undressed and bathing them in the Manikaran hot water springs.

They also had to pay their respects to Guru Nanak Ji or the Ram and Sita adorned in the Sikh and Hindu temples.

After all, the history of Manikaran dictates that the town was touched by both the Hindu gods and Guru Nanak Sahib though at different times.

Kalga to Kheerganga via Bunbuni Pass– Offbeat in Parvati Valley

in India travel on August 25, 2019 September 21, 2019 with 1 Comment

Kalga to Bunbuni Pass to Kheerganga – Offbeat in Parvati Valley

When I was in Kalga in Parvati valley, I had almost decided to not go for the famous Kheerganga trek because almost every local and traveler I met talked about Kheerganga. As you might already know I don’t like going to the most visited places. This arrogance to avoid the touristy destinations further deepens when it comes to trekking.

The idea of hiking for me translates to strapping a small backpack on my back and then setting off into the forest and figuring out my way on the go. Sometimes I don’t even care if the trail takes me anywhere significant or if I am on a must-do hike as long as I am in nature.

The boisterous young boys trekking in Parvati Valley who told each other that they completed trekking Kheerganga in a couple of hours and they couldn’t have done the same if there was a girl with them further pushed me away from the mainstream hikes towards offbeat paths.

Suggested Read: My experience of hiking an active Chilean volcano – Climbing Volcano Villarrica

When a friendly guy at a supermarket in Kalga, also known as Kalgha, asked me if I wanted to join him and his friends for Bunbuni trek, I agreed. Of course not without first asking him if they carried loudspeakers and rushed towards their destination.

I already knew that Bunbuni — also known as Bhunbhuni or Bun Buni or Boon Booni — is vast open green meadows high up in the Parvati Valley.

Kalga Village – You Won’t Believe Until You See

in India travel on August 24, 2019 September 21, 2019

From the Sun-Kissed Balcony of Kalga Village, Himachal Pradesh.

Almost deaf with the loud music that blasted out of the speakers of Indian travelers who visit Kasol to escape the Delhi heat, I ran out of Kasol after staying there for a night. A steep uphill walk took me to the village of Shilha, a tiny apple village that seems to be pasted to the slopes of a beautiful green hill. Only I didn’t know that the speaker lovers from Delhi had discovered Shilha and were smoking away in the few guesthouses of Shilha village.

I gave up and joined the groups of Indian boys around a bonfire under a starry night. But rigid about running away from people who couldn’t appreciate the silence of Parvati valley, I strapped my bag and walked towards Kalga the next morning.

Yoga in Dharamshala – With an Introduction to Yoga

in India Personal Development travel on August 17, 2019 September 19, 2019

Yoga in Dharamshala – Change the Way You Live

When I went to Chile in 2016, many Chileans asked me if I knew how to do yoga. While traveling around South America for nine months, I realized the popularity of yoga in the world.

Apprehending the vast influences of yoga and seeing the craze of the westerners towards India and yoga, I became a wanna be yoga learner.

In those immature years of my life, I wanted to be a solo female traveler who also did yoga. I wished to bend myself one-eighty-degrees on the sultry Goa beaches and the summits of the mighty Himalayas alike.

After all, the social media pictures of yoga teachers and practitioners over the internet kindle enough narcissism that you forget the real purpose of yoga (if you ever knew) and only admire the overwhelming curves on the trending photos.

Yoginis look like the epitomes of Urvashi from the Indra palace. Maybe we can compare the Yogi to Shiva who is said to be the first-yogi or the Adiyogi?

Those yoga pictures look as perfect as the postures held in the frame, but remember that pictures don’t tell the entire story.

Yoga is not about a few jazzy posts on Instagram or Facebook. And I kept this in mind when I went to do yoga in Dharamshala.

Yoga, a word derived from the Sanskrit word Yuj meaning join, means union — of the mind, body, and soul.

A Road Trip From Bangalore to Coorg – The Quintessential Karnataka

in India travel on August 16, 2019 August 16, 2019

I won’t tell you that Coorg is the Scotland of India, as every other Bangalore to Coorg travel guide must have already told you this. I don’t know anything about Scotland’s landscape for I have not been there. But I can say that Coorg, also known as Kodagu, is straight out of that movie where you see fat cows grazing on a soft grassy carpet while spinach-green hills pose in the background.

I am not sure if I can call Coorg a quaint town for everybody traveling to Bangalore or the South, in general, go on a road trip from Bangalore to Coorg, at least one-time. But what brings these travelers to Coorg, a district nestled in the western ghats of South Karnataka?

Rolling emerald hills, an opportunity to see elephants, leopards, gaurs, giant Malabar squirrels, and other wildlife, the peppy birds of Karnataka, aromatic coffee and tea estates, huge avocados, rich Kodava cuisine, silky waterfalls melting into the revered Kaveri, old temples, and ancient monasteries could be some of the reasons.

Spiti in Photos – The Pictures that Instagram Won’t Let You See

in India Photo Essays travel on August 13, 2019 August 13, 2019 with 2 Comments

Snow-capped peaks, inky sky, copper mountains, creamy cubicle homes, lean Spitians jostling around, and a few sheep and cow — this is Spiti Valley, one of the remotest valley of the Indian Himalaya.

Spiti is indeed a bucket list destination for many millennials and older travelers alike. Some say their dream came true when they visited Lahaul and Spiti.

Spiti valley photography isn’t a new trend. People have been clicking pictures of Spiti for decades. Occasionally you would see Indians and foreigners posting gorgeous Spiti images on their Instagram account.

Young maroon-clothed monks jumping on the road. Himalayan peaks standing tall and a river swiftly shifting in front of them. Icy summits with a white Spitian village in front. A selfie with a Spitian woman on the road. Key Monastery standing tall. Pictures of self in front of dominant mountains. A few close-ups of flat-roofed homes of Spiti.

We have seen this all. But most of the Spiti valley photos don’t even make it to Instagram.

The nothingness that envelops the stunning Spiti and the isolated Spitian life is too much to handle sometimes. Even in pictures.

A Photographic Affair With Pushkar

in India travel on August 4, 2019 August 13, 2019

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I went to Pushkar a few days before the Pushkar cattle fair starts.

Nearby villagers had arrived at the fairground with their cattle, and some were still on their way. Animal trade had started, though the ground was still being set up.

Hundred thousands of tourists, photographers, and locals from the nearby villages attend the Pushkar Fair every year. But as the big influx of tourists was not to come until the camel fair started, the grounds were yet to fill up.

Even though I was only carrying a phone camera, I decided to treat my visit as a Pushkar photography tour. While walking in the tiny streets of the Pushkar bazaar and wandering on the ghats of the Pushkar Lake, I not only clicked some Pushkar photos that I am happy with, I also captured some deep-felt emotions.

Now without saying much, let me take you on this photo tour of Pushkar.

Spiti – Not Just Another Travel Destination

in India travel on August 2, 2019 August 13, 2019 with 3 Comments

Spiti is every traveler’s dream.

Why? Because Spiti is stunning.

Have you traveled to the Himalayas yet? Maybe you went on to a trip to Himachal: Dharamshala, Manali, or hiked to Chandrashila peak, or perhaps you visited Uttarakhand: Mussoorie, Landour, Dehradun, or trekked in the valley of flowers.

Vast green pastures, sheep and cow grazing on lush grass, high vegetation-rich mountains, dense jungles, orchards, farms and villages, English houses, churches — this is the typical scene in Himachal and Uttarakhand.

Though Spiti is one of the many Himachal Pradesh valleys, its nothing like this.

In this Spiti valley travel blog, we will see how Spiti is one of the most bizarre and gorgeous places to see.

But why the Spitian landscape is so distinct that everyone keeps talking about it? The altitude of Spiti is at least 4,000 meters even in the lowest parts of the valley. And don’t forget that Spiti is a Himalayan valley. The high altitude and the Himalayas make Spiti a unique place to live.

Life in Bhagsu Nag – One of the Most Beautiful Villages in Himachal Pradesh

in India travel on June 11, 2019 August 13, 2019 with 4 Comments

feature image of article on life in bhagsunag where a girl is walking in barley fields

When you think about traveling to Himachal, do you think about visiting the beautiful villages in Himachal Pradesh — the evergreen state of fresh air and happy people? This story is all about the villages of Himachal.

I am living a dream life in BhagsuNag, a small, hippie village in the Kangra valley of the Himalayas. Bhagsu Nag is above Dharamkot village, which is above Mcleodganj, a town you must have heard about as Dalai Lama’s main temple is located here. Both the villages and Mceodganj fall under the district of Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh.

When I came to Himachal, almost a month and a half ago, I didn’t know that I would stay put up in a village in Himachal for a month. As I arrived from Amritsar in Dharamshala on a rickety HRCTC bus, I straightaway went to the Vipassana center in Dharamkot(I know I still have to write about Vipassana as many of you are waiting to read). When Vipassana ended, I came out the deodar-dense ashram to realize that I didn’t connect with Dharamkot — a village full of stone, and Macremia jewelry stores and learners’ classes, hemp and regular cloth stores, restaurants and hotels, fancy cafes, and a popular Yak cheese sandwich shop. Groups of international tourists sat at the streetside cafes facing the walkers and sipping cappuccinos or masala chai while their stone-ring adorned fingers frantically rolled cigarettes or held joints. Whether I scooched through those tiny streets crowded by people standing on the street smoking or buying second-hand clothes and crystals during the morning or the sunny afternoon, the cafes fringing the streets seemed to be filled with the same people and a similar vibe. The place lacked the positive energy I was looking for.

Following my instincts which told me to get away from Dharamkot, I crossed onto the other side of the valley to arrive in the village of Bhagsu. I wanted to live, learn, and explore the Himalayas nestling this village which is popular amongst Indians for the BhagsuNag Shiva temple and a waterfall.

Also Read: Spiti Valley – My travel blog to one of the remotest places in India