Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh is a colorful story in itself. Any season you travel there you can capture the same location in different colors and hue through your lens. I recently planned a road trip from Pinjore to Shimla – Kufri – Chail with my family to capture few glimpses of snow white towns. And, luckily I witnessed snowfall and saw Shimla turning white. The whole scene was like a fairyland.
Here I am sharing what Shimla looks like after snowfall in pictures and videos captured by me and Tashi.
It was early morning, the environment was quite. There was no rain, no lightning only clouds and temperature almost freezing. In minutes the snowflakes started falling and covering everything. Check in the video how tiny and beautiful they are.
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In no time, the moto world in Navbahar, Shimla turned so picturesque.
The Navbahar roads got painted in the contrast of white, black, green and red.
The Shimla ridge became so bright, clear and beautiful after hours of snowfall. A happy joyful flock of tourists appeared on the ridge to play with the snow.
In the afternoon we headed towards Kufri and on the way, I captured Sanjauli town. The houses or I should say lego blocks were painted in white by nature.
We couldn’t reach Kufri as the roads were closed that afternoon due to heavy snowfall, so we turned to Mashobra. It had always been on my list but could never visit it.
On the way to Mashobra, I got excited seeing standing road roller and thought of having some adventure with it.
Next day, we started our day for Kufri again. The roads were open and the way was drawn in a combination of lush white and green.
Kufri, 18 km from Shimla is just half an hour drive but we reached in 2 hrs because of the scenic views and numerous stoppages on the way admiring nature.
Seeing so much snow around, my parents turned to Kids. They were more happy and thrilled than us. Dad was excited and busy playing with snow.
Next was Chail on our list but the roads were again closed. So, we headed to Fagu-Theog and saw how mesmerizing the landscaped looked.
I never felt that lost but I was completely lost in the beauty of nature and its colors.
Snowfall in and around Shimla gets exciting and is always welcomed by tourists, travelers, hoteliers, and locals. Initially, it gets smiles to everyone’s faces but it also makes life tough for locals because of water and electricity shortage. Even the local transportation too is impacted. Snowfall in Shimla gets mixed emotions from locals, but tourists and travelers are always happy.
I don’t know how special the falling snowflakes are to you but for me, that whole moment is extremely thrilling. I love witnessing and capturing how the whole colored town gets painted in white color in minutes. It looks so heavenly. I can sit and gaze at the snowfall for hours. They seem like cotton candies of various sizes. Anyways, if you too feel the same and want to experience the live snowfall, then January and February are the right months to rush to satisfy your eyes and soul. And here are the five winter destinations to experience snowfall in Himachal.
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Shimla – Kufri – Chail
Shimla, the queen of Himachal is a colonial town. In winters the slanting roofs of buildings get covered in snow sheets and dancing deodars around it give a Paradise feel. The whole scene is a perfect postcard picture. Kufri a small hill town lies 18 km ahead and it is a famous skiing hotspot in winters. Chail known for its quietness and birds lies further 27 km to Kufri. In winters during snowfall, there is only snow, greenery and the misty surroundings engulfing the whole environment.
Expected Lowest Temperature: -2 to 0 degree Celsius
What to do: Play and walk-in snowfall, build snowmen, enjoy snow games like skating, skiing, and party with bonfires
Difficulties you may face: Water shortage, power trips, road blocks, traffic jams
Special: Winter Sports festival happens around February in Kufri
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Manali – Solang Valley
The Manali town is surrounded by snow clad mountains on one side and Beas River on the other It is beautiful during all the months and imagines how beautiful it will be in extreme winters (December, January, and February) when there is fresh snow with a fluffy texture. Everything gets white, more beautiful, and picturesque. The landscapes get more enhanced and are clearly demarcated.
Source – www.snow-forecast.com
The Solang valley lies 14 km ahead of Manali and is famous among tourists and travelers for ice skating, skiing, and zorbing. The cable car from Solang valley is a beautiful ride and it takes you to the snow point.
Expected Lowest Temperature: -6 to -8degree Celsius
What to do: Enjoy snow games, click lots of pictures, visit old Manali restaurants and party all night
Difficulties you may face during snowfall in Himachal: Water shortage, power trips, roadblocks, traffic jams and high chances of slipping on ice. So carry snowshoes or you can rent it from there.
Source – www.tourism-of-india.com
Haripur Dhar
Haripur Dhar is a small town situated on a ridge overlooking deep valley in Sirmour district of Himachal Pradesh. It is quiet, serene and not a common tourist destination. The temperature during summers in Haripur Dhar varies from 0 to 5 degree Celsius and in winters it is completely snowing. There are awesome views of snow clad mountains from the ridge top.
Expected Lowest Temperature: less than 0 and can go up to -6 degree Celsius
What to do: Leisure walks, photo shoot mesmerizing views and visit Maa Bhangayani Temple
Difficulties you may face: roadblocks due to excessive snowfall, extreme cold, power cuts and water shortage
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Dharamshala – Mcleodganj
The Mcleodganj located at an altitude of 1700 meters is a home to Dalai Lamas and has a jumbled mix of shops, restaurants, hotels, and cafes strewn along the steep winding alleyway. It lies in the Dauladhar range, 10 km ahead of Dharamshala. Mcleodganj receives a good amount of snowfall in Himachal during winters in January and February. The environment is chilling with the cold breeze and is flocked by couples especially honeymooners. The whole place is blessed, romantic and a tranquilizer in itself, quite different from summers.
Expected Lowest Temperature: 0 to -2degree Celsius
What to do: Visit Bhagsu Waterfall, climb to Shiva Cafe, roam around the local colorful market, Buy local wood and metal artwork, enjoy Tibetan food
Difficulties you may face: Traffic jams, Parking problem, water shortage, extreme cold
Dalhousie- Khajjiar
Dalhousie, a quiet colonial Hill station is named after British General Lord Dalhousie. It is a tourist destination throughout all seasons but in winters during January and February snowfall adds an extra charm and cream to its picturesque landscapes. The white sheet makes the combination of white and green nature more enchanting and beautiful.
Source – www.traveltriangle.com
The Khajjiar town lies 21 km from Dalhousie and is known as Switzerland of India. In winters its huge green meadows get covered with snow sheets and pine trees in backdrop look so poetic and it is like a dream come true.
Expected Lowest Temperature: 0 to -7 degree Celsius
What to do: Visit potato field, Dainkund Peak, Bakrota Hills, leisure walk at Cantonment area and Tibetan market, click pictures of snow clad mountains, and shop at Gandhi chowk
Difficulties you may face: Roadblocks and traffic jams, power cuts, carry extra clothing and take precautions for elderly and children
Source – www.holidfy.com
Word of Caution while traveling to see snowfall in Himachal
Pack well with enough of clothes, gloves, caps, food, and medication. Carry an extra blanket for an emergency
If you are snowbound, stay in your vehicle. It will be easy for locals to locate you and don’t walk out in snow storm
Drive slowly. Accelerating, stopping, turning all takes time on snow covered roads as compared to dry roads
Make sure your vehicle and its tires are in peak operating condition
Keep your gasoline tanks at least half full
Clear snow from windows and lights and check your vehicle’s exhaust pipe is never clogged with snow or ice
If your vehicle gets stuck, don’t overexert to dig it out from snow. Tie a colored cloth to the antenna to make your vehicle visible to rescuers
Apply brakes carefully. As there are more chances of vehicle slipping during snowfall in Himachal
Keep fog lights on and maintain some distance from the vehicles moving ahead of you
Equip your vehicle with basic winter driving equipment like small shovel, tow chain, jumper cables etc when traveling to see snowfall in Himachal
Always keep locals no and your cell phone handy, to call in distress situation
Check the weather forecast before leaving if you don’t want to be struck
Most important is – Don’t panic if you are struck. Calm down and think how to handle the situation.
The Shimla town, constructed by Britishers on mountainscapes, seems like colorful dots during the day and glittering “diyas” during the night to me. In fact, the ethereal beauty of whole Himachal attracts me with its new colors and culture. I have done Shimla trip many times and every time its picturesque landscapes and culture introduced me to something new and this time it was a Himachali head scarf Dhatu also known as Rahide. Inwinters amid cold breeze and bright sunshine, the local people are seen dressed up in colorful clothes with dhatu which makes the whole town colorful.
The colorful Dhatu/ Rahide during Shimla Trip
The Dhatu is a 1-meter long colorful head scarf worn by Himachali women. It protects the head from cold breeze and is a part of traditional attire at places. I bought myself one as a fashion accessory. The dhatu is mostly handcrafted and it comes in different fabrics, colors and patterns. The traditional one comes in crimson color with the golden fringes.
Fabric – The preferable fabric used for Dhatu is wool and there are further varieties of wool in it like Angora, pashmina, yak, sheep etc. The other types of fabrics used in Dhatu making are chiffon, cotton, silk, jacquard, georgette, velvet etc.
Designs & Patterns – The Dhatus come with colorful designs and prints, which depict the rich flora and fauna of the Himachal state. The most common were mythological images, floral patterns, fruits and random designs.
History of Dhatu
It is centuries old accessory; handcrafted by women. In upper Himachal women wear it as a part of culture especially when they visit their ancestral places. Some wear it to protect themselves from cold. Also heard a myth that it is also worn to protect men from seeing women’s hair as men get crazy seeing them.
How Dhatu is worn
It is extremely simple to wear Dhatu, just like a Bandana. The scarf is worn around the forehead and is knotted behind at the head. Else, you can also carry it as neck scarves. Their awesome prints and patterns can make any of your dress look bright.
Maintenance of Dhatu
Dhatu in silk and georgette fabric should be dry cleaned whereas those of wool and cotton can be washed with the mild detergents. Don’t soak it for longer periods as they might lose some colors.
Price range
The price for this head accessory varies from 150- 1000 Rs. It completely depends upon the material and design. I bought this beautiful red colored woolen accessory in just 250 Rs. (Remember to bargain, if you can).
So, I added a one more bright colorful accessory to my collection during this Shimla trip and I wish to keep on traveling and adding more such amazing things each time.
The “Spiti” means the middle land; that lies between India and Tibet.
The Spiti Valley journey brings you close to never ending landscapes, ancient world monasteries, gushing wide rivers, crystal clear blue lakes, snow-capped peaks, glaciers, and clear blue skies. In the valley, each carved mountain, treacherous roads, and innocent villagers have their own story to tell. The travelers like us (me and Tashi) get mesmerized to become a storyteller, photographer and travel blogger.
The famous story writer Joseph Rudyard Kipling said: “Spiti Valley is a land of god and this place is no place for men. Here the mountains peaks are high enough from the feet and silence has beaten this place” – I completely agree, there is no human/vehicular noise, no pollution, no over development, no industrialization. How silent and ethereal the place is Only wind and water sing their own songs.
The Spiti Valley has its own crazy aura which binds you to sit quietly and get lost in nature. You start planning to stay back, instead of going. Here in few pictures from our lens, I will describe how the beauty of this “Land of God” turned us to a passionate photographer and travel blogger.
Journey to Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh
Our journey started from Rohtang Pass, also known as Pass of the Corpses. This pass connects Kullu valley with the Lahaul and Spiti valley of Himachal Pradesh.
We were heading towards Chandratal Lake but each mountain on the way stopped me for a click. I wonder how beautiful each peak is carved naturally. The mountains call me to reach the heights and explore the most unexplored paths.
Before reaching the mesmerizing Lake of the moon, on the way, there are so many crazy valleys. Each valley is covered in hues of golden sand, rocky mountains peaks covered in snow, glaciers, and river flowing in the center of the valley. Such views make me think nothing else is more beautiful than this place.
The complete semi-arid dessert, Spiti valley is a world in itself. There are hardly any humans. The wind, water, and nature have written their own stories on each wall.
The valleys are so wide and mountains peaks are so high; that I and this huge vehicle; Mahindra – Scorpio seems to be like ants in this panoramic view.
Driving just next to the river bed, and again mountains have changed their colors. I wish I could count the color hues of mountains in this valley.
Here comes this master place for which the whole journey started. The Chandratal Lake, located at an altitude of 14,100 feet where each mountain changes its color every hour. It is so clean, so quiet and so beautiful. We spent here one day and night. For details check my blog post on Chandratal click here.
The best view- I could spot so many yaks grazing together (Check those black dots)
The Kunzum pass located at 15,600 feet is a high mountain pass that connects Kullu Valley and Lahaul valley to the Spiti valley. The fluttering prayer flags have Buddhist mantras and prayers displayed on them produce a spiritual vibration that is activated and carried by the wind across the countryside. Here the wind was at full speed and check my Scorpio has turned gray from Black.
The Gateway to Spiti valley (Where Gram Panchayat of Losar village welcomes you)
My next stop was at Kaza the capital of Spiti Valley. The Hotel Deyzor, Kaza is an awesome property, where this wonderful caption and calligraphy pulled me to click. Hotel Deyzor represents a true spirit of Spiti Valley for any traveler with a comfortable stay & good Dining Menu. The way in which it has been constructed at such a remote location is really applaudable.
Next day we started our journey from lush green Dhankar village; an abode in heaven. Dhankar is the old capital of Spiti and lies between Kaza and Tabo. It is built at an altitude of 12,774 feet. The village seems as a spur or bluff which stands out into the main valley and ends in a precipice.
Ahead Kaza, we stopped at Tabo. The Tabo Monastery lies at the bottom of the valley, unlike the other monasteries perched on the top. The monastery offers you a stay at a mere amount of Rs 500 per person. The rooms have mud lining on the walls and ceiling and are super cozy and comfortable.
Oh! Not to be missed! On the way, there is 550 years old mummy of Saint Sangha Tenzin in sitting position at Gue Village. The locals believe that she gave up her life while meditating.
Heading towards Kinnaur Valley, at Khab there is a confluence of two rivers –the Satluj and Spiti River. Check whole scene is so picturesque.
Last but not the least; when roads were that adventurous and nature had so much to show, we got transformed to a writer, poet, travel blogger, storyteller, and photographer.
We say travel to this terrain, even you will explore and get to know more about yourself.
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