Kullu

Overview

Tourist attractions

Getting there

Festivals

Excursions

Overview

Summarise the city :
The lap of mother nature

Best time to visit (High & peak months) :
Mid April to mid June, mid September to early November, Christmas and New Year

Experiences :
Natural beauty and temples

City calling code :
01902

Recommended no. of days for a tourist :
Just a day is sufficient

Best buys :
Kullu shawls, caps, chappals, Himachali dolls, apples, pickles & fruit juices

Essentials to be carried along :
Heavy woolens for winters (November-March) and cottons for summers (April-June).

All about the city :
Valley of shawls; valley of Gods; valley of apples are the popular epithets which very well describe the resplendent Kullu valley. Each village in the valley worships its own deity. The whole town is strewn with temples, which are built in different styles of architecture. Nature seems to be very generous with this region. The terrorist problems in the Kashmir valley forced the nature buffs to explore an alternative for themselves, which they rightly found in Kullu valley. Since then it has experienced a great boom in the tourist arrival figures.

The capital of the Kullu valley, originally known as Kulanthapitha (end of the habitable world) is Kullu. Although the city does not has much to woo the tourists but it has everything to make their stay in the region comfortable so that they can explore the breathtaking nearby areas with ease. The region has witnessed a number of accommodation units and other facilities mushroom in quite a short span of time to meet the growing demand.

Very few tourists to Kullu can resist the desire to buy the typical Kullu shawls and caps. Another specialty of the place is the festival of Kullu Dussehra. So if you visit the region during the festival time, do not miss the spectacular celebration.

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Tourist attractions

Name (suggested time required to see the place)	Description	Entrance charges (if any) for Foreigner	Close Day (if any)	Open / Close time
Raghunath temple (15 min)	The greatly revered Raghunath temple is dedicated to Lord Raghunath (Lord Rama) of Ayodhya. A 17th century ruler of Kullu, Raja Jagat Singh, brought the statue of Raghunath from Ayodhya (the birthplace of Lord Rama) and placed it on his throne to overcome a sin which was haunting him day and night. From that day onwards Lord Raghunath became the presiding deity of Kullu and the king and his descendents started acting as his agents. It is believed that the idol in the temple is the one that was used by Lord Rama while performing the 'Ashwamedh Yagna."The richly adorned images of this temple lead the processions at Dussehra festival.	NA	No close day	7 am-6 pm (remains close from 1- 3 pm)
Bijli Mahadev temple (15 min)	Perched on a steep hill, this temple is entirely made in wood and stone. Literally bijli means lightening and Mahadev means Lord Shiva. The temple is famous for its high staff (20 m) that periodically draws lightening which shatters the Shivlinga (symbol of Shiva). On sunny days the staff dazzles like a silver needle. Using only butter as adhesive, the lingam is then carefully pieced together by the temple priest. This Indo Aryan style temple has wooden panels depicting episodes from the life of Lord Ram and Krishna. The views all around are excellent. The journey involves an 11 km drive to the base and then 2.5km climb up a steeped path.	NA	No close day but can be visited only in summers	9 am-6 pm
Vaishno Devi temple (10 min)	At a distance of 4 km from Kullu this temple, which enshrines the image of goddess Vaishno Devi, is not as magnificent as the one in Jammu & Kashmir, but devotees do pay a visit.	NA	No close day	7 am-7 pm
Adventure sports	The Kullu valley offers numerous opportunities of entertainment for those who wish to explore it. Number of trekking routes through the panoramic landscapes and apple-laden orchards would instill fresh energy in you to move on and on. Raison, which is 16 km away, is a good camping site. The river Sainj and Beas will not leave you hopeless if you try your hands at angling in them. The valley has some of the best sites for skiing (at Solang), mountaineering, biking, etc.

Getting there

Air	Rail	Road
Indian Airlines (only Wednesday & Friday) and Kingfisher Red Airlines operate flights between Delhi and Kullu. It takes 90 minutes to reach Kullu from Delhi. Kullu Manali Airport at Bhuntar is at a distance of 10 km south of Kullu town.	The closest narrow-gauge railhead is at Jogindernagar, 95 km away. The closest broad-gauge railhead is Chandigarh (280 km).	Kullu lies on NH 21. It is well connected by direct buses to Delhi (530 km south), Chandigarh (270 km southwest),Mandi (69 km ), Shimla (235 km south west).

Festivals

Name of festival	Dates / Months	Festival details with link for more information
Kullu Dussehra	2 - 8 October	The richly adorned images of Raghunath temple lead the processions at Dussehra festival. The devotees pay homage to Lord Raghunath while music and colour fill the 'Silver Valley'.

Excursions

Excursion (distance in kms)	Description
Naggar (Altitude :1760 m): 23 km from Kullu/35 minutes	On the left bank of river Beas lies the former capital of Kullu kings, Naggar - an ancient town which offers panoramic views of the valley. It is the base for treks to Malana via Chandrakhani pass. Castle: Built by Raja Sidh Singh about 500 yrs. ago, this castle is a fine specimen of traditional local architecture. The walls made of alternate layers of wooden beams and hewn stones catch attention. The castle courtyard has a museum and a small temple, Jagtipath Temple, which houses a stone slab said to have been carried here by wild bees. It is now converted into a HPTDC i.e. Govt. run heritage hotel. Roerich Gallery {Rs 30 for entrance}: It contains the illustrious work of Russian painter Nikolai Roerich, who breathed his last in Naggar in 1947. Nearby is Urusvati Himalayan Folk and Art Museum. Tripura Sundari temple: It's a fine pagoda style temple
Camping Sight Raison (Altitude:1433 m): 16kms away from Kullu, on the way to Manali i.e. NH 21/25 minutes	By the bank of river Beas on the Kullu Manali Highway this sight is ideal for resting in solitary splendor and for holding youth camps. There are a large number of orchards in this part of the valley. HPTDC has log cabins for comfortable stay. Raison is very popular with the trekkers.
Katrain (Altitude: 1463 m): 20kms from Kullu on way to Manali i.e. NH 21/30 minutes	This is the central, widest and supposedly the most picturesque part of the valley. The apple orchards surrounding it add to its charm. It is also famous for bee keeping and trout hatchery at Patli kuhl. Sufficient accommodation is available in Hotels of HPTDC.
Manikaran (Altitude: 1737 m): 45 km from Kullu via Bhuntar and Jari/ 1.5 hrs	Manikaran located in the Parvati valley draws thousands of devotees every year. This place, famous for hot water springs, is equally revered by the Hindus and the Sikhs. The Gurudwara here commemorates the visit of Guru Nanak Dev, the first Sikh Guru who meditated at this place. Manikaran means jewel (mani) from the ear (karan). It has an interesting legend associated with it. It is said that Goddess Parvati lost one of her earring while bathing here. Sheshnag, the serpent deity picked it up and disappeared but fearing Lord Shiva, the consort of Parvati, he surrendered it by shooting it up the water. This formed a hot water spring and the place came to be known as Manikaran. The water is above boiling point and rice and pulses can be easily cooked in it.
Bajaura , 15 km south of Kullu/ 25 minutes	This hamlet houses the largest stone temple in Kullu valley, the Basheshar Mahadev temple. Here the fine carvings and sculptures are eye catching and worth a word of praise.
Great Himalayan National Park, 60 km from Kullu/2 hrs	The Great Himalayan National Park lies in Seraj Forest Division (in Kullu District). Here the altitude varies from 1,500 mt to about 6,000 mt. The snowcapped mountains, river valleys, and steep cliffs within the park accentuate its appeal. The diversity of terrain and altitude is reflected in a corresponding diversity of vegetation. It is haven of an array of wildlife which includes the endangered musk dear, Himalayan Thar, ibex etc. The only way to explore the park is through trekking that is advisable only for the sturdy ones.

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