Manali During Winter

Manali always is a prime destination for holiday, honeymoon, mountain and nature lover. Manali winter season started from October to February and is considered to be the best time to visit Manali if you like the cold and January is best to enjoy the chilly pleasure of fresh snowfall. The temperature drops down below zero degrees Celsius.
Snowfall In Manali

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Lambri Trek - Mountain Calling.

Lambri Hill

Lambri, lap of the lofty snow-clad mountain also known as Lama Lambri& is situated at an elevation of approximately 3600 meters. Lambri Hill is inhibited & considered Holy Mountains by nearby villagers.  Lambri is the adobe of the most powerful & merciful deity.

 There is a small temple on the top of hill constructed from stones no other material is used.

 The purpose of Stone made temple is that there are no wood bricks available on mountain stone are easily available hence made up of stone. The temple is dedicated to Mata Jogni- The goddess of Mountains. Lambri is a supernatural place being considered divine or sacred. Jogni Mata is worshipped by nearby villagers, shepherd and milkmen for their happiness and prosperity. 

Jogni Mata is the deity being with powers greater than those of Devta who live in planes so not only men worship but also devta of surrounding territory also visit Jogni Temple for strengthening of their power. Local deity Viz. Shringa Rishi, Shesh Nag, Sari Nag, Lomash Rishi etc. visits Lambhri time to time with people of concern area with Dhol Nagaada. There is the practice of animal sacrifice to please Mata Jogni.

Lambri Trek

Lama Lambri Trek is a moderate trek with a unique significance. Lambri seems like the janitor of the higher Himalayas. From Lambri top we can see the whole range of The Himalayas, Dhauladhar range & Kinner Kalish range. Lambri is inhabited; there are few villages on its side.

Trekker seeking an unexplored gateway that enables them to enjoy the thrill & adventure of exploring the hidden treasure of nature Lambhri trek is unquestionably the best choice. Lambri trek is very scenic eternal snow, lush green forest, dancing birds, emerald meadows, trudging through thick pine forest and next you are admit Kharshu (oak) forest where the tree is laden with luxurious moss.

To start Lambri trek one has to reach Ghiyagi or Jibhi which is 70Km from Kullu and 60km from Airport Bhunter. Traffic Tunnel Aut To Ghiyagi is 38 km can be easily approached by HRTC buses fair is 90/- for male passenger & female passenger get 25% discount in HRTC buses. One night stay at Ghiyagi Homestay. Next day for trek:-

Day 1:- Ghiyagi to Serolsar Lake(3199 meters). Visiting Shoja Village, Jalori pass. Stay at Serolsar Camp. Up to Jalori Pass 10Km by Jeep then 5km trek.

Day 2:- Serolsar lake to Near Shepherded Residence. Feel of nature, landscape panoramic view.  Camping, bone fire &  Music under the moonlight. 7Km distance covered in a day.  

Day3:- Shepherd residence to Lama Lambri(3600metr) and Back to Ghiyagi by village Sarthi. 10 km distance to be covered.

Best time to complete this trek is April To June and after that October and November. For More more detail Contact us on medshot@gmail.com  

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ShriKhand Mahadev Yatra 2019

Shrikhand Mahadev is located in District Kullu Himachal Pradesh at an elevation of 5227 meters and coordinates between 31.6590° N, 77.6457° E. Shrikhand is one of the abodes of Lord Shiva and is considered as a pilgrimage place for Hindus. There is 72 feet Shivalingam at the top of the Mountain which is similar to Amarnath. It attracts a large number of pilgrims and trackers every year. 

The Legend Say

Legend has it that there was a demon named Bhasmasur and he preached to please Lord Shiva through hard penance. Lord Shiva was pleased and accorded him with the power called Bhasma Kangan which allowed him to turn every living being into ashes he would touch their head.

Bhasmasur, soaked in his pride after gaining the powers wanted to turn Lord Shiva into ash and married with goddess Parvati so he tried to touch him. Lord Shiva had to get help from Lord Vishnu and vanished into the caves at Devdhank on the top of the Mountain from where Mahadev manifested at Shrikhand Mountain.

Lord Vishnu then transformed himself into a female enchanter named Mohini and then tricked Bhasmasur into touching his own head which turned him into ash, the soil and water are still red coloured here.

Shrikhand Mahadev Yatra

this is written on the basis of my travel experience. I was part of a medical rescue team deployed by Kullu administration for successful completion of Shrikhand Mahadev Yatra 2018. This gives a lot of experiences for my professional as well as personal life. 

Shrikhand Mahadev yatra is considered one of the toughest yatra in the world, this is successfully completed if one has the dedication and faith on Lord Shiva. The whole track is about 35 kilometres full of adventures and various type of vegetation beautiful wildflowers and medicinal plants.

How to Reach For Yatra 

One has to reach Jaon village which 10km from Nirmand. from where yatra starts

Jaon can easily be reached by HRTC buses or local taxi services from Rampur. The nearest airport is in Shimla or Bhunter Kullu from here it can be approached by buses or car.

when you reach JAON village then you have to start your pilgrimage.

to make the successful pilgrimage Kullu administration has deployed Police, Medical & Paramedical, Professional tracker and local rescue team. these team saves many lives and prevent many causalities during 2018 yatra. To guide, the administration has established 6 base camps at a different location in the whole pilgrimage track. these are:- 

• SinghGaad:-  altitude 2094 m is the first administrative base camp and is 3 Km away from Jaon. one can reach Jaon to SinghGaad with an hour walk. All pilgrim have to register here with the administration by depositing fee of 150/- in cash after registration pilgrim has to go medical examination which decides they are fit for Shrikhand yatra. after obtaining a medical fitness certificate administration allow pilgrim. Sector officer deputed by the administration can be asked for any information and help. 

•  Thachdu:- altitude 3449-meter next base camp is Thachdu 12 Km away from SinghGaad with steeply walk. Almost 5-6 hours required to cover this 12 km distance. There are 24 hours of medical assistance. Pilgrim have to stay in private tents or Langer. All basic facilities are available in these tents.

• Kunsha:-  next official base camp is at Kunsha altitude 3962 meters 4.5-5 Km from Thaachdu walking distance 2 -3 hours. All basic and medical facilities are available here. 

• Bhimdwari:- it is about 4-5 Km from Kusha at an altitude of 3710-meter walking distance 2.5-3 hours. All basic and medical facilities are available here. Oxygen saturation level in the air is very low.

• ParwatiBaag:- it is 2Km away from Bhimdwari at an altitude of 4400 meters with walking distance 1 hrs. there is no medical assistance or first aid facilities provided by the administration. the only police team is there to resue in emergency and for radio communication. 

Bramah Kamal at ParwatiBaag

• Shrikhand Mahadev:- Mahadev is 5-6 km from ParwatiBaag at an altitude of 5638 meters steeply walk of 4-5 hrs. this is the toughest part of Yatra, as there is no clear path to walk. one has to climb rocks and pass many obstacles in the path. there is no night stay after Bhimdwari so after the visit of Mahadev one have to return basecamp at Bhimdwar. 

for safe and successful Yatra what to do and what not be do:-

Do's

1. Must be registered with the administration.
2. Must be undergone for medical examination & fitness.
3. Never trek alone, only walk with friends in the group.
4. Steeply walk should cover slowly, so you don't feel restlessness.
5. Carry an umbrella, trekking shoes, torch, water, energy drinks and stick along.
6. Cooperate to preserve rare medical plants, flora & funa.
7. Any type of medical issue contact near medical camp.
8. Drink water regularly otherwise body get dehydrated. 

Dont's

1. Never trek in the night.
2. don't leave your company.
3. don't use shortcut way.
4.  don't walk forcibly, walk slowly and take rest when necessary.
5.  don't through plastic bottle and polybag in here and there collect them and bring back to basecamp and save the mountains.
6. don't use any kind of intoxicant during the trek.
7. don't try to climb on Shivalingam to put of Trishool or other articles, maintain its holiness. 
8. don't walk without shoes you will face hypothermia. 

some beautiful photo taken are:-

For me, this was a quite difficult trek I have ever done before. I successfully completed this trek in 2 days in very heavy continuous rain. I started my journey on 26 july2018 4 o'clock in the morning and reached Bhimdwari by 6 pm covered 21 Km on the first day. I stay in the medical camp at Bhimdwari with my friends. Next Day I started my journey on 5am and reached Shrikhand Mahadev by 10 am. It was very heavy rain maximum quit track on halfway. It was my dedication to Lord Mahadev and I successfully completed. Next area after Nain Sarovar was full of big rocks with a different kind of marking & arrow on them in red and yellow colour which indicate the direction. there is no clear way to walk we have to follow these marking. This was much more tiresome than another spell. there was no water source after Nain Sarovar so one needs to pack water for the journey after Nain Sarovar & do carry glucose and dry fruits for energy. I was full of water chocolate and oxygen canister and bronchodilator inhaler though I don't felt need besides water. Reached back to basecamp Singhgaad by 11pm on 27 July 2018.
I hope this article is useful to you and it will give an idea to your planning to Shrikhand Yatra 2019.
Om Namo Shivaye...! Shiv Shankar, Kanta lage na Kankar..! Shiv Shambhu.

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Jalori Pass & Serolsar Lake a Cocktail of Ecotourism & Religion.

Jalori Pass & Serolsar Lake, A Cocktail Of Ecotourism & Religious.

Serolsar lake is ecotourism and religious site situated in Great Himalayan region at an altitude of 3199 meters at mean sea level. At a distance of 78 km from Kullu,84 km from Mandi, 25 km from Banjar. Serolsar lake can be easily approached by Bus, taxi or personal vehicle up to Jalori Pass. Jalori Pass is situated at 10,300 feet altitude and can be approached by NH 305 previously known as Old British road. From Jalori Pass lake can be tracked. Walking distance from Jalori Pass to Serolsar lake 5 km. The track is slightly tough very little ups & down in a whole way. One can easily reach.to reach lake we have to walk 1-2 hrs among thick forest, which feels immense pleasure.

The Holy Lake Serolsar In Nature lap.

There is a small temple on the north face of the lake which is dedicated to goddess Budhi Nagin incarnation of Mata Durga ( mother of all Naga Devtas). The lake is holy & sacred. The goddess Budhi Nagin is believed the soul deity of the area and is worshiped for milk, ghee, and prosperity. People circled in lake orbit and through ghee throughout the path. People of surrounding area worship goddess & they offered money, gold & silver to deity.  

It is said that the Serolsar Lake is very deep and that Budhi Nagin herself lived in a golden palace at the bottom of the lake. One day, as the legend goes, a Brahmin from nearby Ghiyagi village came to the lake and drowned himself. Budhi Nagin saved him and allowed him to stay in her palace for three years.

View Of  Lake From Entry Point 

After three years, the Brahmin returned. His friends and family had, by then, assumed that he was dead and were surprised to see him. He was repeatedly asked where he had been for three years and he reluctantly revealed the truth. The moment he did so, he died and any of his descendants who tried to visit the lake thereafter met with accidents on the way and perished. There is a house of this family at Ghiyagi village.

It is also said that Pandavas visited SerolSar in Dwaparyug during their exile period and planted rice here. These rice plants could be seen in the lake at present.

The water of the lake is crystal clear though it is surrounded by thick forest yet there is no evidence of single leaf and grass in the holy water. There is a myth that this cleaning work is done by the small beautiful sparrow known as “AABHI”.

KALI MATA TEMPLE AT JALORI PASS.

Kali Mata Temple At Jalori Pass

JALORI Pass is at an altitude of 10,300 feet at mean sea level. beautiful and scenic beauty with immense nature touch. The serene ambiance rendered by the mighty Himalayas presents unmatched opportunities to unwind the body and savour the nature's exquisite. The seasonal flowers bloomed in the region along with the exotic flora and fauna in the midst of immaculate solitude of highlands relaxes the senses of every trekker. Perhaps one would recognise it better as the snow-covered summit in the Bollywood film "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani", where actors Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone are seen trekking through the mountainside. With scenic views of the snow-capped Himalayan landscape and the fresh mountain air to surround you.

Jalori pass.

Cafe in the lap of Nature near Lake 

Jalori pass is also medicinal plant site. There are various types of medicinal plant Jalori Pass like  Taxus baccata, Morchella, Viola odorata, Himalayan Viagra(yarchagumba locally known as keda jad), kadhu Pata, Hath Panja, (Dactylorhiza hatageria), Podophyllum hexandrum, Meconopsis aculeata(Himalayan Blue Poppy).

view from Jalori Pass top

I hope you enjoy it. Please give suggestion or feedback for my blog so that I can improve it.

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