Tatapani: A lesser known hill resort
Getaway
By Baljit Singh

ARE you tired of the crowded Manali-Shimla circuit and looking for a change this season? Take a look at some of the lesser known hill destinations, not so glamorous as the talking points perhaps but more rewarding.

Tatapani, 164 km from Chandigarh, and just over an hour away from Shimla (54 km) on the Naldhera-Mandi road, is one such location. Another less crowded, more interesting and only slightly longer route is via Barotiwala to Sabathu, then up to Arki and Dhami before following the winding but almost deserted military road (constructed after the 1962 war) to Basantpur and Tatapani. If you take this route don’t miss the sheer gorges at the junction of the stream at the bridge just before Shimla.

As its name suggests, Tatapani is known for its hot waters, curative sulphur springs that surface on the right bank of the Sutlej and drain into the river. Though a walled in bath was formally inaugurated here in 1951 by the then President Rajendra Prasad and the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation has built one of the first tourist bungalows at the spot, the village, in the shadow of Shimla, is relatively untouched by the capital’s tourist spillover. This is attributed to lack of information about it, and to its unfashionable size and altitude. At just over 700 metres (2300 feet) above sea level, Tatapani can be uncomfortably warm in peak summer. As if in compensation, the icy waters of the Sutlej ensure that even the peak summer nights are cool. Frequent showers too take some of the bite out of the dry heat.

On the plus side, the swift river enveloped by steep gorges through much of its trajectory is gentle in this stretch with silver beaches and sheltered coves, where the visitor can cool off. There are scenic pathways upstream of the river to a waterfall and to Shiv Gufa, a stalacite cave with 81 shivlings 4.5 km away in the picturesque Saroor Khud, on the edge of the Sutlej gorge.

For the avid angler the Sutlej is teeming with fish. The silt in the river, specially in peak summer, however, can be an inhibiting factor. The clear green waters of Saroor Khud offer more rewarding prospects provided the local dynamite man hasn’t beaten you to the sport. Tatapani is also a prominent gateway to the enchanting Jalori pass (Tirthan river region) just beginning to emerge on the tour circuit with completion of a tourist complex at Shoja. The HPTDC’s alpine resort at Chindi will be operational this summer. For the moment Chindi offers a four-bedroom PWD rest house and can be visited on a day trip from Tatapani.

With changes all around it, the sleepy village has begun to come out of its long hibernation. Since last spring, a local lad has begun to offer trips on a raft down the Sutlej, two guest houses have sprung up and a third is under construction. The HPTDC is set out to commission the largest (sulphur spring) bath of the region and probably the country here this April, along with a luxury restaurant, as a prelude to the renovation of its complex.

For the moment though Tatapani remains a quiet backwater, a village where time seems to stand still and the only competition for the day’s catch are a family of boy-sized black cranes watching the fish and life go by from their rocky perches in the centre of the raging current, smug in the knowledge that this stretch of river is theirs alone.

Information

Tatapani is 164 km by bus from Chandigarh via Shimla, 183 km from Ropar via Nauri and 140 km from Mandi. There is a regular bus service between Shimla and Mandi through Tatapani.

Accommodation: The HPTDC rest house with three double bedrooms (Rs 250-Rs 450) and a dormitory for Rs 30 per bed.

Two private guest houses — Springview and Anupam (Rs 80 Rs 200) — and a PWD rest house with three bedrooms.

River rafting from Chaapa to Tatapani (14 km — 2.5 hours) from April 15 — Rs 600 per person. Contact — Springview guest house.

Tatapani has a post office, a bank, a grocery store and two fairly well-stocked general stores.