I always had an aspiration to visit Kinnaur Himachal Pradesh. Being from mid hill region of Solan, the lure of high Himalayas always amazed me. However, I had only heard of Kinnaur until the time I got my first opportunity in life to visit Chaura in Kinnaur.

Bus to Chaura Kinnaur Himachal Pradesh

It was the month of June 2004 and I got an opportunity to work in a research project in Chaura Kinnaur Himachal Pradesh. Chaura is the entry point of Kinnaur district and I was both amazed and tense as I had only heard of these high Himalayas and not ventured beyond Shimla.

The deluxe bus of Himachal Road Transport Corporation passed daily from NH 22 in Solan. So finally it was time to board this bus and experience raw Himalayas. As the bus left Shimla, the ambiance began changing and soon we crossed Kufri.

Dense deodar forests looked at their glowing best since it was early morning and after few twist and turns the bus was at Theog. This is a small but important town of Shimla district which is known for its vegetable cultivation.

Once pass Theog, the bus made its way through villages like Matiayna and Sandhu till it reached the breakfast point at Narkanda. This is an important tourist town in Shimla district and since Shimla receives scanty snowfall nowadays, tourists always make it a point to head to Narkanda.

Steaming Parathas and a cup of Tea

My motivation for getting out from the bus was slightly different. The smell of piping hot parathas made me rush towards the Dhaba and I gulped down two of these with a cup of hot tea. As I write these lines, the memories of those days flash before my eyes as if it was only yesterday.

Once pass Narkanda the road goes down till Rampur itself. This is another major town of Shimla district and lifeline of the area as across Sutlej, you would be Anni region of Kullu district. The town is the capital of Busehar riyasat and is considered to be gateway to Kinnaur Himachal Pradesh.

Image Courtesy: Image by louisredon from Pixabay

Rampur to Chaura Kinnaur Himachal Pradesh

Many passengers got down at Rampur and I noticed the demography of the bus changed suddenly as people from Kinnaur Himachal Pradesh made their way to the bus which was heading to Reckong Peo in Kinnaur.

The topography suddenly changes as you cross Rampur since the road climbs at a gradual pace. The Sutlej which is until now at the level of road suddenly goes down rapidly and the fear dynamics begin to grow.

Only experienced drivers can make through this road with ease and if you are in a Himachal Road Transport Corporation bus, consider yourself in safe hands. Once pass Rampur, you will cross Jakhri and  Jeori till you reach Badhal which has an eatery famous for its Rajmah Rice.  Trekkers, travellers and commoners alike make it a point to stop here and as I visited this region after a gap of 20 years now,  I still found the taste of Rajmah and Rice as before.

The journey of 168 km was coming to and end and soon I was at Chaura in Kinnaur Himachal Pradesh. As I got down from the bus, a puff of dust blurred my vision and by the time cloud of dust cleared, I knew I was in heaven which we all know as Kinnaur Himachal Pradesh. The ambiance was different, the culture was unique and the people were different too in terms of language, dress and behavior. However, i was in Devbhoomi and being from Himachal only, i knew i will find my way out easily in a few days, which i did!

More on this in the coming post of the Kinnaur Himachal Pradesh series.

Featured image courtesy: Image by Aniket Singh from Pixabay