Quick Links: About Tirthan Valley Why Tirthan How to reach tirthan from Delhi/Chandigarh What to do while in tirthan Where to stay in tirthan Snowfall in Tirthan/Jalori Pass Mobile/Internet connectivity in tirthan Local Transport in tirthan Work from Mountains Video : Morning walk at tirthan
Tirthan Valley is not the place for you – if you want to stroll mall roads for eating and shopping, if you want to invest your evenings hearing a live-band while sipping your favorite cocktail in a populous pub, if you get spiritless when there are less or no people around, if you crave for ice-cream parlors around the corner, OR if you want to commute in luxury buses. Don’t read further, in case you happen to fall under this genre.
About Tirthan Valley
Valley : a low area of land surrounded by mountains on all sides, and tirthan is a little extra special one. Along with presenting a 360 degrees view of gigantic mountains, this valley is positioned along Tirthan river (that is where the name came from) and also, surrounded by The Great Himalayan National Park which is added to UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2014. This park itself has numerous treks, ranging from 3 days to 12 days, rivers to glaciers, plains to forests.
Why Tirthan is different and better than other places in Himachal
Tirthan is a place to rejuvenate. This place is not profit-oriented to contain big markets, mall roads, city pubs, etc as compared to other big cities in Himachal. On the other hand, it also cannot be compared to small tranquil villages of Himachal. It is as enormous in area as the other cities, but still manage to be peaceful.
That is the charm of this fascinating valley. Now that, you are overwhelmed enough to take a tour of tirthan, lets proceed to the next big question.
How to reach Tirthan valley from Delhi/Chandigarh
- By Bus : There is no direct bus from Delhi/Chandigarh to Tirthan. The bus from Delhi will drop you at Aut tunnel ( the tunnel which comes on the way to kullu/manali). You will have to walk till Aut bus stand which will take 8-10 mins only. From Aut bus stand, you can get a bus to Banjar ( 45-50 mins journey), and from Banjar you can take a bus to Gushaini, Tirthan ( 15-20 mins journey). You may get a direct bus from Aut to Gushaini, but the service is less (try your luck).
- By Car : Delhi > Panipat > Karnal > Chandigarh > Swarghat > Bilaspur > Right turn from Aut tunnel > Tirthan Valley.
Now that, you have reached your destination, the next question arises –
What to do / Places to visit while in Tirthan valley
- Waterfalls– I am very fond of waterfalls. Whenever i travel to a new region in the mountains, my first interrogative question to the locals goes about a nearby waterfall. Tirthan also offers 2 waterfalls for its tourists. Chhoie waterfall and Jibhi waterfall. I personally liked Chhoie waterfall more. First time i visited Chhoie waterfall in 2015.At that time, very few people were wised up about it. Now, it is an acclaimed tourist attraction. Still, many people refrain its visit because of a 30 mins trek to reach till the waterfall. The starting point of the trek lies 1-2 kms ahead of the majority of homestays/guesthouses in tirthan valley. You can easily locate the starting point, after inquiring from the locals. Jibhi Waterfall, on the other hand, lies in Jibhi. It is a short hike of 5 mins only. It is also more commercialized as compared to chhoie waterfall.
CHHOIE WATERFALL
- Serlosar lake – I am not recommending you to visit this lake, for the lake. De facto, the trek to this lake, which starts from jalori pass, is quite a sight and will make your day. It is an easy trek which takes you through the lush green forest area, with big trees bestowing shade all over the way. From Jalori pass, it is a 5 km trek one side, which will take 1-1.5 hour.
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- Jibhi– Jibhi is at a 20-25 mins drive from Banjar. Many people prefer staying at Jibhi, rather than the lower portions of Tirthan valley. Jibhi is famous for its wooden cottages. Also, jibhi lies close to the forest area and has some cool cafes to chill and eat good food. Due to these reasons, it is much more commercialized than the lower portions of tirthan valley, like gushaini.
- Great Himalayan National Park– Entire region of Tirthan valley is surrounded by GHNP. The entry for this park lies about 8-10 kms from Gushaini. This park offers a lot of treks ranging from 3 days to 12 days. Visit the official website to know more about trek routes. https://greathimalayannationalpark.com
- Sharchi village – It is one of the most beautiful villages in Tirthan valley. Just before reaching gushaini, if you take left on the bridge over the river – you will reach gushaini, but instead of taking the bridge, if you go straight, after 7- 8 kms, is situated this beautiful village called Sharchi. There are direct buses from banjar to sarchi – although, less service and before 4 pm only.
- Village hikes – There are a lot of villages in tirthan valley, which are stretched just by the river. You can easily spend your mornings and evenings just by hiking to these beautiful villages.
- Trout fishing – Tirthan is a famous spot for trout fishing. You can easily catch sight of trout fishes in the tirthan river. There is also a trout fish farm in tirthan, where the fish-breeding takes place. You will have to get a permit for fishing in tirthan river.
While experiencing all the fun by the riverside, the next dilemma is –
Where to stay in Tirthan Valley
Tirthan is a place of luxury stays, mostly. Since it is gaining much popularity from tourism perspective now, a large amount of cheap to semi-luxury to luxury stay options are available .
- Home stays – Home stays are the best deal to stay at. They provide you homely atmosphere and aura, along with the amenities of a hotel, in a much cheaper price, comparatively. I usually stay at a home stay in Nagini village, which is located along the river. I could literally catch the glimpses fishes from my room’s balcony. If you want to book your stay there, i can connect you with the owner of that home-stay.
- Luxury properties – Right now, there are a plenty of luxury properties in tirthan and many more are near their commencement . To name a few – Trishla resorts, Sunshine Himalayan cottage, offbeat abodes, etc are the ones tourists prefer.
- Hostels– There is no hostel concept in tirthan yet. Last time i visited tirthan, there was one hostel-cum-cafe (by the name of mazel tov), which was about to start its operations.
Snowfall in Tirthan/Jalori Pass
Although, tirthan is quite cold since the beginning of October (due to less duration of Sunlight), it receives snowfall fairly between 1st & 2nd week of January. Jalori Pass, which is just 1 hour drive, receives good amount of snowfall starting November end. So, if you want to go frisky and frolic in snow, you can always go to jalori pass.
Jio and airtel, both deliver equally good when it comes to mobile networks. On the subject of internet connectivity, Jio takes the lead. Vodafone is not recommended if you are planning a long stay near that area.
Local transport
Local transport is fairly stable and flawless around that area. There are buses plying from banjar to gushaini, after every hour. You can board/de-board the bus from any of the villages which lies on the bus-route.
Work from Mountains
During the lockdown, i worked from mountains for more than 2 months, out of which i stayed in Tirthan valley for 25 days. This places provides one of the best atmosphere to work, introspect and rejuvenate at the same time. Delicious home cooked food, better internet connectivity, and workstation by the river – what can be a better workation than this.
Please comment below OR directly contact me for any further questions.
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