Kinnaur Valley of Beauty
Kinnaur is a border district, located in the southeastern part of the northern state of Himachal Pradesh. It is about 250 km from the capital Shimla and is situated on National Highway No. 22, which is also called the Hindustan-Tibet Road. The landscape of the area varies from the lush green orchards of the Sangla Valley to the stark magnificence of the Hangrang Valley. There are about 77 villages in the district and Kalpa is one of the biggest of them. There are almost no urban centers. Two turbulent rivers race through Kinnaur-the Sutlej and the Spiti. The slopes are covered with thick forests, while the basins hold orchards, fields and picturesque hamlets. Kinnaur holds three of world’s grandest mountain ranges-the Zanskar, the Greater Himalaya, and the Dhauladhar-and the famous 4,573-meter-high Kinner Kailash mountain by whose side is the seventy-nine foot vertical rock formation that resembles a Shivalinga and changes color as the day passes.
Kinnaur Weather
It is very cold during the winters here but the summers are pleasant. Being a dry zone, there is no monsoon here. Therefore, the ideal time to visit Kinnaur is from May to October.
Places of Interest in Kinnaur
Lippa Asrang Sanctuary, Rupi Bhabha Sanctuary, Nako Lake, Namgya, Sangla, Rakchham, Rechong Peo, Kothi, Kalpa, Riba, Karchham.
Famous Tourist Places in Kinnaur
Sangla : ( 2,680 metres ) It is an important village of the Baspa valley situated on the right bank of Baspa river is built on a slope with houses rising one above other with gigantic ‘Kinner Kailash’ peak ( 6,500 meters ) towering from behind is also famous for ‘Kamru Fort’. This fort was the place where so many Rajas of Kinnaur were crowned. The entire place is adorned by soothing saffon fields and alpine meadows.
Rakchham : ( 2,900 metres ) Its name has been derived from ‘Rak’ a stone and ‘Chham’ a bridge. The location of the village is striking. It is located on the right bank of the Baspa river. It is said that in the earlier time there was a natural stone bridge over the Baspa river hence the name of the village.
Kalpa :
