Charang Monastery: The most Holy temple of Kinnaur

Charang is a delightful little village near the Indo-Tibet border in Kinnaur – the less explored & non-touristy part of Himachal Pradesh in India. The Kinner Kailash Parikrama is considered incomplete without receiving blessings at the ancient 11th century Charang monastery also called the Rangrik Shungma – the most holy temple of Kinnaur.

Delightful Charang

Kinnaur is the most beautiful and least explored part of the Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh, India. Surrounded by harsh mountains, Charang Khas, a pretty little village at an altitude of 3500 meters in Morang, Kinnaur, is accessible only by foot, a trek through Thangi and Lambar.

Kinner Kailash Parikrama Trek

Kinnaur Kailash Parikrama is one of the toughest treks in Himachal, around the holy Mount Kailash, also called Kinner Kailash in Kinnaur. It’s a 60 Km trek, which starts in Thangi through Charang, Lalan Ti, crossing Charang La pass (17,194 ft) and ends in Chitkul village – the last inhabited village accessible by road, near…

Heavenly Chitkul: The road ends here…

Chitkul is the last inhabited village near the Indo-Tibet border in Baspa valley of Kinnaur, Himachal. The Indian road ends here. At an altitude of 3450 meters on the banks of Baspa River in the Himalayas, about 24 kms from Sangla is the remote and heavenly village of Chitkul. Heavenly not just for the breath-taking…

Untouched Kinnaur: Rusklang village, Ropa valley, Himachal

Kinnaur in northeast Himachal, surrounded by Tibet in the east, is the least explored and the second least populous district, after Lahaul & Spiti, in Himachal Pradesh, India. The old Hindustan-Tibet road, the ancient Silk Route, passes through Kinnaur along the banks of Sutlej River. Kinnaur Kailash is a peak (6500 meters) in Kinnaur, considered the…

Kunzum La: A vantage point

Kunzum pass or Kunzum La, in Tibetan, at an altitude of 15,000 ft is one of India’s highest motor able mountain passes, in Himachal Pradesh. A mountain pass is a path connecting two mountains. It connects Lahaul to Spiti valley and has a 360-degree spectacular view of the Bara-Sigri glacier (the second longest glacier in…

Lahaul & Spiti : A sublime beauty

I’ve been mesmerised by the sublime beauty of the Himalayas since my first trip more than a decade ago! The sheer size of the gigantic mountains, the snake-like winding roads (sometimes just dirt-tracks) and the adventure of living in one of the most sparsely populated regions on earth is thrilling! Perspective gets skewed, as there…

Faces of India : a wider perspective

Continuing my earlier post, Faces of India, these are some images of the portraits with a wider field of view and ambience.

Faces of India

“I would rather that my life remain a tear and a smile. A tear to unite me with those of broken heart; A smile to be a sign of my joy in existence. “ From A tear and a smile by Khalil Gibran. Life is beautiful because of the deep and intense emotions we feel,…

Weekly Photo Challenge : Color

This week’s photo challenge is on COLOR. I love color and enjoy playing with it in my daily work, life & therapy. My interest in color brought about the name of my blog, Color odyssey – my adventures & experiences with color. I hope you enjoy this vibrant journey through MY lens 🙂 Colors of…

Kinnaur Kailash Parikrama : Magnificent Desolation

I’ve always been awe-struck by the majestic Himalayas and wanted to explore them. Recently I got a chance to visit the Greater Himalayan belt for the Kinnaur Kailash Parikrama trek, and it was the most beautiful & unique travel experience I’ve had so far! It was difficult & demanding but it was truly a – once in a lifetime experience, as…

Weekly Photo Challenge : Solitary

A lone hiker resting, on the Kinnaur Kailash Parikrama trek in Himachal Pradesh, India, near the Indo-Tibet border; one of the most remote places in India. – For this week’s photo challenge : Solitary Living in a city and surrounded by people there is always a sense of companionship, which is comforting, but I still yearn…