Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh is a mountainous state located in northern India. It is bordered by Tibet in the east, Jammu and Kashmir in the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south and Uttarakhand on the south-east. The area of Himachal Pradesh is 21,629 square kilometres. State capital is Shimla. Himachal Pradesh is one of the top tourist destinations in India.

Area of the GHNP

Besides 754 square kilometres of park area, the GHNP also consists of a buffer area, classified as Ecodevelopment Project Area or EPA, spread over 327 square kilometres including 61 square kilometres of the Tirthan wildlife sanctuary. This apart, a 90 square kilometre area in Sainj Valley, classified as Sainj Wildlife Sanctuary, are physically located in the GHNP hence making the total area under the park administration to be 1,171 square kilometres.

Climate

The park enjoys a temperate climate. Summer experiences rains while the temperature dips in the winter. Strong snow storms are also possible during the winter, particularly at the higher altitudes. However, these storms are short-lived paving way for clear sky. Heavy rains often lead to landslides in the park region. The annual rainfall at the park can be between 1,100-1,500 mm. June-August is the time when the park receives the maximum precipitation. Winter witnesses a high degree of snowfall. Time to visit: April-May and September-November are the best times to visit the park. The park experiences mainly four seasons: Spring (April-May), Summer and monsoon (June-August), Fall (September-mid-November) and Winter (mid-November-March).

Flora

High altitudes and relatively undisturbed habitat at the park support the growth of a diverse flora in the GHNP. Lofty pine and spruce trees, horse chestnuts, alpines and junipers are abundantly found in the park area. GHNP is one of the few areas of the Western Himalayas where the local vegetation can still be found in their original and natural best.

Fauna

The GHNP features over 375 fauna species including mammals, reptiles, amphibians, mollusks and insects. Blue sheep, snow leopard, Himalayan tahr, musk deer and the Himalayan brown bear are at the higher elevations of 3,500 metres and above. The high altitude animals descend to the lower altitudes in September-November. Hunting activities have been banned in the park by the Himachal Pradesh.

Avifauna

Ashy Drongo, Pheasants, Asian Paradise Flycather, Black bulbul, Black-headed Jay, Black and yellow grosbeak, Alpine Accentor, Blue fronted Redstart, Blue Whistling Thrush, Brown Dipper, Chestnut tailed Minla, Great Tit, Golden Bush Robin, Grey Wagtail, Himalayan bulbul, Himalayan Woodpecker, Himalayan Griffon, Orange-flanked Bush Robin, Oriental White-Eye, Yellow-billed Blue Pagpie, White-collared Blackbird are some of the bird species spotted in this region.

Reaching GHNP

Kullu is the entry/strating point for visiting/trekking in the Kullu region. For the trekkers, a pre-trip meeting in Shamshi near Kullu can be organised

By air
The nearest airport is at Bhunter near Kullu. It is well-coonected with New Delhi and Chandigarh.

By rail
Nearest railway stations are at Joginder Nagar at Mandi district which is 100 km away while Kullu is 60 km.

By road
The park is located at a distance of 500 km from New Delhi. The route can be as follows: New Delhi-Chandigarh-Mandi-Pandoh gorge-Aut-Banjar Valley. Private vehicles as well as private and state buses run on the route. Communication is also available from Bhuntar and Kullu cities. Regular bus and taxi services link Sainj and Tirthan valleys with Kullu, Bhuntar and Aut.

Keep prepared for the trip

One must be fully prepared while paying visit to the GHNP. The following are must to carry (list not exhaustive):

• Proper trekking boots
• Rain gear
• Sunscreen cream/lotion
• Warm hat
• Gloves
• Tents
• Scarf
• Jacket
• Slippers/sandals
• Sleeping bag
• T-shirts
• Adjustable walking-stick
• Water-bottle
• Water filter
• Multi-blade knife
• Cooking utensils

Tips and rules

• Trekking in GHNP requires entry permit
• Society for Scientific Advancement of Hill and Rural Areas (SAHARA), a non-governmental group formed by the local village people provides logistical support for trekking in the GHNP
• Trekking requires excellent physical fitness. Particularly, trekking across the Pin Parvati Pass requires high level of stamina
• Concentrating only on the steps while walking and not to look at the surroundings to enjoy the nature. Appreciation of the natural beauty can be done at periodic stopovers during the walking trails.
• Decide on the next spot of overnight camping prior to the sunset
• Not to make noise (carrying electronic devices like radio, CD players is prohibited) or disturb wild animals
• Talking in low pitch
• No fishing or hunting
• Not to carry weapons or fire crackers
• Not kindling up fire or smoke (except the cooking fire)
• The trekkers must get their trekking routes approved from a GHNP range officer before entering the park
• Pay charges for personal photography or videography
• Not to litter the park area
• Using pits for disposing of wastes
• Extinguishing fire before leaving a camp
• Non-degradable wastes should be packed
• Respect the privacy and culture of the ecozone villagers
• Not to undertake trekking adventures in case of landslide
• Foreign nationals must produce insurance documents before the local officials.

Activities at GHNP

• Bird watching
• Animal viewing
• Cultural tours
• Fishing
• Mountaineering
• Trekking
• Rafting
• Viewing local village festival and architecture

Tourist facilities

GHNP has two tourist facilities, namely,

• Sai Ropa Tourist Centre
  Located amidst the pine forest, the Sai Ropa Tourist Centre is the headquarters of the Tirthan Wildlife Range Office. Here entry tickets to the GHNP are available. The interpretation centre has a forest rest house and other facilities like conferencing room, photo exhibition hall, biodiversity trail and others. The centre is 5 km from the Gushaini entrance to the GHNP.
• Information Centre at Larjee
  It is located close to Neuli and Guashaini. The centre is the headquarters of the Jiwanal Range Officer. The centre offers training and projection facilities for tourists, school children. Information about local tourism is also available here

Other tourist attractions at the GHNP

• Traditional religious sites in the local villages like sacred tree groves, temple of Manu Rishi, Gushaini and Galiard temples
• Pilgrimage sites like Raktisar, Sirikhand Mahadev and Hanskund
• Local festivals like Fagli (four-day event held in winter at Pekri, Tinder, Nahi and Phredi villages), fairs in April, Dushera in October
• Traditional buildings in the villages in the GHNP ecozone area
• Trekking in Tirthan Valley, Parvati Valley and Jiwanal Valley.

Entry fees ay GHNP

• Rs 10 per day for Indian nationals and Rs 200 per day for foreign nationals
• Rs 5 per day for Indian students and Rs 100 per day for foreign students
• Still photography
  (Rs 50 for Indian tourists and Rs 150 for foreign tourists)
• Videography
  (Rs 2,500 for Indian tourists and Rs 5,000 for foreign tourists)
• Feature film
  (Rs 20,000 for Indian tourists as well as foreign tourists). A security amount of Rs 25,000 will be charged from the Indian tourists and Rs 40,000 from foreign tourists
• Documentary
  (Rs 2,500 for Indian tourists and Rs 5,000 for foreign tourists). A security amount of Rs 15,000 will be charged from the Indian tourists and Rs 40,000 from foreign tourists

Accommodation

• Tourists who want to camp overnight in the park must carry their own gears and rations.
• Patrolling huts are available inside the park for officials and the visitors.
• Forest Rest House
• Public works department rest house, Larjee
• PWD rest house (Banjar)
• Forest Rest House, Sainj
• Forest Rest House,Bandal
• One room accommodation at Lapah village, Sainj Valley
• Private guest house at Gushaini
• For reservations, contact: director, Great Himalayan National Park

Shamshi, Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, Pin-175126 India.
Call and Fax: 01902-265320
E-mail:dirchnp@sancharnet.in

• To contact SAHARA (Society for Scientific Advancement of Hills & Rural Areas) V.P.O.
  Sidwan, Banjar, Kullu-175 123, Call:01902-260636
• To contact Friends of GHNP, 411 Seventh Street, Del Mar, CA 92014-3013, USA
  E-mail: inm@aol.com
• Hotels at Kullu
  The Sarvari, The Himalayan Trot House, The Castle, Hotel Vaishali, Sandhya Palace among several others.

Chandra Taal (Meaning the ‘Lake of the Moon’) is a crescent-shaped lake located in the Spiti Valley in the Middle Himalays in the Himachal Pradesh. The lake is located at an altitude of 4,300 metres and has a circumference of 2.5 km. With mountain scree on one hand and a cirque (steep walled semi-circular mountain basin, which can contain a lake) at the other, the lake offers a beautiful experience to the nature-lovers. The lake is situated 6 km from Kunzum Pass on Samudra Tapu plateau overlooking Chandra River (of the Chenab River fame) that originates from the Bara-lacha-la glacier. Chandra Taal, which is accessible by foot only from May to August, is a hot favourite destination for trekkers and campers. The mountain ranges near the lake called Moulkila and Chandrabhaga are also top attractions for the mountaineers.

The clear blue water, rugged brown treeless mountain slopes in the surrounds and a satin blue sky above makes the scene at Chandra Taal a perfect picture. This scene extends for miles with lush green meadows appearing in between and the Chandra River down blow.

Climate

Days are not very cold but temperature can drop after sunset.

Time to visit

June to September is the time when a large number of tourists visit the lake. This is also the time shephards from Kangra, Mandi andKullu can be seen grazing their sheep.

Chandra Taal in legends

According to the legends, the deep blue lake is the location from where God Indra’s chariot had picked up Yudhishthira, the eldest of the Pandava brothers on his way to heaven. The lake is revered for this reason and thousands of devotees of mythology flock it every year.

Spiti Valley

A desert mountain valley located in the Himalayas, Spiti (meaning ‘The Middle Land’) Valley is a desert mountain valley located high in the Himalaya mountains. It lies between Tibet, Ladakh, Kinnaur, Lahaul and Kulu. Spiti is also known as ‘Little Tibet’ for it represents a microcosm of Tibet resembling almost identical climate, vegetation and terrain. One can enter Spiti either from Manali via the Rohtang Pass to Kaza, the headquarters of Spiti or from Shimla via Kinnaur. The valley and its surrounding areas is one of the least populated in India. The Rohtang Pass separates Lahul and Spiti from the Kullu Valley while Lahul and Spiti are cut off from each other by the Kunzum Pass. The connecting road between the two divisions is often cut off frequently in winter and spring due to heavy snowfall. Ki and tabo Monasteries are two of the famous attractions of Spiti, a place known for its Buddhist culture. Lahaul features high mountains, massive glaciers, passes, lakes and gushing rivers. Lahaul is a land of fascinating Buddhist art and culture. Keylong is the administrative centre of Lahaul and Spiti. Pin Valley National Park is an important wildlife park in lahaul-Spiti where animals like woolly hare, Tibetan gazelle and snow Leopards can be found.

How to reachHimachal Pradesh

By Air
Kullu and Shimla are the nearest two airports. Kullu airport is also known as Bhunter Airport. By road Keylong is 158 kms from Shimla.

By Rail
Shimla and Pathankot are nearest railheads. By road, Keylong is436 km from Pathankot.

By Road
National Highway No.21 connects Manali with Lahaul, Spiti and Leh. This road has been made a part of the NH 21 that links Chandigarh with Manali. Some of the road-distances from Keylong are: Manali 115 km, Pathankot 436 km, Jogindarnagar 284 km, Rohtang Pass 67 km, Khoksar 46 km, Udaipur 48 km.

Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh is located in northern India and is bordered by Jammu and Kashmir in the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and Tibet and China on the east. The area of Himachal Pradesh is 21,629 square kilometres. Shimla is the capital of Himachal Pradesh. The state of Himachal Pradesh is one of the top tourist destinations in India, thanks to its exquisite natural beauty.

Climate of Himachal Pradesh

Tthe diversity of elevation causes great variation in the climate of Himachal Pradesh. The southern parts of the state experience hot and sub-humid tropical climate while in the north and east, it is cooler. Places like Lahaul and Spiti are cold and almost rainless while Dharamsala quite a heavy rainfall. Himachal Pradesh mainly has three seasons: summer (from April to June), monsoon (July to November) and winter (December to March). Snowfall is common in the alpine tracts.

Top tourist destinations in Himachal Pradesh include

• Rajgarh Valley
• Maharana Pratap sagar
• Chail
• Sujanpur Tihra
• Nadaun
• Deot-Sidh temple
• Kangra Fort
• Pragpur
• Palampur
• Kullu, Manali
• Shimla
• Dalhousie
• Dharamsala

Trekking at Chandra Taal

Batal-Chandra Taal-Baralacha Pass is a hot attraction for trekkers and ever since the Manali-Leh highway has been opened, the number of trekkers has increased manifold. From Baralacha Pass tourists can even reach up to Leh. Batal is a scenic village located at the foot of the Kunzum Pass in lahaul and Spiti district. Bara Shigri and Chhota Shigri glaciers are located nearby. It is an ideal place for trekking and rock climbing.

Trekking itinerary

• Day one
  Arrive at New Delh  and take a overnight journey to Manali (distance 580 km)
• Day two
  Arrive at Manali early morning and overnight stay here
• Day three
  Reach Batal from Manali (distance 100 km) over the Rhotang Pass. Overnight stay at tents in Batal (Batal can also be reached via places like Sethan, Chikka, Chatru, Chota Dara)
• Day four
  Batal-Chandra Taal trek along motorable track. Breathtaking views of the surroundings during the 5-6 hour long trek. Camping at Chandra Taal. Fabulous views of Tara Pahar, Tla Giri and Mulkila (all above 6,000 metres). An extra day at Chandra Taal can also be accommodated.
• Day five
  Trekking from Chandra Taal to the banks of Tokpo Yongma which is 4650 metres high (12 km)
• Day six
  Trekking continues from Tokpo Yongma to Tokpo Gongma (4350 metres high).
• Day seven
  Trekking from Tokpo Gongma/Yongma to Baralacha La (4883 metres). The 8 km walk gives a panoramic view of the Spiti Valley as well as of the Chandra, Bhaga and Yunam rivers.
• Day eight
  Halt at Baralacha La to spot small peaks and beautiful butterflies.
• Day nine
  From Baralacha La to Darcha to Zingzingbar (4,270 meters). The 18 km journey passes through Surajtaal, source of River Bhaga .
• Day ten
  Trek from Zingzingbar to Darcha (3,360 meters). The 20 km downhill trail goes via Patseowas, a big trading centre of the old days. One can go to Leh from here.
• Day  eleven
  Darcha to Manali
• Day twelve
  Return to Delhi from Manali.
• Day thirteen
  Departure from Delhi

Accommodation

• Hiring tent gears for camping on the banks of Chandra Taal
• Hotels at Manali