From Delhi
Flower-decked, quiet little
Sarahan is an unpretentious Himachal hamlet. Sarahan's stunning beauty offsets an
extravagant backdrop of snowy peaks and undulating valleys. This memorable village is
often overlooked in the rush to more recent discoveries in the Kinnaur area, but it's a
delightful place to unwind and drink in the unadulterated mountain scenery. The village is
famous for its ancient Bhimakali Temple and as a starting-point for treks
to the mountain of Shrikhand Mahadev.
Sarahan is on the
Shimla-Kinnaur border in the Sutlej valley. Rampur Bushahr, Brow and Sarahan together form
an interesting circuit in the Inner Himalayas. This is apple-country at its prettiest,
with miles of lush apple and peach orchards and terraced fields that intersperse slate
roofed houses. Beautiful flowers and trees grow wild in the valley, flanked by forests of
tall deodars and medicinal herbs.
The Rampur rajas of
Bushahr, who once ruled Kinnaur, made Sarahan their intermediary summer capital, when they
left Kamru in the Sangla Valley, and before Rampur Bushahr became the new capital. The
200-year-old Raja Bushahr Palace cum Temple complex is a splendid
multi-layered edifice in timber with beams of cedar.
The Bhimakali Temple,
reputed to be at least 800 years old, is dedicated to Goddess Durga or Bhimakali and is
considered one of the significant Shakti Peeths of Shaivite Hindus. The temple is Tibetan
in its architectural style, with Buddhist and Hindu influences and bronze statues of both
religions in the shrines. It has slanted slate roofs, golden towers, pagodas and a carved
silver door. Dussehra is celebrated in a grand way at both the Bhimakali Temple and in the
village of Sarahan, with animal sacrifice playing a big role in the festivities.
While in Sarahan, make a
trip to the Kamru fort, Chitkul valley, Sangla valley; go angling in the Baspa river; or
trek around Srikhand Mahadev, Ranwin or Bashal. This is one holiday you are likely to
remember for a long time.
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