Kullu, the "Valleys of Gods" originally called Kulanthapitha (End of the Habitable World), finds mentioned in the epics and the puranas, and is a popular tourist attraction.Situated at an attitude of 1291 m, and covering an area of 7 sq km, the busy town of Kullu is the district headquaters of the valley. Well-connected with the rest of Himachal Pradesh (Manali,Mandi,Shimla etc), Kullu is well set up with hotels and other facilities. The picture-post-card like town is divided into two halves by the Sarbari River. In the north lies the bus-terminus and the Raghunath Temple. The taxi-stand, HPTD's tourist office, the maidan at Dhalpur (the location for Kullu's festivals) etc are on the south bank. The colourful Dussehra festival, for which Kullu is renowned, is held every year at Dhalpur. So, it is better to go for advance-booking during the Pujas to avoid rush. Kullu can also be made the centre for a trip to Manikaran, 45 km away as well as exploring the areas around it. All of Himachal Pradesh's Manvali-bound roads lead through Kullu, lying at a distance of 40 km from the former.

Remember

Kullu is famous for it's light and warm superior quality shawls. Numerous village women are employed in the shawl industry. The road from Bhuntar to Manali is full of thousands of shops selling Kullu shawls. The best place to shop are Bhutlico, the bhutli Weavers Cooperative) and the Himachal Emporium on the highway in Akhara Bazaar.

The Principal God in the valley, Raghunathji, has a temple dedicated to him-the Raghunath Temple, built in 1660 by the then ruling dynasty. It is , no doubt, the most important temple in the entire town. It is believed that idol of Raghunathji was brought all the way from Ayodhya. The cave-temple of Vaishna Devi is located 4 km away from the town. It contains images of Kama, Shiva and Lord Krishna. The Jagannath Devi Temple 3 km from Kullu, is a stiff climb of more than an hour. From the temple, you can have great views of the town of kullu. At an attitude of 2435 m is located the Bijleshwar temple, dedicated to Shiva. It is an 11 km drive from the city. The idol has been replaced many a time after it was repeatedly destroyed by thunder. From the town looks marvellous with the Parvati River criss-crossing it. A ninth century pyramid-like Bajeshwar Temple, lying 15 km from Kullu, boasts of excellent rock cut sculptures.

The lovely village of Naggar, 27 km from Kullu, has an elevation of 1760 m and contains castles, ancient temples and a Russian art gallery (displaying work of the famous Russian painter Professor Nickolai Roerich and his son, Svetoslav Roerich).

Naggar was the capital of the Kullu Valey for more than a thousand years and the castle was constructed during the reign of Raja Sidh Singh. The castle built around a countryard, contains the Jagtipath Temple. HPTDC has converted the living quarters of the castle into a hotel (Castle hotel).

20 km from Kullu is Katrain (1463 m), the home of apple-orchards. There is a fruit Research Centre located here. Kasol, 42 km from Kullu, is a lovely village among forests and streams, is the perfect place to see trout-farming. From Kullu, Manikaran, (the holy town of Sikhs and Hindus, famous for it's hot-springs), is 95 km away. In a quiet location, 16 km from Kullu is situated Raisen (433 Km), an excellent camping ground. Its an ideal place to watch nature, lazing away in a peaceful surrounding.

How to go?

The nearest airport, Bhuntar, 10 km from Kullu, is well connected with Delhi by a number of flights. The bus station The bus-station of Kullu is huge, having facilities for advance booking. Kullu has a regular bus service between HP towns like Mandi, Dharmasala, Manali, Shimla, Bhuntar, Jaoginder Nagar, Pathankot etc as well as Delhi, Chandigarh etc. Taxi from Kullu to Manali will take around Rs 600 via National Highway 21 or strictly more via Naggar ("slower but more scenic route"). An auto rickshaw is the best option for moving around the town. You can also hire a private car. For that, contact HPTDC, Dhalpur,Kullu ( 2234a) or HPTDC's Manali office ( 53531).

Accomodation

HPTDC's Hotel Sarvari is a good place, providing doubles from Rs 800 onwards in the new block and Rs 450 in the old block. Dorm beds come for Rs 75. Hotel Silver Moon (22488) has rooms ranging between Rs 900-1000. Some private hotels offering accomodation for Rs 200-500. Aditya Guest House (24263),Chinar (22058), Mayur Guest House (3351),Rohtang (22303), Tourist Inn (24572), Vimal (22755), Sangam (24147) etc.

STD Code of Kullu: 0192.

Remember

It is wise to book hotel rooms in advance during Pujas to avoid rush. If not possible, Kullu can be visited on a sight-seeing trip for a day from Manali. During Dussehra festival, traffic is diverted to prevent congestion. To avoid getting lost in the twining lanes and by-lanes of Kullu, it is better to ask for help from the police or local volunteers. If travelling by car donot forget to note down its number.

The Dussehra Festival

The Dussehra festival of Kullu begins on the day of dashami and continues for 7 days. During the spectacular and colourful festival, the Dhalpur maidan is thronged with tourists from far and wide. Banners and festoons of different looks are hung. Deities seated in palanquins, are brought from remote areas of Himachal decked up in their best, to the maidan in colour processions. The villagers dance in traditional attine to the beat of drums and folk songs, following the folk songs.

HPTDC's hotels in Kasol, Katrain, Raisen and Naggar (STD Code:01902).
Kasol: Tourist Hut (Rs 350 onwards)
Katrain: River View Cottage (Rs 700 for 4 beds)
Raisen: Adventure Resort (480516) (Rs 650)
Naggar: Hotel Castle ( 48316) (Rs 250-1500) Fax: 52315.