October when Bengali holidaymakers flood into Kinnaur from the plains. Simultaneously, the annual apple harvest lures hundreds of fruit wholesalers from right across India. At this time it can be impossible to find a room anywhere in Kinnaur, especially in popular spots such as Kalpa and the Sangla Valley. For more information on the Kinnaur Valley, visit the local government website at http://hpkinnaur.nic.in. RAMPUR
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The gateway to Kinnaur, this bustling little town was once the capital of the Bushahr rajas. Today, Rampur is mainly a place to change buses, but if you decide to stick around, check out the delightful, terraced and turreted Padam Palace, built in 1925 for the maharaja of Bushahr; only the garden is open to visitors. The huge Lavi Fair is held yearly in the second week of November, attracting traders and pilgrims from remote villages. Rampur isn’t the ideal spot to overnight in Kinnaur, but there is cheap lodging if you get stuck. Hotel Satluj View HOTEL (%233924; r ₹300-550) Just behind the
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temple across the road from the bus station and down a flight of stairs, cheap rooms are grubby holes, while the more expensive ones are clean and pleasant, with big windows overlooking the river. The restaurant (mains ₹50-200) is the best place to eat near the bus station.
4 Sleeping & Eating For such a tiny village, Sarahan has some good places to stay. Apart from the temple guesthouse, all hotels offer significant discounts out of season (August and December to March). Temple Guesthouse HOTEL $ (%274248; dm ₹50, r ₹250-350) The obvious
Hotel Bushehar Regency HOTEL $$ (%234103; d ₹1200-1400, with AC ₹1800-2100; a) This standard HPTDC property on
place to stay is within the ancient temple precinct and, unlike most temple accommodation, rooms here are far from gloomy and austere. Dorm rooms are basic, but the upper-storey rooms are bright and airy, with hot water.
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Hotel Trehan’s HOTEL $$ (%274205; r ₹880-1200) Run by a friendly
the western edge of Rampur has spacious rooms and a decent restaurant.
Rampur’s chaotic bus station has frequent services to Rekong Peo (₹100, five hours) and Shimla (₹150, five hours) via Narkanda. Buses to Sarahan (₹45, two hours) leave every two hours. Three daily buses run to Sangla (₹105, five hours).
family, rooms here have carved ceilings, big windows, TV and cheap tapestries of Indian epics that give the place a touch of character. Shared terraces have great views of the valley and the mountains beyond it.
SARAHAN
Direct buses run to Shimla from Sarahan (₹200, eight hours) via Rampur (₹45, two hours) at 8am, 11.45am and 1.30pm. The 8am bus continues on to Haridwar. From early morning to late afternoon, there’s a regular service to Rampur and Jeori (₹20, 45 minutes), the junction on the
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The former summer capital of the Bushahr kingdom, Sarahan is dominated by the fabulous Bhimakali Temple (h7am-8pm), built from layers of stone and timber to absorb
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the force of earthquakes. There are two towers here, one built in the 12th century, and a newer tower from the 1920s containing a highly revered shrine to Bhimakali (the local version of Kali) beneath a beautiful silverfiligree canopy. There are some strict entry rules. Male visitors must wear a cap (which can be borrowed inside the temple), shoes must be removed, smoking is banned, and cameras and leather goods like belts and wallets must be left with the guards. Behind the temple is a small display of ancient ceremonial horns, lamps and weaponry, and across the courtyard is the squat Lankra Vir Temple, where human sacrifices were carried out right up to the 18th century. The tradition lives on in a tamer form in the Astomi ritual during October’s Dussehra celebration, when a menagerie of animals is sacrificed to Bhimakali, including goats, chickens and buffalo. There are peaceful walks in the surrounding hills – stroll downhill to the Buddhist gompa in Gharat village, or gird yourself for the treks on the slopes of Bashal Peak. The flamboyant palace of the last maharaja of Bushahr is just behind the Bhimakali Temple.