Himachal heritage village Palampur Himachal Pradesh
Himalayas are my eternal love and whenever I feel the need to enjoy my own company I take refuge in the hills. It is difficult to say if there is one particular facet of the Himalayas that attract me. The cool breeze, the clear blue sky, forests teeming with hues of green, brown, mustard, snow-capped peaks, long stretch of roads, blind curves lined with colorful flags signaling the protective hymns and chants of the Buddhist monks, cattle on the dirt lanes under the watchful eyes of the herder and dogs, chirping of birds, sun breaking the dawn, morning tea, moon lit night, aroma of pine, sound of the gushing river water, bright sunny days, flamboyant roof tops, beautiful cottages, colorful roses adorning the bushes, waterfalls and streams, monasteries and their serene ambience, farmers busy in lush green fields, chubby kids, wise old people, beautiful women….Let me put a full stop to my list here and start the journey towards a new destination.
My calling this time is from Dhauladhar range which is situated in Kangra region of Himachal. Last time I had taken you on a journey of the Beas circuit and this time I am heading to Dhauladhar. Palampur is an exquisite location in the Dhauladhar circuit. Situated in the Kangra Valley, Palampur has numerous tourist attractions like Baijnath Temple, world famous paragliding spot of Bir-Billing, tea gardens, toy train and many more. You can enjoy an action packed long weekend in Palampur.
The distance of Palampur from Delhi is 530 kilometers. A minimum of two to three days are required to fully enjoy the various attractions here. One can travel to Palampur through the route provided below:
Delhi- Sonepat-Panipat- Karnal – Kurukshetra – Ambala – Roopnagar – Kiratpur Sahib – Anandpur Sahib – Nangal – Una – Ranital – Kangra – Palampur.
It would take 12-13 hours to travel by road. For a more convenient journey, boarding luxury Volvo buses run by the Himachal Transport Corporation is a good option. You can take the night service buses from Kashmere Gate in Delhi and reach Palampur in the morning.
I booked into Heritage Village away from the main city of Palampur as I wanted to experience closely the way of living in a typical Himachali village. With each road trip I took, the attraction towards the Himachali cottages, the desire to savor the culture, traditions, lifestyle etc. would grow. The traveler in me would postpone it for next trip, and the dreamer kept the hopes alive.
I came to know about Heritage Village through a friend. Himalayas as a destination is always on my priority list. So, when I came to know about this resort, I decided to go visit it. My friend also told me that I could experience the different regions of Himachal at one time in the Heritage Village. Though I could not believe it, but all my aspirations came true when I reached the resort.
Heritage Village has been established with the sole aim to create awareness about the rich and vivid culture of Himachal. The cottages here are named after the different places of Himachal i.e. Barot, Una, Kangra, Dhaliyara, Khaniyara. And the USP is that they have also been designed the way the cottages are built in the villages of these regions. The only difference is that unlike the cottages in the villages, the cottages of these resorts are quiet luxurious.
Himalayan Village is a luxury resort packed with all the necessities of a comfortable stay. The location is a high point of this resort. Nestled among the Dhauladhar range, surrounded by Pine forests and set besides a river with the continuous flowing streams add life to the resort. The serene place relaxes and rejuvenates both body and soul.
It would not be an exaggeration to say, that one can spend one’s entire life in this place. The days are bright and sunny and nights colder. Although it is a bit far from Delhi, but the long journey is worth it. Once you reach the resort, you become fresh as a flower. The owners of the resort Mr. Dogra and Mr. Gagan Sharma are wonderful hosts and take good care of their guests. The food was exceptionally well including the traditional Dham of Kangra. We all enjoyed the traditional food in the traditional style i.e. sitting on the floor and in traditional plates made out of leaves called pattals. In a moment I was lost in my childhood memories. The bonfire added to the entire ambiance.
The first day was spent relaxing and enjoying food and bonfire beneath the clear blue sky and twinkling stars. The cozy bed was even more refreshing. The chirping of birds greeted a good morning. With the sun breaking the dawn and the sweet tweets of cuckoos I started my day on a bright note. Soon the sunlight spread in the entire pine forests.
With a cup of hot tea, I made up an itinerary for the day in my mind. I wanted to visit the Baijnath Temple, experience paragliding at Bir-Billing, tea gardens, toy train…So much to see and there was no time to waste. I leave my bed and start to get ready for the days outing.
This was the account of my first day. Do watch out this page for more updates from my Palampur diary.
Till then, be happy and keep exploring.
Your travel partner and friend
Dr. Kaynat Kazi
