Let's Celebrate Mahashivratri

  Mahashivratri a Festival of Sanatan  Let us Celebrate :- 

A festival of Sanatan Dharma is celebrated in the in the month of Phalgun  Krishna Paksh  Chaturdashi  every year . This year it is being celebrated on 18 th. and 19 th  February 2023

In  Devbhoomi Himachal Pradesh all Temples have been colourfully decorated and devotees of Lord Shiva Parvati  are offering prayers .

This is the day when Adi Shakti Mata Parvati and Lord Shiva tied in holy ties of panigrahan .  And got married  . 

On this great festival  Lord Shiva and Mata Parvati may bless all devotees .

People today are giving greetings on this festival to friends , relatives and nearers and dearest ones .

An Overview of Himachal Pradesh district Kinnaur Part III , Brief History of district Kinnaur Continued

 An Overview of Himachal Pradesh district Kinnaur Part III , Brief History of district Kinnaur Continued :-

View of Palace at Rampur Bushahr 

Kinnaur remained part of Bushahr Princely state  and Raja Chatar Singh was the 110 th. Raja of the line . He was a famous ruller who brought whole state under his power . It was Raja Chatar Singh who had shifted the capital from Kamru to Sarahan .

Sarahan Palace Himachal Pradesh 

After Raja Chatar Singh his son Kehri Singh became Raja of Bushahr Princely state . Raja Kehri Singh was very dynamic ruler , he was conferred with the title of Chhatarpati by Mughal Empror Aurangzeb . He was also named Ajanbahu because of his long arms that could touch his knees . He was 113 th. king of the Bushahr Princely state .

Raja Kalyan Singh  was the 112 th. Raja who ruled the state from Kalyanpur .

Raja Vijay Singh was 114 th Raja of  Bushahr Princely state, Raja Vijay Singh ruled the state till 1708 A D .

  Raja Udai Singh became Raja of Bushahr Princely state in 1708 AD and ruled the state till 1725 A D . Raja Udai Singh was 115 th. Raja of Bushahr Princely state .

View of Hinduism Tiebet Road in Kinnaur 

Raja Ram Singh became Raja of Bushahr in 1725 and ruled the state till 1761 . Raja Ram Singh was 116 th Raja of Bushahr Princely state . He lost much of his land in war with Raja of Kullu . He died in 1761 .

Raja Udar Singh the 117 th Raja of Bushahr in 1761 and Ruled till 1785 . 

Raja Ugar Singh became 118 th Raja of Bushahr after  Raja Udar Singh in 1785 and ruled the state till 1803 . In 1803 Gurkhas conquered Bushahr and maintained their hold till 1815. Amar Singh Thapa  was controlling Bushahr Princely state along with other hilly states .

In 1815 The possession of Bushahr again came in the hands of Raja Bushahr and Raja Mahendra Singh became  119 th . Raja of Bushahr  and ruled the state till 1850 .

Raja Shamsher Singh became Raja of Bushahr in 1850 and ruled till 1887 . In 1887 he abdicated in favour of his legitimate son Raghunath Singh .

Raja Raghunath Singh ruled till 1898 . Again  Raja Shamsher Singh became Raja of Bushahr in 1898 and ruled till 1914 . Raja Shamsher Singh died in 1914.

Panoramic landscapes in Kinnaur 

In 1914 Raja Padam Singh became Raja of Bushahr Princely state and ruled till 1947. He died in 1947 , then his son Virbhadra Singh was crowned and in 1948 State was merged in India .

Raja Virbhadra Singh became Member of Parliament in 1962 and remained 6 times Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and many times Minister in Government of India . He died on 8th July 2021 . As per tradition Vikramaditya was crowned in July 2021 after the death of Raja Virbhadra Singh . Raja Vikramaditya Singh is now Cabinet Minister in Himachal Pradesh Cabinet .

Beautiful View of village Near Chitkul in Baspa Valley Kinnaur , Himachal Pradesh .

An Overview of Himachal Pradesh district Kinnaur Part II , Brief History of district Kinnaur .

 An Overview of Himachal Pradesh district Kinnaur Part - II ,  Brief History of district Kinnaur :- 

View of Padam Palace , Rampur Bushahr 

Kamru Fort at Kamru in Sangla Valley , Kinnaur 

View of Kalpa , Kailash  , Kinnaur  Himachal Pradesh .

Kinnaur became  6 th. district  of Himachal Pradesh on  1st May 1960 before  1960 it was a Tehsil of district Mahashu  named " Chini "  . Kalpa village was earlier named " Chini " 

Before Independence  Kinnaur was a part of Bushahr Princely state  .

View of Sarahan Town

View of Bhimakali Temple at Sarahan 

According to an inscription the  Bushahr state was founded by Pradyumna son of Lord Krishna  who had come to marry the daughter of Raja Banasur who at that time was ruling Sonitpur  [ Present Sarahan ]

View of Kamru Fort in Sangla Valley  Kinnaur .

According to one another inscription Dev Puran Devta from Mathura came to Kamru in Kinnaur and  killed Ranas and Thakurs  after reaching Sarahan killed Raja Banasur .  Then brought Pradyumna and made him King of Bushahr . 

Raja Chatar Singh was 110 th. ruler of Bushahr Princely state . He shifted the capital from Kamru to Sarahan .

Views of Sarahan Palace  Himachal Pradesh 

The Raja Kehri Singh  113 th. Raja was the son of Raja Chatar Singh . Raja Kehri Singh was given the title of Chhatarpati by Mughal Empror Aurangzeb . Raja Kehri Singh was also called Ajanbahu  as he touches his knees with his hands while standing straight . 

A great Darbar of hill chieftains was called by Empror Aurangzeb in Delhi  which was also attended by Raja Kehri Singh .

When ever Raja Kehri Singh  goes out side  in sun a chhatar shaped clouds always give  shelter upon his head . This Mughal Empror Aurangzeb came to know then called Raja Kehri Singh to Delhi . Empror Aurangzeb seen the clouds protecting him from sun and  asked about the  clouds on his head . Upon  this Kehri Singh replied  that it is due to  blessings of god's and goddesses of his country  upon him . On this Empror said ," O Raja  Shahib ,  you have been blessed with a Chhatra from the home of God ,  So you are conferred with the title of Chhatarpati ."

Raja Ram Singh the 116 th. ruler of Bushahr Princely state shifted the capital from Sarahan to Rampur Bushahr in 18 th. Century .

Views of Padam Palace at Rampur Bushahr District Shimla Himachal Pradesh   

Raja Padam Singh  became Raja on 13 November 1914 and ruled the Bushahar  state till 1947 .  Raja Virbhadra Singh was crowned 1947  there after he was elected as a Member of Parliament  in 1962. Raja Virbhadra Singh remained Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh six times  and he passed away on 8 July 2021 . 

Raja Vikramaditya son of Raja Virbhadra Singh  is crowned after the death of Raja Virbhadra Singh who has been elected as a Member of Legislative Assembly   in 2017 and in 2022 and is now Cabinet Minister in the Government Himachal Pradesh . 

At present Sarahan and Rampur Bushahr both , earlier Capitals of Bushahr state   are Parts of Shimla district where as  Kamru is in district Kinnaur . Chaura on Hindustan Tiebet road defines the boundary between Shimla district  and Kinnaur district .

 An Overview of Himachal Pradesh district Kinnaur , Part  - I

View of Kalpa & Kinner kailash 

District Kinnaur  is a district of Himachal Pradesh  which shares it's boundaries with Lahaul Spiti , Kullu, Shimla, Utrakhand and Tibet . The area of the district is 6401 square Kilometres  it is situated in a mountainous  range of 2320 metres to 6816 metres above mean sea level .

Map of district Kinnaur 

View of Monastery at Nako district Kinnaur .

The three  Administrative areas of Kinnaur are  Kalpa , Pooh and Nichar now Bhaba Nagar .  Kinnaur has  Six Tehsils namely  :- 

1.Kalpa

2. Pooh 

3.Moorang 

4. Sangla

5.Hanrang 

6. Bhaba Nagar 

District Kinnaur has 241 Villages .

Development Blocks :- 

Kinnaur district has three Blocks namely :-

1.Kalpa 

2.Nichar 

3.Pooh

The land of Fairy tales and fantasies ha great mountain ranges of Lush green valley , Orchards , vineyards , snow capped peaks  and cold desert mountains  .

District Kinnaur has two of the world's great mountain ranges - the Zanskar and the Great Himalya.

The Kinnaur is said to be named after Kannauras , the  main community residing in the district  , who are said to be the descendants of the Kinnars of  Mahabharata . It is believed that Pandvas had spent some years of their exile in this region .

Panoramic views of Kalpa and Kinnaur Kailash in district Kinnaur Himachal Pradesh 

View of Recong Peo district Kinnaur 

The Kinnaur Recong Peo is about 212 Km from Shimla and  Kalpa 12 Km from Recong Peo . Previously Kalpa was the district headquarters of Kinnaur but now Recong Peo is the headquarters of Kinnaur . Kinnaur is our border district with Tiebet and is situated in Satluj river Valley from Khab where Satluj enters district Kinnaur .

Beautiful View of Sangla Valley district Kinnaur .

Kinnaur is connected with Hindustan Tiebet road National Highway Number 22 and NH 5 . As we have boundaries of Kinnaur with Tibet so it strategically very important .  The district Kinnaur has famous Peak Kinner kailash . The landscapes of Kinnaur is having immense panoramic beauty of nature .

Nature of Kinnaur , Himachal Pradesh 

An Overview of Himachal Pradesh district Kullu Part -XII Tourist places in district Kullu Continued

 An Overview of Himachal Pradesh district Kullu Part - XII , Tourist places in district Kullu Continued :-

Bhuntar  :- 

View of Parvati Dam reservoir , Barshaini 

Beautiful View of Bhuntar , Kullu Himachal Pradesh 

Dechen  Khoekhor Monastery 

Bhuntar is a small town just ond  the Right bank of river Beas, 11 Km from Kullu Town on the  confluence of Beas and Parvati rivers , Parvati meets Beas from left side of Beas . Parvati valley starts from here with steel slopes towards  Jari , Kasol and Manikaran. The Kullu airport is situated at Bhuntar . The Bhuntar is situated at an altitude of about 1122 metres above mean sea level. Bhuntar is gate way to Manikaran , Kasol , Chalal , Tosh and Grahan villages .

View from Bhuntar district Kullu 

Jari Village  :- 

Jari is a beautiful village on the way to Manikaran about 22 Km from Bhuntar . Jari 9 Km before Kasol and 13   Km before Manikaran on Bhuntar Manikaran road in Parvati valley . It is famous for apple Orchards . 

Grahan Villages  :-  

The village Grahan is a very beautiful village in Parvati valley near to Kasol  situated at an altitude of about 2347 metres above mean sea level .  The natural beauty of this village is attractions for tourists . It is a alcohol free village . It is at a distance of about 8 Kms from Kasol . There is no road to this village  . Only this village is reached through trek . The trek starts from Kasol .along the Grahan Nallah . The village has about 50 houses . For night stay  , home stay are available on cheaper price .

Trekkers and nature lovers prefer this village .

Tosh Village  :-  

Tosh is a very beautiful village near to Kasol situated at an altitude of about 2400 metres above mean sea level .

Panoramic landscapes of Tosh

Tosh  Village is surrounded by beautiful mountains and is accessible through trek . This village can be reached by bus from Kullu to Barshaini via  Kasol and Manikaran, then a  one hour trek .

This traditional village is now  has become a Hippie village as most of the foreigners used to visit Tosh  Village in district Kullu Himachal Pradesh .

Kheerganga  :-  

Kheerganga is also a panoramic trek   and  beautiful destination in Parvati valley at an altitude of 2960 metres above mean sea level .

Trek to Kheerganga is about 10  Km from Barshaini in Parvati valley . Up to Barshaini bus or can service is available from Kullu .

Kheerganga is also famous for its Geothermal Springs . It is said that Lord Shiva and Mata Parvati 's son Kartikey has done austerity at this place .

Shiva Parvati Temple 

Kheerganga trek

 

 Geothermal Springs at Manikaran:-

Manikaran 

A Famous tourist place and religious pilgrimage of Sanatan and Sikh culture is situated about 35 Km from Bhuntar on Bhuntar Manikaran road at an elevation of about 1760 metres above mean sea level in between Beas and Parvati rivers in Parvati valley .

Hot water springs Bath Pool 

It is believed that Lord Shiva and Mata Parvati had done austerity in this valley for 1100 years because of peace and beauty of this valley. Once when Mata Parvati was taking bath in the river at this place , the Mani of her ear ring lost . On searching by Ganas of Lord Shiva, they couldn't find it  ,then Lord Shiva opened his third eye and created Goddess Naina Devi , she told that the Mani is with Sheshnag in paitaal lok . 

Lord Shiva Temple 

On request Sheshnag returned the Mani and with his hissing the springs of hot water came out of earth. Thus a temple of Goddess Shree Naina Devi ji is also established here .

Goddess Shree Naina Devi ji Temple 

So this valley is dedicated to Mata Parvati and the name of this place named on Manik of her ear ring "Manikaran."

Gurudwara sahib at Manikaran 

Kirtan Hall Gurudwara 

It is also believed that Guru Nanak Dev Ji had also done austerity at this place and had done various miracles at this spot .Thus the Gurudwara at Manikaran is dedicated to Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Guru Gobind Singh ji had also come to this place .

View of Gurudwara at Manikaran 

Raghunath temple at Manikaran 

Raghunath temple  at Manikaran is also historic one as this temple was built by Raja Jagat Singh ji in 1650 AD  and in the year 1651 the idol of Raghunath was brought from Ayodhya  thus Raja Jagat Singh was recovered from illness after the establishing the idol of Raghunath in the temple .

Bhagwan Shri Ram Temple at Manikaran 

So Manikaran is offering warmth to the world , Indian citizen as well as foreigners used to feel the warmth of Geothermal springs here at Manikaran .

At Manikaran 

Great rush can be seen in this holy pilgrimage throughout the year .

View at Manikaran 

Hot water springs also called Geothermal springs are naturally occurring springs of hot water springs emerged due to heated ground water 

The heat produced is either due to magma with in the earth 's crust or due to the movement of fault in the crust and the waters are known to have healing properties with meneral contents .

River Parvati at Manikaran 

View at Manikaran 

Parvati valley is known for its hot water springs at Manikaran , Kheerganga and Kasol , the warmth and magic of which you can experience in Parvati valley ! Manikaran is also One of the very few places in India to have live hot springs , you can explore the blend of science .

Hot water springs emerged near Lord Shiva temple 

Here at Manikaran you can feel warmth both religions and natural with Geothermal springs .