Tag: woman

Reaching the mouth of Nohkalikai – India’s tallest plunge waterfall
My story to the top of Nohkalikai falls –
If you like adventure and want a thrilling experience, then walking to the mouth of panoramic Nohkalikai falls in Sohra, Meghalaya should be on your to-do list.
It involves walking across open grass fields, descending a hill covered with green forests and jumping over boulders. You will be accompanied by clear streams flowing along a fossil covered river bed. With natural turquoise water pools throughout the route, what awaits you at the end is a breathtaking view of India’s highest plunge waterfall.
Crossing various small waterfall and caves,en route top of Nokhalikai Falls
How I ended at the top of Nohkalikai falls-
It was a coincidence that instead of seeing Nohkalikai falls from the viewpoint, I ended up at beautiful Tlai falls and the bonus was an awe-inspiring view from the top of the Nohkalikai .
When I visited the Nohkalikai falls, the entire area was hidden under dense clouds and the waterfall was not going to be visible for a while.
I had seen a photograph of Tlai waterfall at the ticketing counter of Nohkalikai on my way in and decided to inquire about it.
Tlai Waterfall, en route top of Nokhalikai Falls
Tlai is a splendid three-tier waterfall with a green forest presenting a beautiful backdrop. I found it quite picturesque and decided to go; hoping the cloud cover over Nohkalikai to lift by that time.
I was pointed towards the direction of these falls by the Nohkalikai ticket counter people. I reached a dilapidated board and found a guy who was issuing an entry ticket for visiting Tlai. This guy was pretty laid back and asked me and my travel partner to come along with him to the waterfall if we wanted to.
I was slightly hesitant but the desire to see Tlai waterfall was overpowering and I decided to go.
The half-hour walk to Tlai falls takes you through a complete change of landscape.
The journey starts with a short walk in a grass field followed by descending a hill. You have arrows pointing towards the right direction as it’s easy to miss the point from where you have to go downhill.
Descending down the hill,en route top of Nokhalikai Falls
This side of the hill didn’t seem to get much of sunshine. The soil was quite wet while the tree trunks and stones were covered with moss. This moss makes the stones slippery hence one has to carefully step on them.
At the bottom of the hill, you have the river bed covered with huge boulders and rocks. You have to jump over these to reach the Tlai waterfall which explains the reason behind fewer tourists at this place.
Tlai falls might not be well known to the tourists but locals seemed to come here quite often for the view.
River bed filled with boulders and rocks, en route top of Nokhalikai Falls
Way to the top of Nohkalikai Falls-
From Tlai waterfall you have to walk 45-60 min on the river bed to reach the mouth of Nohkalikai. Along the route, you will come across a number of fossils embedded upon the rocks. I couldn’t get much information but the fossils are said to be around 70 million years old *
Embedded Fossils, en route top of Nokhalikai Falls
Over the years the constant flow of water through the gaps on the river bed has created a number of pools and waterfalls which eventually plunge down the gorge to make the Nohkalikai fall.
All along the ravine, you will see hollow caves formed by the high force of water during monsoons. These caves are visible during the dry season when you go to the top of Nohkalikai.
Caves along the ravine ,en route top of Nokhalikai Falls
It is worth noting, that a number of wooden ladders have been put by the locals for going up and down the boulders. These ladders reduce most of the arduous climbing and jumping.
Although at one point during the walk, one has to literally crawl through a hole in the rock formed by the flowing water. Not to forget, you will also have to crawl your way back.
Crawling through cuts in rocks,en route top of Nokhalikai Falls
Things to know about the Nohkalikai fall route –
You only need basic fitness to reach the top of Nohkalikai. There are multiple occasions which will make you feel as if you have encountered a dead end. At such points; having a local is an advantage as they know the route.
To me, it didn’t look like a marooned route as it’s frequently visited by young locals. But I again want to emphasize, try to find a local go with you.
Clear turquoise pools on the river bed, en route top of Nokhalikai Falls
Best time to visit the top of Nohkalikai falls –
Walk to the Tlai falls and the mouth of Nohkalikai can only be done in the winter months till the start of the monsoons when the flow of water is less (October to March). During monsoons, this area is inaccessible due to increased water level.
The Top of Nokhalikai Falls,Meghalaya
Time needed to reach the top of Nohkalikai falls-
The time required is variable based on the speed of an individual. Locals take really less time, to and fro the route. For tourists, this could turn out to be a half-day activity unless you plan to race through it.
I took me 4 -5 hours approximately . 30 minutes downhill, 45 min to reach the top of the waterfall from Tlai falls, same time on the way back. I stayed at the place for around 2 hours.
Note – For going back one has to take the same route.
Legend of Nohkalikai falls –
There are quite a few stories behind the name of Nohkalikai. The most famous legend also happens to be quiet tragic.
The name Nohkalikai translates to” the Jump of Ka Likai ” (Ka is a prefix for females in Khasi)
According to legend, in a village near the Falls, a woman named Likai lived with her infant girl. After her husband’s death, she worked to support her family and later remarried. Likai, couldn’t pay attention to the new husband as most of her time went in taking care of the infant.
Driven by jealousy the husband one day killed the infant and took off. When Ka Likai returned home, she saw nobody in the house except for a prepared meal. She decided to eat first and look for her daughter later.
Ka Likai later found a severed finger and realized that the meal she ate was made from the meat of her daughter. Stricken with anger and grief she ran to the edge of the cliff and jumped. Giving the fall its name; Nohkalikai.
About Nohkalikai Falls and Sohra –
Nohkalikai falls has a height of 1115 feet (340 mts) . It is the tallest plunge waterfall in India and amongst the world’s highest waterfall. It is located around 5 km from Sohra (Cherrapunjee) in East Khasi Hills of Meghalaya.
From the viewpoint, Nokhalikai Falls
Monsoon season is the best time to visit Nohkalikai when the falls is in its full form. From the viewpoint, tourists can enjoy a panoramic view of the waterfall surrounded by lush greenery. A flight of stairs followed by some walking takes you to the bottom of the waterfall which is a clear turquoise water pool.
During the dry season, like all other waterfalls, Nohkalikai is not at its full flow. But this is the only time of year which opens the heart of waterfall for visitors.
The journey to the top of the falls is once in a lifetime experience and worthy of your time.
You will enjoy every minute of this journey and the memory isn’t going to fade away for many years to come.
Note :
I am extremely grateful to Mr Wann Majaw for offering to help me along the route to the top of Nohkalikai Fall. My journey might not have been possible without it. You can check his Instagram page for some wonderful images of Sohra, Meghalaya, India.

01/02/2019
My first interview- a candid talk
I was surprised when Youthspowerindia asked if I would be interested in doing an interview . My first thought was to chicken out of the situation, but I managed to convince myself that it can’t possibly hurt to share few things.
It was only after the interview got posted that I realized how grateful I was for getting this opportunity. It’s not every day that you have a chance to talk to people and tell them about yourself.
So I won’t keep you here any longer and share the link to my interview.
It’s been more than a year that the interview got posted but I still feel very enthusiastic about it.
The beauty of firsts I suppose!
I hope you enjoy reading through it as much as I enjoyed giving the answers.
winters of ladakh
04/12/2018
Bateshwar Temples – An unfinished story of a phoenix
Popularly known by name Bateshwar or Batesara , this group of temples is an incredible but barely known place within the deep ravines of Chambal valley. The valley which has its history filled with stories of dacoits.
The place won’t give away much from a distance but once you get closer, what awaits you is a sight that is bound to fill you with awe.

restored temples aligned along stairs
This group of temples falls in Morena district, Madhya Pradesh. Don’t confuse it with Bateshwar temple, Agra, UP which is on banks of Yamuna River. That one is a complex with 101 small Shiva temples, painted white and regularly visited by devotees.
On the other hand, Bateshwar temples, a group of about 200 mini sandstone temples spread over 25 acres and built on a slope of an isolated hill near the village named Padavali, of Morena District. It is assumed to have been named after the Bhuteshvar Temple, the largest Shiva temple at the site. Though very little is known about the history of this place.
As per the ASI information board, the temples which are dedicated to Lord Shiva and Vishnu were built around 6th-9th century AD during the post-Gupta and early Pratiharas period.
It also mentions that the earliest of temples are the ones with plain square roof while the ones which were built later have a shikhar and detailed carvings. Most of the temples also have a garba griha or sanctum sanctorum with shivlings.
restored temples at bateshwar group of temples,morena
Before the main temple complex starts there is a restored Vishnu temple on the same hill. It doesn’t have a shikhar but its walls are filled with beautiful carvings.
The surrounding area is covered with trees which keeps the place full of beautiful birds especially peacocks and parakeets. One can often spot the peacocks casually perching and dancing around the complex.

Entry to temple complex through restored pillars
The temple area starts with a garden which is pretty well maintained by MP tourism board. Then you come across two ornate pillars which have been reconstructed by putting together the broken pieces. Their positioning is such that it serves the purpose of the temple entrance.
All the restored small temples are lined along several steps on the hill slope. The compound also has two stepped water tanks. It is said that they are filled with water all year round and never dry up even when there is no rainfall in the region.

View of temple area along with the stepped water tank
The numbers written on temple stones is how one figures out that these pieces have been put together to restore the structures. Though it’s disheartening to see hundreds of intricately carved, good condition stones scattered all around the area. Some of these unfinished mini temples still have iron fixtures around them which must have been put during the site restoration.
Iron fixtures supporting the partially restored temples
None the less, the site has a charm that is bound to impress anyone who comes here.
There is also a Hanuman statue which sticks out amidst these old temples because it is covered with vermilion. As told by the caretaker, locals come here to worship this idol. It is said to be one of its kind, with Hanuman stepping on two figures who are considered to be God Kamdev and his counterpart Rati.

Hanuman Statue at the temple site
MP tourism has kept the place very decently maintained despite the neglect it has faced in recent years since its restoration stopped.
One can get to know more about the place from the caretaker. He has few booklets which contain a lot of site photos showing the place before and after its restoration.
Though these temples are assumed to have been destroyed around the 13th century but the carvings and sculptures are well-preserved with no major disfigurement.
Even with considerable breakage, there are no visible signs of vandalism as is the case with invaded temples.
A possible reason for this is the fact that this valley is surrounded by hills and the whole area is covered with vegetation which probably kept these temples hidden from common sight.
This is the reason that archaeologists and historians believe that the cause of temple destruction has to be an earthquake.

Breakage to the carvings suspected due to earthquake
The earliest mention of this site comes in the reports of Alexander Cunningham in 1882, who was the then director-general of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
It was declared by ASI as a protected site in 1920 and steps for its conservation were initiated. Not much could be done for many years to come as the region was ill famous for the terror of dacoits and was considered unsafe.
But the story of Bateshwar had a new chapter waiting to be written for it when K. K. Muhammad was posted as the Superintending Archaeologist, Bhopal circle, ASI.
If you look up on the internet you will find videos where Muhammad is seen recalling his experience of Bateshwar. When he first visited the site around 2004 it was nothing but a huge pile of rubble absorbed by the jungle with only 10-12 temples intact and rest all broken down. This is when he decided to start the seemingly impossible project of piecing together the ruins and bring back the original grandeur of temples.
Semi restored Vishnu Temple at the end of the temple site
“If there are two sites in India that can rival Bateshwar in its grandeur, they are Aihole in Karnataka and Jageshwar in Uttarakhand,” says Muhammad. While Aihole and Jageshwar have about 120 temples each, Bateshwar has about 200 mini temples in its complex.
But the biggest hurdle in restoration was the fear of the dacoits who used the site as their hideout. Though by the time ASI decided to work on this site; most of the gangs were eliminated by the police. But Muhammad knew that nothing was possible without the support of the dacoits, as this area was still under the control of one of the last active dacoits of the region, Nirbhay Singh Gujjar.
In one of its kind of negotiations, Muhammad convinced the famous dacoit that it was his ancestors of Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty who built the complex and these temples needed to be restored and shown to the whole world. ASI officials say that Nirbhay Gujjar was convinced and his gang gave much-needed help and support for the restoration work until the dacoit was killed in 2005 in a police encounter. It is also said that Nirbhay provided protection to the workers at the time of site restoration.
During Muhammad tenure in the region between 2004-2008, 60 out of 200 temples were restored.
But this temple complex which stood safely for decades under the shadow of dacoits suffered tremendously at the hand of mining mafias once the police cleared the region from the gangs. Due to ongoing blasting in nearby areas the temple ruins again began to crumble.
Temple pieces scattered all over the complex
The surrounding area was encroached by the mafias and stone mining went around relentlessly. As per K.K. Muhammad, he approached several government officials to save the site from the hands of mafias to no result. This forced him to write a letter to RSS Chief , Sudershan , urging him to persuade the ruling BJP Government and save this iconic heritage. It was then that the government took action to curb the menace of illegal mining. They also created a buffer zone of 750 metres around the site instead of the usual 200 metres prohibiting all form of construction activities near ASI sites.
Till 2012 around 80 temples were restored after a lot of painful research and work on another 40 temples was half done as per K.K. Muhammad (He retired from ASI in 2012 but continued to keep a close eye on developments going on with Bateshwar).
While moving around the temple complex you can’t help but acknowledge the degree of efforts put to bring back these ruins. You feel amazed that how one man’s persistent efforts can bring such a spectacular result.
Even though it is a spectacular restoration site only time will tell whether this 1300-year-old temple complex with a history filled with glory, ruins and dacoits will be turned to dust by the human greed and lack of funds or will end its story as a phoenix rising from its ruins.
View of temple site from the south end of complex
How to reach the place –
Batesara temples along with Mitawali and Padavli are located only a few kilometres from Gwalior and should not be given a miss if you are visiting the city.
Gwalior is well-connected from Mumbai and Delhi through the air and its distance is only 370 km from New Delhi giving it good connectivity from road and rail transport with most of India.
Signboard at bateshwar
All three places can be easily covered in half a day.
Batesara temple site doesn’t have public facilities. Nor there is any place where you could get drinking water or something to eat. Make sure to carry the above based on how much time you wish to spend at the place.
Directions are easily available on Google Maps for the place. While coming from New Delhi one has to move towards Morena. Around 14 km away from it there is a place called Nurabad. A diversion from the highway at this point leads you to Bateshwar. Though locals didn’t seem to know of the place until the turn at Nurabad. If you will ask for directions before Nurabad then there is a very good possibility that they will direct you to Bateshwar, near Agra, UP.
I was short on time so I gave Padavali and Mitawali a miss. If possible, do visit the places as the information available online sure makes them interesting.
Reaching here might be a problem as it’s very secluded. Although it’s better if one has a personal vehicle to reach the place. Few blogs do suggest that buses are available to reach this place but these aren’t frequent.
Note – If your interest is piqued then this video and this video will take you through Muhammad’s journey of restoring the complex in his own words.
30/10/2018
Butoh: going beyond the definitions
Back in April of 2017 during my time in Mcleodganj, Himachal Pradesh, the story is of one lazy afternoon that introduced me to Butoh.
A friend of mine was intrigued by the idea to go and see a famous but controversial dance performance which was open only once a week for public viewing.
For I was aware of only slim details about Butoh and most of it was seeming like hearsay, my interest and excitement was pretty obvious.
I won’t lie but at first, the only concern was to get this unfamiliar name right and then bother about its how’s and why ’s!
Hastily making my way to the venue, I was just in time for the first Butoh performance of the day which started with the clink of a Tibetan singing bowl and what followed was once in a lifetime experience.
Butoh wedding decoration , Butoh International Festival ,2017
Honestly speaking, I could pick only bits and pieces from the first act. To my understanding, the performer was expressing grief of losing a loved one, or this is how I interpreted it.
And that is when it struck me, Butoh was not just a dance form but it was serving as a medium between the artist and the audience. One could freely interpret and connect to the performance in a way which is unique to each individual.
Two more performances went by and in between, I managed to hungrily read everything that Google had to offer over Butoh.
Meanwhile, my friend talked to a Butoh performer and she gladly explained to us how a Butoh dancer encourages the audience to explore their own thoughts while viewing the performances.
The use of body paint in Butoh , Butoh International Festival 2017
With each passing performance, my mind was giving way to my heart to freely interpret what it was witnessing. By the end of all performances, I was overwhelmed by the chaos witnessed. It was something that I have never seen before.
Butoh with all its extremities goes beyond to what meets the eye. I witnessed such range of emotions during the performance which I did not know could coexist.
This brief introduction to Butoh made me read about it more and eventually write about how this colourful hilly town of Mcleodganj, ‘the Little Lhasa’ was serving as a flourishing ground for a distant land contemporary dance form.
Image from a Butoh performance , Butoh International Festival 2017
Believe me, when I say, I was immensely curious to know more about Butoh. So here are few details about Butoh that I compiled from the undermentioned sources.
Origin of Butoh:
Butoh saw its rise in Japan after World War II.
Japan has a traditional culture and when industrialization came in, it created a mixture of confusion which sank further in the society with horror caused by the atomic bombing. This made artists react to these circumstances in their own way.
Butoh Founders, Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ohno, were both trained dancers.
Kazuo Ohno (1906-2010)
Pinterest Image
https://marceloevelin.wordpress.com
In a culture distinguished for its visual harmony, the two dancers highlighted ugliness, replacing the conventional Japanese social mask of reticence with one of anguish and even terror. They were in search for something that could go beyond everything they’ve already seen, including their own performing practices.
It was about throwing off the constraints of Western dance and the rigidity of the highly codified Japanese traditions.
In the late 1950s, Butoh came out in Japan with a performance titled “Kinjiki” (“Forbidden Colors”) after a novel of the same name written by Yukio Mishima.
The act featured choreographer Tatsumi Hijikata (1928-1986) playing an older man out to seduce a younger man, Yoshito Ohno, who seemingly smothered a live chicken between his legs. This sensational performance with its apparent portrayal of homosexuality and bestiality gave birth to a movement.
The audience was outraged and Hijikata was expelled from the festival where the piece was performed.
Hijikata originally called his performance style Ankoku Butoh, or “dance of darkness and gloom.” Two Japanese characters make up the word butoh : “bu” for dance, “toh” for step. It was later shortened to Butoh and drew in the work of a number of other artists.
Butoh which was first rejected in Japan was greatly received by the western world (especially in Europe in the 70s) and finally gained a big success in Japan in the 80s.
Nowadays Butoh is performed all over the world and is mentioned in almost every contemporary dance history record.
Style –
The contradictions within Butoh is partly the reason why it is so fascinating.
It is an attempt to uncover the dance that already exists, it must emerge from within, and not be imposed.
Butoh uses stillness and slow motion to great effect. If done well, these two combined can heighten the awareness of the dancer and their audience to the detail of movement.
Use of props during Butoh performance : Pinterest Image
(https://www.taringa.net)
Often observed as a kind of trance, it is more accurate to say the Butoh dancer is in a state of hyper-presence, aware of everything going on around them and within their own body. The fact that butoh dancers often seem ‘other’ than themselves is the result of their skills in transformation.
Another distinct aspect of transformation in Butoh is that performers don’t necessarily use only human characters as a source. Equally ready to explore transforming into a stone or a rug the Butoh dancer attempts to embody these physical and psychic materials in their bodies.
A Butoh Dancer :Pinterest Image
(https://theartstack.com)
Some other details of Butoh dance form :
- No set style: In words of Hijikata “There are as many types of Butoh as there are Butoh choreographers.”
- Encourages aesthetic features that go against the western archetypes of perfection and beauty. Its technique uses some of the traditional Japanese knowledge, like the control of energy, which translates into a rhythm and strong expressiveness.
- Search for an individual or a collective memory.
- Use of taboo topics like death, eroticism, sex.
- The hallmarks of this theatre include full body paint (white or dark or gold), near or complete nudity, shaved heads and grotesque costumes.
- Performed in extreme or absurd environments; with or without an audience.
- Involves slow hyper-controlled motion, playful and grotesque imagery, clawed hands and feet, rolled-up eyes and mouths opened in silent screams.
- It may also be purely conceptual with no movement at all
Now that I am wrapping this post up with a not so brief introduction to butoh along with my interesting experience, I hope that if given a chance to see a Butoh performance, you won\’t miss it.
Information source :
Image Source :
1. Pinterest
2. tipsy banjaran (Instagram page). The images were taken during Butoh International Festival, 2017 (Location: Mcleodganj, Himachal Pradesh, India )
3. Featured Image: Kazuo Ohno, Butoh legend ( link to the image )
10/01/2018
Two cents for solo women travelers
Why am I picking up the cliché?? Aren’t there enough blog posts on this already?
Well, the answer is, yes.
There are countless similar posts out there but something which pinched me a little in all the trips I took was the hesitation we as women have in our heads. Hence I decided to write about this hoping that the female travellers would read my experiences and decide to take a trip of their own.
Points I have decided to mention hereafter are the ones which slowly became the foundation of my travels.
- Trust your instincts
Even if mentioned countless times already, nothing is truer than this simple fact.
When you are travelling alone, instinct is your best friend.
If you think it is just for the sake of saying or it won’t be that easy to work upon your intuition; then let me tell you, it is not true. When you are alone; away from the safety zone provided by your friends, family and not in familiar surroundings, you learn to make decisions trusting your instinct along with the obvious logic.
Note: One very handy tip is “Try not to arrive at odd timing to the place of your visit.”
Dzükou Valley , Nagaland ,India (Taken November 2017 )
- Never hesitate to take help*
*trust your instinct while you do so.
Since I took public transport most of the times during my travels I can’t stress enough on its importance.
GPS and maps are all fine but both of them can and will fail more often than you can think of.
I would ask for directions after every short distance from shopkeepers, traffic policemen, local chai walas and dhaba owners to ensure that I was heading to the right place. For it happened to me a couple of times that the directions I got were either wrong or were partially correct, hence make sure to ask the route multiple times for the first couple of kilometres till you start getting repetitive (and possibly )correct directions.
The information I got most of the times was pretty authentic and in addition to this, locals were happy to tell about places to eat and things to see after having a little conversation with them. By all means, it worked as a great travel guide.
You can get a lot of information from people and all you have to do is strike a conversation. And it’s really easy, just trust your common sense who to ask questions to and you are good to go.
An elderly member of a family who offered me home stay in Man village ,Leh, India (Taken January 2017 )
- You are never really alone if solo
When you travel alone for the first time, especially if you are a woman, you can pick a place that’s not too far, or is a well-known travel destination so that your first experience turns out to be a great memory. I read a post on Tripoto which said that solo travelling puts back your faith in the goodness of people and honestly speaking that it is exactly how it is. Travelling solo is a great experience, especially for women. It is liberating!
You get to see everything with a new perspective and it will overwhelm you to find what all of us are capable of doing at an individual level.
Paro Takshtang or Tiger’s Nest , Paro ,Bhutan ( Taken May 2017 )
- Travel light as a solo girl traveler in India
Frankly speaking, this is something you will learn on your own that you need only a handful of things for your trip.
Lighter you pack, easier it will be for you to move from one place to another.
Ganga ,Varanasi , India (Taken December 2016 )
- Just do it
Yes, exactly. Like Nike says it!
Do not overthink. Do not let hesitation fetter your faith.
It’s a big beautiful world out there and travelling will make you live, breathe and imbibe the timelessness of our world and of our happiness.
So before I finish my post I will again say that solo travelling, especially for women, is a great decision. You need to take one vacation of your own to realize the difference it can bring.
Solo travelling lets you have time for yourself, which we barely get in all the chaos that surrounds us.
I am not saying that vacation with your friends and family are any less than solo but it is different when you pack your bag and head alone to a place. You should not miss it for anything.
If somewhere in your heart you want to take a solo trip, I hope you do it.
Happy travelling!!
Umngot river, Shnongpdeng Village near Dawki, Meghalaya, India ( Taken November 2017 )
Content Editing: Atul Saini (Instagram page)
Featured image: Picture credit – raosaaab ( Instagram page ) ( Taken at Zuluk , Sikkim ,India )
26/05/2017
Kheerganga – From eyes of a first time trekker
Note – This trip account is based on my visit during March,2016.
Kheerganga is situated in Parvati Valley at a distance of 22 km from Manikaran. For Kheerganga, Barshaini is the last motor-able point and from there one has to go on foot. Its hot water springs make the trek all the more rewarding apart from the fact that it is an extremely beautiful path running parallel to Parvati river.
Handmade map of Parvati valley in a cafe ,Himachal pradesh , india
Since many posts already cover details of the famous trail I will write about some of the points I found relevant:
- I went to KheerGanga on Holi and it turned out to be terribly crowded due to extended weekend. I immediately realized that it’s better to skip visiting easily accessible locations during long holidays because you eventually end up tangled between fully booked guest houses, cafe’s with long waiting hours and lots of chaos .(I agree that getting holidays is a problem, but still !!)
- The route is basically New Delhi -> Bhuntar -> Barsheni – > Kheerganga trek
You can book all sorts of buses from Volvo to ordinary ; from HRTC or private travels which will take you to Bhuntar.
I started at 6:40 pm in a semi deluxe HRTC bus from ISBT Kashmeri Gate, Delhi which dropped me next morning 8:00 am at Bhuntar. From Bhuntar you get local buses every half hour going to Barsheni via Kasol, Manikaran and Jari. It takes roughly 3 hours by bus because of stoppages .If you are taking a cab from Bhuntar to Barsheni it is probably 2 hours I guess.
(A Tip: Try to book a seat on left of driver for Delhi to Bhuntar route to enjoy the early morning beauty of the valley. )
- You can choose to stay in Kasol, Tosh or nearby villages of Kalga or Pulga. I chose Tosh which is 4 -5 km up hill from dam construction site at Barsheni . If you want to save energy to enjoy serenity of Tosh or are short on time, then hire a taxi from barsheni to tosh because for some the walk till tosh does get tiring. Tosh starts as a typical village and as you move forward you will see its filled with guest houses which provide you all basic facilities along with sufficient food options(most guest houses have attached kitchens). Tosh like kasol is also wrapped in a hippie vibe and from here you will surely enjoy the picture perfect view of the snow capped mountains.
View from Tosh village
(A Tip : If you are on a tight budget or bargaining is not your strong suit take local buses instead of cab to save money .For bhutar to barsheni fare is 75 Rs and cab asked me for 2000 INR though it could seat like 10 people which would make sense for bigger groups .Just keep tab on bus timings as they are at a frequency of one hour to barsheni and last bus from barsheni leaves at 5 pm)
- If you want to trek the same day you reach bhunter you can simply leave your extra stuff at the last food stall which comes a couple of hundred meters before the hydroelectric dam .They keep your bag for a small amount of 50 INR and you can carry the stuff you need with you to kheerganga in a smaller back pack and collect your luggage the next day. The trail is easily doable and only at few places its slippery or tricky .You will find that majority of people are first time trekkers and complete the trek without much hassle .Its only from rudranag till kheerganga that slight care is required to ensure no slipping.
March month- barren view of region from barsheni ,hydroelectric dam site
- The trail to kheerganga starts from barsheni right where the construction of hydroelectric dam is going on at full fledged speed. I started the trek at 11:30 am and reached kheerganga around 4:00 pm with a very eased up speed but yeah I didn’t take any big breaks or didn’t stop for not more than 10 minutes at a time as it seemed impossible to start again after long breaks. To help with the balance you can buy a stick from nakthan village( local kids who sell these at 5 or 10 rupees per stick) .I found 2-3 small cafe’s from the start of the trail till rudranag apart from the two major stop of nakhthan village and rudranag. Both big stops are too crowded and hence I gave them a miss and instead stopped at the smaller cafe’s for Maggi or Omelet where the wait time was less.
Kids of nakhtan village ,parvati valley ,himachal pradesh , india
- The trail going via nakthan village and rudranag is very well marked and you wouldn’t need a guide if the weather is good, i.e. no snow or rain. Though taking a guide is totally up to an individual but is not required as such. I was little unfortunate to find the trek devoid of plush greenery from barsheni till rudranag and it was only occasional that I saw pretty yellow and white flowers but I am sure the beauty of the trail will be unimaginable in the right season. A good portion of the trek goes through the forest region covered in greenery and is very beautiful with number of waterfall along the way which are fun to hop across !! The constant sound of parvati river flowing makes the trek very lovely.
Rudranag stop point,kheerganga trek
- Once you reach Kheerganga, it has a couple of guest houses and cafe’s. You can choose to stay in well built room, tin-wooden shacks or tents (rental/personal). The cafe’s provide you with a variety of food options and there is nothing you would want to complaint about at 2960 m!! There is a small Shiva temple up top, an ashram and the famous hot water spring .Taking a dip into the hot water will surely remove all the exhaustion from the trek. Again ,you will find the place to be a haven for hippies !!
Kheerganga
- I did take pit stop at Manikaran and kasol but found them too crowded for my taste and gave both places a miss. I did find some amazing people while i was planning for the trip and during the trip as well. Facebook groups, Tripoto were really helpful to get me weather details and get me in contact with people who have been to kheerganga recently . I met few locals up top at kheerganga and during the trek who were overwhelmingly warm and helpful as well as some fellow hikers who made my trip extremely memorable . Its true to the core that people are best remembered and preserved in your memories when you don’t know for sure if you will ever meet them again !
Water crossing before the dam site
Kheerganga is wonderfully relaxing but unfortunately it is being swamped by travelers who are least bothered to keep its natural beauty intact and are littering it beyond redemption . Through out the way I saw people taking pictures of the numerous messages on stones which were written to remind us of no littering, no plastic but most people didn’t even flinch once while throwing things around making a mess of the beauty they had come to cherish.
We are the ones who need to keep it clean, to keep it beautiful !
23/03/2016

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