It is time for exodus to the hills
Getaway
By Baljit Singh

WITH schools closed and a hot summer before you, it is time for the annual exodus to the hills. An idyllic holiday can involve a lot of work, the very planning that you intended to get away from. Besides, there is a limited choice of destinations, and these too are crowded. Given the lack of useable information/reservations, the one favour a traveller can do himself is to stay ahead in the competition, by getting in the race when there are options.

However, this is easier said than done in case of destinations like the popular Kulu-Manali valley, with travel time of 9-10 hours from Chandigarh (more from Punjab, Haryana) even under optimal conditions. The only alternative in such cases is to spend the night in rest houses midway en route and move early next morning. But many of these rest houses are also half-houses, overpriced holes in hot and crowded towns like Mandi and Bilaspur that are designed to sour the flavour of your holiday at the very outset.

Still, in the past there was hardly any other option. But with the emergence of Swarghat on the tourist circuit late last year, that has altered. Swarghat (population: 900) is little more than a bend in the national highway. But its height (1150 metres) and location, amidst thick forests before the road drops down to Gobindsagar and Bilaspur, make it a more idyllic stopping point than the dusty towns that lie on the either side of the highway.

While primarily a transit point for passengers driving on to the Kulu valley, Swarghat is not without its own attractions. The temple of Naina Devi where the eye of Sati, Shiva’s consort, is believed to have fallen during his tandav (dance of destruction), is the most popular shrine in the area. Twentysix kilometres away, it can be reached via Garha More. The cable ropeway to Naina Devi, once complete, is likely to attract more visitors to Swarghat as well.

The town has also benefited from the Khalsa tercentenary at Anandpur Sahib, 33 km away, with visitors to Naina Devi and the spill over from the festivities driving in for lunch or for the evening. And with the Anandpur Sahib-Kiratpur-Naina Devi circuit set to emerge as an enduring fixture on the pilgrim circuit, Swarghat’s importance is likely to grow.

But while overshadowed by towns more steeped in history, Swarghat is not entirely devoid of its own attractions. For those who choose to spend an afternoon here, can look forward to pleasant walks through the dense forest to the ruins of the Nalagarh Fort, (4.5 km), to an old Bhimkali temple (6 km) on the crest of the hill behind Swarghat. On clear mornings, the snow of distant Himalayan ranges is visible from the top of the pass, barely a hundred metres out of town.

On the flip side, many of those driving through, specially those from around Chandigarh, may find that Swarghat, just 95 km away and still 211 km short of Manali, is just not far enough in to call a halt for the night.

A more viable alternative in such cases is Rewalsar, some 98 km further ahead, (130 km short of Manali) and off the main highway. Although it means an added 20 km, Rewalsar, with its little lake, temples and cool climate (altitude 1275 metres)is well worth the detour.

Steeped in history, Rewalsar has a temple of Lomush Muni, two Buddhist gompas, a gurdwara to mark the visit of Guru Nanak on his third udasi, and the cave of Guru Padmasambhava in the woods high above the town. An important temple dedicated to Naini Devi lies higher still on the same road.

Tibet and Rewalsar’s association with Padmasambhava, who introduced Buddhism to the Mandi region and to Lahaul and Tibet, has brought it on the Buddhist tour circuit. But despite this, it remains a quiet little village even in peak season and a welcome breather before the traffic and summer crowds of the Kulu valley. It also has a depleted mini zoo on the far side of the lake, a small bazaar and a few Tibetan eateries.

Getting there

Swarghat is 95 km on the national highway from Chandigarh. For those driving in via Ambala it is a similar distance from Panchkula through Nalagarh, though the stretch of road beyond Nalagarh is narrow and not in very good condition. The turn off for Rewalsar (around 190 km from Chandigarh) is at Ner Chowk, 9 km beyond Sundernagar. From Rewalsar, Mandi is 22 km away.

Food & accommodation

Swarghat: Himachal Tourism-run Hotel Hilltop — eight doubles for Rs 700 each, beer bar and restaurant, five rooms at PWD Rest House.

Rewalsar: Himachal Tourism’s Tourist Inn — 13 rooms, including three and four bedrooms for Rs 250, Rs 450. Also eight-bed dormitory — Rs 50 per bed. Several modest budget hotels along the lake.