Driving Direction --New Delhi to Khara Pathar

Metaller

No dude. The route i am saying is a right turn from "Shahabad" which is before "Ambala". So pinjaur, solan n theog would not come in way. I am going as per the H.P Map. See the line i have drawn in attached pic.

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anupmathur

Hehe, Metaller, I haven't found my HPTDC map yet!
The route you have posted does not shown any towns; I really cannot figure out much.
While I can see that Pinjaur would not be on the route, I'd think Solan would be. Aren't you going via Rajgarh?

Metaller

Wella, I went to H.P Tourism office in delhi to ask which route I should take. They advised me that I should go via Shimla only. As the other route which I was telling is not suitable for cars. So not taking risk. Would go via route advised by that lady however i wud take cut to chail n from there fagu which wud keep off shimla.
Regards

anupmathur

This is a route to avoid Shimla town, but is not necessarily the quicker way to reach Fagu.
It is a lovely twisty road that goes from Chail to Kufri but it takes time. It is a slow route; very twisty and plenty of blind turns.
Crossing Shimla via the Cart Road does not take more than 45 minutes on any normal day. On a Sunday you could do it in 30 minutes. I've done this three times in the last two months. I tried the Chail-Kufri route and it took more time! But it is a very beautiful drive, so you might as well do it.

Metaller

Guys,

Thanks for all your suggestion about route to kharapathar. Now I would like to know that what are the places to see in kharapathar. What all places I can visit while I am there.
Please advice me.
Regards
Vibhu

anupmathur

Vibhu, you can visit the flat top mountain by way of trek.
The ancient Giri Ganga temple is mandatory, of course. You can do it as a 7 kms trek or take your car (MUV/SUV) right upto the temple.
Thukpa for breakfast at Dolma's Café, almost next to the Kharapathar temple, would make your day!

Hatkoti can also be done as a day trip - to see the beautiful Hateshwari temple.

Rohru can also be done along with Hatkoti, provided you do not intend to attempt the Chanshal Pass. If Chanshal is on the agenda, it would make sense to stay overnight at the HPTDC Hotel Chanshal, Rohru, overnight to allow for an early start the next morning. You could then carry on to the pristine villages of Dodra and Kwar, beyond Chanshal Pass.

Metaller

Anupmathur....thx for guiding me for some trekking(which i desperately wanna do, I havent done it even once) but as I wud be going wid family so dont think wud be able to do it. Yeah but HATESHWARI TEMPLE COMPLEX, Hatkoti, GIRI GANGA, is for sure in my radar. i dont think i cud visit Rohru as i wud stay there for 2 nights only, so one day practically. We wud be moving to the next halt viz wud be beyond "tatta pani". near karsog valley. but for sure wud try to cover as much as possible. will put pics and a small write up as well.

Metaller

Hey Guys! it was a wondeful trip to kharapathar. one more mind blowing place to get refreshed. one more peaceful place to give rest to eyes. what a place with beauty it is. i cudnt stop myself from looking at it and taking as many pics as i can. feel so sorry for coming back to this messy city life from that "standing still" time place. i did trekking as well to "giri ganga" temple in the forest. awesum xperience it was. what a trek it is and what a temple it is in the lap of valley/nature. time was very less so cudnt stay there for long time else it is a place to stay for atleast 3 or 4 hrs. here are some pics.

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anupmathur

Welcome back, Vibhu!
Glad to know you had a nice trip.
Waiting for a travelogue!

Metaller

Okay Guys! Here is the travelogue. As I am always a desperate soul for travelling and even more when its a new place, which kharapathar was. The group included me, my wife, mom n dad and my uncle. Vehicle was Innova. The target to start from delhi was around 3am 30th Aug, however, we got late with one hr which was not "OK" as per me . So we
moved from delhi around 4am with all boiling xcitement in me to visit our very own Himachal Pradesh full of beauty.
We took halt at Oasis for tea and streched ourselves. Then again after 30mins brake we started. The route till
panchkula was amazing, after that the roads were bad. crossed pinjaur, kalka. The moment we reached parwanoo the
weather changed to mind blowing....we could see the hills covered with black and white clouds, the fresh wind. I
started taking long breaths....I was so happy to be away from the messy city life and near nature. We crossed solan
and when we reached "shogi", we took a so called short cut which led us to "dhalli". Though it was not short cut as
it was around 20Km or so long however, we saved ourselves from "Shimla" traffic. Finally we reached "Kufri" with
awesum weather welcoming us. All fog/clouds all over the place. Had to wear jacket as it started getting chilly.

Stopped there for tea and breakfast. Had Paronthas and hot tea, took few snaps in mist. Then as we started from
Kufri the ride became tuff. The mist was so heavy that the driver was unable to see road. So the drive was very slow
till "Theog". The roads getting worst after "Theog". Car got few bumps and driver was bit frustrated due to the
roads and he started saying that he would never come back here again. We stopped at a small tea shop where driver
could wash his car from outside atleast which was nasty as it can be due to muddy road. I took H.P map with me so
thankfully didnt get lost anywhere. As we crossed "Kotkhai", the apple orchards started. So we stopped our car near
an orchard and plucked few GREEN apples and started eating them. Well all of us were so tired and anxious that how
far is this "Kharapathar". Finally after taking one right turn, the beauty appeared with a valley covered with
clouds and nature showing its different colours. I asked the driver to stop the car so that I could see the beauty
which god has created for us to n'joy. I gazed at the beauty for atleast 15 mins. And then we reached "Giri Ganga"
hotel. Got into rooms and re-freshed ourselves. From the balcony i was just looking at the wonder we have in our
country which "I know" will not be there once the place will becum a commercial place.

We stayed there for two nights. 2nd day we visited "Hateshwari Temple" and Jubbal. 2nd half of the day we just rested. On 1st Sep early morning around 5:30am, me and my wife got up for trekking to "Giri Ganga Temple". The trek was a bit heavy for us as we are not regular trekker. But it was quite xciting. We srated at 6:45am from hotel. Both of us wore raincoat beforehand as the weather changes in a click at hills. The trek is awesum. The temperaure started dipping as we climbed up, Would be around 11D or 12D. We asked one person in way how far is the temple, in return he suggested us a short cut. We took that short cut and realise that we have to climb a steep height. But what else we could do so we took that shortcut. As we reached near temple we saw that the path was full of mud which is going for temple. I thought we would be able to cross it but a tragedy happened with me. As I was going through that mud, I got my one foot stuck in mud and when I pulled it out. My shoe was deep in that mud and my foot with my socks on was out of that with socks and foot covered with mud. And my other foot was almost covered with mud. I realised that anyways I am all messed up so no point in struggling more. Then one guy came from near shop at the corner and settled few wood plates for my wife so she could cross it. Some how while walkin on the edges we reached the temple. We washed our hands and feet and socks with chilling water running in river Ganga. We asked if there is any tea shop around. To our surprise nothing was there. The Pandit ji still had to do his prayers before he could prepare tea for us. We had our apple and biscuit and planned to move back as our mobiles couldnt catch any network. So we thought that before parents would start worrying. We should move back to reach on the other side of the hill where our mobiles could catch the signals.

So unluckly we couldnt stay there for more than 20mins. Which is a very less time to n'joy the beauty of the temple and its ambiance. I wish I had any idea that I would get nothing there then we would have carried our own tea and snack and sat there for atleast 2 hrs to get relaxed. We reached back at hotel around 10:40am and had our b'fast. We moved from there as we had to reach other destination. After kharapathar we stayed for 3 nights at Chindi and 1 night at Kasauli.

So over all it was a mind blowing trip and as I reached back to delhi i was all upset to see this messy lifestyle.

anupmathur

Great account there, Vibhu!
But you'll have to post one in the travelogues section, with pics!

Metaller

"Great account there, Vibhu!
But you'll have to post one in the travelogues section, with pics!"

And how do I do that?

anupmathur

LOL, I am not too sure myself!
Guess it goes into the Journals section!

indracal

Could not resist myself from posting the links - these contains pics of the HP PWD guest house there. Seems it's maintained really well!

http://www.oktatabyebye.com/hotels/h...ra-pathar.html (posted by the same Shobhit Keral I guess)

http://www.oktatabyebye.com/picture-...vel-photo.html contains interior pics of the PWD bungalow.

__________________
Did you wear the other person's shoe today?

Metaller

Hey anupmathur

Done through Journals as well but without pics.