Lahaul & Spiti Valley (Himachal Pradesh)

Lahaul & Spiti Valley

Lahaul-Spiti became the district of Himachal Pradesh in 1960 and is one of the frontier districts of India. It is 120 km. away from Manali and has snow fed glaciers and barren mountains. Keylong is the headquarter of Lahaul-Spiti and oasis of green fields. The two valleys at Lahaul and Spiti have a tenous link over the Kunzam Pass ( 4,520 metres ). The two twin valleys, Lahaul and Spiti in the North-Eastern corner of Himachal, protected by distance is a region of nature at its wildest which has lent it much enchantment. The threshold of one of the Lahaul plateau is nourished by the Chandra and Bhaga rivers and is surrounded by high mountains on all sides, the Great Himalayas to the North, the Pir Panjal to the South and the Spiti and Chandra watershed to the East. Lahaul has curious mixture of Buddhist and Hinduism. There are a number of Monasteries and Temples.

Famous Places Around Lahaul and Spiti :

                           

                          Tabo ( Village and Monastery )

 At The Right Of Spiti River, Is An Ancient Village Named Tabo, Flanked On Either Side By Lofty Brown Hills And Sun Burnt, Is The Seat Of One Of The Most Famous Buddhist Monasteries - Sherlang, Duang, Chamba, Chibbo, Domlang Gompas, Regarded By Many As Only Next To The Thelong Gompa In Tibet. The 10th Century Tabo Monastery Houses More Than 60 Lamas. Large Number Of Scriptures And Pieces Of Art, Wall Paintings - 'tankhas' And 'Stucco.25

                                                                             Kaza

Kaza Is The Largest Hamlet In The Lahaul Valley And Spiti Valley Of Himachal Pradesh. Sited About 11,980 Feet Above Sea Level, Lying Along The Spiti River, The Kaza Township Is Snuggled In The Midst Of High Mountains With Snowy Summits, Gleaming Rivers, Streams And Barren Splendor Intermixed With Patches Of Green.

Kaza Is A Popular Tourist Place In The Lahaul And Spiti Valley Of Himachal Pradesh. It Is Divided Into Two Areas-the Old Kaza And The New Kaza, While The Old Kaza Is Called Kaza Khas And Comprises King's Palace, Monasteries, Gompas, And Ancient Buildings, The New Kaza Is Called Kaza Soma And Houses Government Offices, Hotels & Restaurants. Tourists From All Over The World Visit This Stunning Destination To Get A Glimpse Of The Beautiful Mountain Terrains And Pristine Locals That Also Offer Adventurous Activities Such As Trekking, Mountaineering, Etc.

There Are Three Most Popular Trails From Kaza That Conects To The Lovely Villages Around Here, Plunged In A Rich Natural Beauty Of The Spiti Valley. Also, Available Here Are Some Very Ancient And Exquisite Monasteries And Gompas That Depict The Culture And Tradition Of Kaza. One Can Easily Reach This Amazing Spot From The Kinnaur Valley And Lahaul Valley. The Route From Kinnaur Valley Is Most Appropriate As It Remains Open Throughout The Year, While The Lahaul Valley Route Opens Only During The Summer As The Kunzum Pass Closes During Winter.

                                                               Kibber 

Kibber Is Situated 16 Km Away From Kaza. It Is Situated In Spiti Valley Of Himachal Pradesh.it Is The Highest Motorable Village In The World. The Key Monastery Is The Largest In Spiti Valley. Kibber Lies In A Narrow Valley On The Top Of A Limestone Rock. The Agriculture Is The Backbone Of The Local Peoples. Potato, Barley And Peas Are The Main Crops. The Purang La Is The Main Trade Route. The Spiti Remains Snowbound During Winter And Temperature Reach Zero Degree. The Village Has A High School, A Post Office,dispensary,post Office. The Kibber Monastery Was Founded By Serkang Rimpochhe Of Tabo.

The Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary Was Established In 1992. The Wildlife Sanctuary Is Spans Over An Area Of 2,220.12 Sq.km Of Land. The Altitude Of This Sanctuary Is 6700 Meters Form Sea Level. The Wildlife Sanctuary Is Home Of Ibex,blue Sheep,red Fox,tibetan Woolly. The Wildlife Sanctuary Is Also Home Of Himalayan Wolf And Snow Leopard.

The Village Has Around 80 Houses, Unique, Given That They Are Made Of Stone Instead Of Mud Or Adobe Brick Used Extensively Elsewhere In The Spiti Valley. Kibber Monastery Was Founded By Serkang Rimpochhe Of Tabo.

                             

                                                     Langza 

Langza Village, At An Altitude Of 4200 Meters, Is One Of The Most Picturesque Villages Of Spiti Located On The Highland Meadows With Snow-capped Mountain Ranges Forming The Backdrop. The Village Is Adorned With A Beautiful Statue Of Buddha And An Ancient Temple More Aptly Called ‘lang’ Said To Be The Abode Of The Deities Of The Region And Over 1000 Years Old. The Beautiful Peak Of Chau Chau Kang Nilda Makes The View Of This Village Even More Beautiful.

Langza Is Also Well Known For Its Rich Fossil Reserves. Millions Of Years Ago, Spiti Lay Submerged Under The Tethys Sea. Fossils Of Sea Life Can Easily Be Found Scattered Close To The Village. Regular Fossil Excursions Are Organized For A Unique Insight Into The History Of The Himalayas.

                                                                            Hikkim

Hikkim Is A High Mountain Village At An Elevation Of 4,572 M (15,000 Ft) Above The Sea Level, Located In District Lahaul Spiti Of Himachal Pradesh (Northern India). Hikkim Village Is Popularly Known For The Highest Post Office In The World And The Highest Polling Station Of The World. It’s One Of The Highest Towns Accessible By Car On Earth.



It Is At A Distance Of About 16 Kilometers From Kaza And This Village Too Offers Great Views Of Chau Chau Kang Nilda Peak. There Is Not Really Much To See In The Village Except For The Natural Beauty Of The Valley Around.

The Hikkim Post Office Which Is Located In The Lahaul Spiti District Of Himachal Pradesh Has Been Functioning From November 5, 1983 And Is Run By The Postmaster Rinchen Chhering. Reaching This Post Office Is A Back Breaking Journey And Considering The Remoteness Of This Village, One Can Only Imagine How Difficult It Is To Send Out The Post From Here.



As I Understood From The Locals, Mails Are Sent On Foot From Hikkim To Kaza Every Morning, Which Is Then Taken To Reckong Peo By Bus, Onward To Shimla, Then Loaded On A Train To Kalka, And Loaded Again On A Bus Heading To Delhi. From There The Mails Make Their Journey Towards Its Destination.

The Hikkim Post Office Was Opened On November 5, 1983, And The Man Who Holds My Dream Job—rinchen Chhering—has Been The Branch Postmaster Here Since Its Inception. He Was 22 Years Old When He Took Charge. Today, As He Stamps Those Letters And Postcards, It’s An Act As Familiar As Planting Peas In His Backyard Or Drinking Tea.



This Inconspicuous Little Spitian Office Which Doubles Up As Chhering’s Home Is The Only Conduit To The World For Hikkim’s 161 Or So Residents—there Is No Cell Phone Signal Or Internet To Connect With. Like The Rest Of The Valley, The Post Office Is Also Shut For Six Months Of The Year Because Of Snow.

                                                              Koumik

Koumik Village Is The Highest Village In Asia Situated In Lahaul Spiti District Of Himachal Pradesh In North India. The Population Of The Small Village Is About 114 But Setting Of The Village Surrounded With Snowbound Mountains Is Picturesque.


The Village Is Also Famous For Lundup Tsemo Gompa Buddhist Monastery And It Is Said That Monastery Has ‘matrey Buddha’ Or The Future Buddha. This Monastery Is Also Famous For Being Highest Motorable Buddhist Monastery In The World.


The 14th Century Monastery Has A Fortified Castle Made Up Of Slanted Mud Walls. The Murals, Scriptures And Arts Belonging To That Era Make It A Historic Destination. It Is Said That Before The Construction Of The Monastery It Was Already Foretold In Tibet That The Monastery Would Be Built In A Mountainous Region In Spiti Which Would Look Quite Similar In The Shape Of The Eye Of Snow Cock. The Place Was Thus Called Koumik – ‘ko’ Stands For Snow Cock And ‘mic’ Means Eye.


Koumic Is Located In The Cold Desert Area And For The Locals Their Village Is Their World. Tourists Visiting The Village Will Be Surprised To Find The Modern Amenities That Even The Villages In Other Parts Of The Country Enjoy, Missing. But The Breathtaking Views And Charming Festivity Is Seen To Be Believed.

Festivals Are Integral Part Of The Village Life And Koumic Too Has Festivals Which Even The Tourists Enjoy. The Lama’s Also Take Perform The Chham Dance Or Mask Dance Which Is Based On Defeating The Evil.

For Adventure Lovers The Treks In The Region Provide All The Thrill They Are Looking For.

The Region Is Cut Off From The Rest Of The Country Due To Heavy Snowfall. The Local Residents Store Enough Food To Last The Winter Season And Use The Time In Making Handicraft Like Carpet, Shawls, Cap, Jackets, Paintings Etc.

The Clear Skies Offer A Stunning View Of The Sky And Star Gazing Is Quite Popular In The Region. Carrying A Telescope Can Be Quite Thrilling.

Koumik Has Basic Homestay Options. The Locals Charge Nominal Rent For The Facility. Those Looking For Luxury Stay Can Opt For Kaza.

The Village Has No Big Restaurant Or Hotel. Locals Provide Home Cooked Food If Ordered In Advance. Every Visitor To The Monastery Gets A Cup Of Tea.

Best Time To Visit Spiti Is D3333uring Summer From May To October. From October End, Rohtang Pass Remains Closed Due To Snow Fall.

                                                 Pin Valley National Park

Pin Valley National Park Is A Beautiful Place, Located In The Lahaul And Spiti District Of The State Of Himachal Pradesh.

The Pin Valley National Park Was Established In The Year Of 1987. Total Area Of The Park Is About 1150 Km2 (Core Area – 675 Km2). The Park Is Located In The Coarse And Rocky Spiti Region Of Himachal Pradesh.

The Region Is A Cold Desert, Which Is Adjoined To The Great Himalayan National Park In The Southwest And Rupi Bhabha Sanctuary In The South. The Rugged Himalayan Terrains Have Always Been A Dream Destination For Those Who Love Adventure.

The Park Has A Rich Flora And Fauna, Including The Ibex, Snow Leopard, Red Fox, Marten, Weasel, Pika, Himalayan Snow Cock, Chukor, Golden Eagle, Griffon, Snow Partridge, Chough And Raven.

The Park Is Populated With Numerous Medicinal Herbs And Spices That Make It A Valuable Land For Pharmacists.

Visitors Not Only Enjoy The Unique Fauna And Flora Of The National Park, But They Also Love To Roam Around The Region. The Nearby Areas Are Equally Beautiful. They Are Dominated By The Influence Of Tibetan Culture.

                                                                      Losar

Losar is a tiny Himalayan village located in the cold desert region of the Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh. Losar is situated at a towering altitude of around 13,400 feet above sea-level (4084 metres) and is the first inhabited village on the Manali-Kaza route crossing the famous Kunzum-La. It is also the last inhabited village on the Indian side of the Indo-China border.

Travellers have only two options of getting to Losar, the first is to hire a private taxi from Manali which is at a distance of 145 km. The taxi ride is costly but also a lot more comfortable and faster option, that gives travellers the liberty to stop and click pictures at every scenic spot along the way. The journey by taxi takes around six to eight hours covering some of the world’s most treacherous roads along the way.

The second option, travellers have is to board the government HRTC bus to Kaza which leaves from Manali in the morning at 5 am, it is advisable to cross check the bus timings a day or two prior to the journey. The bus is an excellent option for budget and solo travellers. The journey by bus takes around eight to ten hours.

Major part of the road from Manali to Losar is bumpy and has plenty of ditches along the way but at the same time, the scenic beauty of the road especially after one crosses the famous Rohtang Pass is something which words can’t really do justice to. From waterfalls and streams to wild horses grazing, travellers will be blown away by some extraordinary terrain.

Once in the village of Losar, the first thing travellers will notice is plenty of greenery and vegetation around. This is strikingly different in comparison to the barren brown trans-Himalayan mountain range. Potato, Barley and Green Peas are grown in this cold desert region, while the Peas are the only thing which are traded with the outside world. 

The main attraction is the village monastery which is a short walk from the main road. The Gompa as it is known locally is similar to all the other monasteries in the valley. The houses are also built in typical Spitian style with white paint and prayer flags on the flat roof to emphasise the strong Buddhist culture in the village.

The other major attraction near Losar is the pristine high altitude Chandartal aka Moon lake which is around 42 km from the village. Travellers generally break their journey at Losar by spending a night in this unexplored village enroute to Chandartal.

Accommodation options in Losar are limited to a handful of guest houses and home stays most of which are located along the road. Being the first inhabited village from the Manali-side and the last from Kaza, the room rent in the village is not very light on the pocket. Bargaining generally does not work since the number of rooms are lesser than the travellers stopping at Losar every day during tourist season.

Food provisions in the village are again limited to a couple of dhabas which are makeshift cafes and homerun eateries in the guest houses. The food served is very basic and includes vegetarian thalia, aloo parathas, bread omlette and sandwiches.

The best time to visit Losar is during the summer months from the end of June to mid-October. Thick woollens are needed even during summers since the night temperature in Losar drops well below freezing point. Locals also claim that Losar is the coldest village in the valley and one can surely experience the Himalayan chill post 3 pm in the village when the weather drastically changes from sunny and warm to cold and breezy.

Losar is a must halt village for everyone who is on a road trip to Spiti Valley as the village offers travellers a good place to break journey, acclamation and get some much needed rest before heading off to Chandartal..