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 DWARKAPEX 2011 - District level Philatelic Exhibition, New Delhi – 20 October 2011

Delhi Intrernational Arts Festival – 30 October 2011

: Ashwani Dubey – Gorakhpur

 

Travelogue…

From Manali to Keylong…..

Chandra Bhaga Hotel, Keylong

Recently I visited Keylong the town on Manali Leh road. It is cut off from the world for six months from November to April due to heavy snofall at Rohtang Pass. It is cold desert so there is no vegetation on the surrounding mountains. The environment is so clear and pollution free that you can see the bright blue color of sky and river water .On the way i had taken some pics which I wish to share with my readers…

As the name cold desert sounds one might think that it must be very cold now but to my surprise when I visited there on 30th October it was as cold as Kullu and I did not have to use heavy jacket which I carried with me. The reason is that at day time the sun is very hot due to pollution free area and heavy woolens  are not required. You can see we are in single sweaters….

From Manali the first stoppage is Madhi, the area from where actual journey to Rohtang starts… At this place paragliding  for tourists is operated by Tourist operators.

From Marhi the  drive for Rohtang Pass starts……

After Crossing Rohtang Pass we reached  next stoppage …..Koksar..This is a small place with few small retaurants and Dhabas where you can enjoy local meat momos…Usually from Rohtang onwards…you only get Maggi   and tea at most of the roadside restaurants at very high rate and nothing else… But it seems good  in thundering cold air  that blows at Rohtang….

From Koksar we travelled along Chandra river passing through beautiful  Shishu and Goshal village …Then we crossed Tandi Bridge near which Chandra and Bhaga rivers meet…and  reached  Keylong……This whole journey took less than five hours from Manali which includes halts at Marhi, Rohtang and Koksar, Due to off season we got clear roads and didn’t face any road jam which is very common at Marhi – Rohtang road….

Keylong  is the administrative centre of the Lahaul and Spiti district  of Himachal Pradesh, some 120 kilometres from the Indo-Tibetan border.Keylong is at an altitude of 3,080 meters metres (10,104 feet). It is cut off from the outside world from November to April, due to heavy snowfall at Rohtang Pass.

Keylong is located along the Manali–Leh road, about 7 km north east of intersection of the Chandra Valley, the Bhaga Valley, and the Chenab Valley; on the banks of Bhaga River. Sights near Keylong include the Kardang, Shasur, and Tayul monasteries, all within a few kilometres of Keylong. Keylong is the district headquarters of Lahaul and Spiti and is home to most of the government offices .

Paragliding at Marhi

 

Marhi - the first halting place from Manali

  

Rohtang Pass –13000 ft. height

Rohang Pass

Rohtang Pass  (altitude 13,051 ft or 3,978 m), is a high mountain pass on the eastern Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas some 51 km (32 mi) from Manali. It connects the Kullu Valley with the Lahaul and Spiti Valleys of Himachal Pradesh.

From Rohtang Pass to Keylong

The surrounding mountains are deserted with no vegetation. 

During the winters the hills are covered with snow and some are covered with snow throughout the year.

The height could be imagined ….The snow clad mountains are at the road level……

After Crossing Rohtang Pass the first halt is at Koksar… 

 

The high barren  rocky mountains …give the actual feel of cold desert….

Glaciers……On way to Keylong  

On way,there is a small beautiful  village Goshal…

 

 

On way to Keylong we cross Tandi Bridge..

Near Tandi Bridge Chandra and Bhaga rivers meet.

 

The clear blue color of water and  sky is the special feature of all pollution free areas of the hills… 

 

All over the way we move along the river Chandra and Bhaga…

The Chandra and the Bhaga rivers are the main drainage lines of Lahaul. After their, confluence at Tandi, their combined waters constitute the Chandrabhaga or the Chenab river.

 

Lahul Spiti Tribal Museum, Keylong

 

Shasur Monastery – It is the highest Moneastery in Keylong

 

After 7-8 kms  uphill drive from Keylong we saw this beautiful Shasur Monastery.The width of the road was just that only one vehicle could move and upon seeing downward ….we could see hundreds of feet gorge…..

View of Keylong town from Shasur Monastery track

 

Keylong from top of Shasur Monastery

 

 

Hotel - Chandra Bhaga : HPTDC