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Keylong is the headquarters of Lahaul and Spiti
district of Himachal Pradesh. The region is strange, exciting, primitive
mountainous and delightful. Rudyard Kipling said of the region "Surely the
God live here this no place for men." The route to Lahaul takes a traveler
over Rohtang Pass (3980 ml), Koksar (1st village of Lahaul) Sissu, Gondla
and crossing the river Chandra Bhaga at Tandi.Keylong is cut off from the
outside world from November to June, due to heavy snowfall.
Loacation - Keylong is located along the Manali–Leh road, at the
intersection of the Chandra Valley, the Bhaga Valley, and the Chenab Valley.
Sights near Keylong include the Kardang, Shasur, and Tayul monasteries, as
well as the Hindu Guru Ghantal temple.
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HOW
TO REACH
By Air - Nearest airport is Bhunter, 175 km from Keylong.
By Rail - The nearest railhead is at Jogindernagar, 250 km away.
By Road - By road the distance is 115 km from Manali, 188 km from Kaza, 373
km from Leh, 435 km from Chandigarh and 690 km from Delhi.
WHEN TO GO
Best time to travel Keylong is between June to October.
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WHAT TO SEE |
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Tandi - The hamlet of Tandi is situated at the
confluence of the Chandra and Bhaga rivers, which merge to form the
Chandra-Bhaga or Chenab River. The roads from Tandi lead to Keylong,
Udaipur and Koksar. There are many villages near Tandi which offer
excellent opportunities for learning about the unique cultural setting
of the Lahaul Valley.
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Udaipur - 53 km from Keylong, home of the
Mrikula Devi Temple, which is famous for wood carvings. This
sub-divisional headquaters is situated at the junction of the mighty
Mayar nullah with the main river Chandrabhaga. earlier this village
was known as Margul or Markul. Around 1695 it was renamed Udaipur when
Raja Udai Singh of Chamba (1690-172'8) raised it to the status of a
district centre in the Chamba-Lahaul which his father Chatter Singh
had annexed to his Chamba state.
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Triloknath - The famous Triloknath shrine has
been revered by both Hindus and Buddhists for centuries. This is
primarily a Buddhist place of worship situated on the left bank of the
Chenab River, high above the bed. A good branch road from the Tandi-Udaipur
road leads to Triloknath.Prayer flags that seem to always flutter in
the cold mountain air adorn the approach to the shrine. The massive
structure has been built in traditional Lahauli style using stones and
timber. Thousands of pilgrims visit Triloknath every year.
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Jispa - This beautiful spot is 22 kms away from
Keylong and 4 kms ahead of Ghemur. The village is situated at the
junction of two
nullahs with the main river Bhaga. Jispa has a very large dry
river-bed, a rarity in Lahaul. Juust on the edge of the river Bhaga is
a small PWD rest house. Near this the river is shallow and plenty of
trout fish can be caught during summers. The place is virtually an
angler's delight. Good juniper plantation is around this village.
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Gondla - Around 18 km from Keylong, this village
of the Lahaul valley has some royal heritage as its prime attraction.
The eight storeyed residence of the thakur of Gondla called the Gondla
Castle or fort was constructed in the 17th century. There is also a
gompa in this village which attracts a number of people, specially
during the fair celebrated in the month of June.
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Shashur Gompa - This gompa, 3km from Keylong,
belongs to the Gelukpa order and is dedicated to a Zanskari lama. It
was built in the 16th century and it has a famous 5m long thangka. It
has an important festival in June or July, which is known for its mask
dancing. |
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Khardong Gompa - This gompa was established in
the 12th century by the Gelukpa order. It has a big statue of the
Buddha, some nice paintings, some old prayer drums and a library with
ancient manuscripts in it. Khardong is the former capital of Lahaul.
On the other side of the Bhaga River is a path that comes here.
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Sissu - This village is situated on the right
bank of the river Chandra at an altitude of 3130m. The village is
located on a broad flat ground above the Chandra river. Good
plantations of willows and poplars on both sides of the road are so
dense during summers that at places even the sun rays fail to
penetrate. The terraces are green with potato, peas, barley and buck
wheat. Wild roses of white, yellow and red hues with expanses of
alpine flowers deck the slopes in an unforgettable feast of colours. |
WHERE TO EAT
There are few good restaurants in the city and you can also try the
restaurants at the luxury hotels. The Chander Bhaga Hotel is good Hotel in
Keylong.
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