Sarahan is a small town in Himachal Pradesh of India. It is the site of the Bhimakali Temple, originally known as Bhimadevi Temple (Bhīmā Kālī), dedicated to the mother goddess Bhimakali, presiding deity of the rulers of the former Bushahr State. The temple is situated about 170 kilometres from Shimla and is one of 51 Shakti Peethas. The town is known as the "gateway of Kinnaur" it being near the old Indo-Tibetan Road. [1] Seven kilometers below (17 km by road) Sarahan is the river Satluj. Sarahan is identified with the Shonitpur mentioned in Puranas. [2] Sarahan Bushahr has been the summer capital of Bushahr kingdom, with Rampur Bushahr considered the winter capital. [3] The former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Shree Virbhadra Singh is a member of royal family (Son of erstwhile king Padam Singh) and is popularly known as "Raja Sahab" at Sarahann. He has been member of the Assembly/Parliament since 1962 and has held the post of Chief Minister six times. His wife Rani Pratibha Devi is also a member of Assembly.
The Bhimakali Temple houses the "Kuldevi" (the presiding deity of the dynasty) of Bushahr Kingdom. The Bhimakali Temple contains both Hindu and Vajrayāna Buddhist statues and decorations which reflect the trade through here between India and Tibetan regions through ancient Indo-Tibetan Road. The traces of old Indo-Tibetan road still passes through Shalabag near Sarahan. Traditional wooden temple architecture is built in Kath-Kuni style. [4] Some stone images may date to Kushan era (c. 1st to 3rd centuries CE). [5]
There are two adjacent temple buildings. One is old and resurrected, and the other is relatively new. The temple is built in an Kath-Kuni style of architecture. Alternate rows of grooved and interlocked stones and wood provide strength to the walls. Thick walls with lower roofs found in typical mountainous region buildings provide warmth during winters.[ citation needed ] Bushahr kings are believed to be dynastic priests of the temple, and used to reside in temple premises before moving to palace 100 meters from the temple.
The King's and Queen's Palace are comparatively recent buildings adjacent to the temple. The palaces are generally not open for visitors, though there is some access to the garden and orchard. The royal family does not live there any longer and visits occasionally during Durga Puja Festival in October.
Jujurana is one of the protected species of birds in the region which is also the state bird of Himachal Pradesh. Pheasantry at Sarahan (500m from temple) caters to breeding of some local species of birds. The pheasantry is closed during summer, it being the breeding season.
Hawa-Ghar is a small sitting area built under canopy with views of the peaks and valley.[ citation needed ] Tall trees have grown around it now and views are obstructed. Its built 2 km uphill of Sarahan.
A stadium is built near pheasantry and a Nallah (Large Natural Drain) passes underneath it.
The Hotel Shrikhand is located at edge of the hill. Its architecture replicates that of a Bhimakali Temple. Its design and green roof can be seen while coming from Jeori.[ citation needed ]
There is a warm water stream at Jeori just ahead of turn for Sarahan on NH22. There are dedicated bathing area with changing rooms at the stream. The stream is believed to have medicative properties by locals.[ citation needed ]
Sarahan is located at 31°31′N77°48′E / 31.52°N 77.80°E . [6] It has an average elevation of 2,313 metres (7,589 feet).
The cold climate is suitable for apple farming. From November to March, the region receives moderate to heavy snowfall with intermittent rainfall. The temperature ranges from 7 ˚C to -11 ˚C. From April to July the summer season has temperatures between 10 ˚C to 28 ˚C. From August to October, the region receives moderate rainfall.
Sarahan is 564 kilometres from New Delhi and 172 kilometres from Shimla. One can travel by train to Kalka or by air to Chandigarh and then travel by road to Sarahan. People also option for the train ride from Kalka to Shimla. Taxis and jeeps can be hired to reach to Sarahan. Bus services are also available from Chandigarh, Shimla, Rampur and Jeori. It takes approximately 6 to 8 hours by road to reach Sarahan from Shimla and 9 to 11 hours from Chandigarh. Road Connectivity gets temporarily hampered during winters due to heavy snowfall at Narkanda . There is an alternate route via Sainj which bypasses Narkanda, which is used during heavy snowfall. The NH 22 forks at Jeori (153 km from Shimla and 23 km from Rampur Bushahr) towards Sarahan making an uphill U turn. Sarahan is 17 km from Jeori. Buses ply between Sarahan and Jeori at periodic interval. Finding a taxi from Jeori might be difficult. Buses, shared taxi, public carriers are frequent between Rampur and Jeori. Buses heading to Reckongpeo also drops passengers at Jeori, where they need to take another vehicle for Sarahan. There are almost no snowfall on NH22 ahead of Narkanda and up to Jeori in winters. Snow on the roads near Sarahan are promptly cleared by government agencies. The nearest petrol pumps are at Jeori and Rampur.
Shimla is the capital and the largest city of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of British India. After independence, the city became the capital of East Punjab and was later made the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. It is the principal commercial, cultural and educational centre of the state.
Solan is a city in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of Solan district. It is located 45.5 kilometres (28 mi) south of the state capital, Shimla. Solan has an average elevation of 1,550 metres (5,090 ft). The city is situated between Chandigarh and Shimla on the Kalka-Shimla National Highway-5. The narrow-gauge Kalka-Shimla railway passes through Solan. Located on the Punjab-Himachal Border, Solan is nestled in the Shivalik hills of the Himalayas.
Manali is a town, near Kullu town in Kullu district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is situated in the northern end of the Kullu Valley, formed by the Beas River. The town is located in the Kullu district, approximately 270 kilometres (170 mi) north of the state capital of Shimla and 544 kilometres (338 mi) northeast of the national capital of New Delhi. With a population of 8,096 people recorded in the 2011 Indian census Manali is the beginning of an ancient trade route through Lahaul (H.P.) and Ladakh, over the Karakoram Pass and onto Yarkand and Hotan in the Tarim Basin of China. Manali is a popular tourist destination in India and serves as the gateway to the Lahaul and Spiti district as well as the city of Leh in Ladakh.
Kinnaur district is one of the twelve administrative districts of the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India. The district is divided into three administrative areas and has six tehsils. The administrative headquarters of the district is at Reckong Peo. The revered Kinnaur Kailash mountain, one of the Panch Kailash sites, is situated in Kinnaur. As of 2011, it is the second least populous district of Himachal Pradesh, after Lahaul and Spiti.
Virbhadra Singh was an Indian politician who served 6 terms and 21 years as the 4th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. A leader of the Indian National Congress party, he was elected 9 times as a Member of Legislative Assembly to the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha and 5 times as Member of Parliament to the Lok Sabha. Virbhadra Singh was popularly known by the honorific Raja Sahib. Singh holds the distinction of being the longest serving Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, holding the office from 1983 to 1990, from 1993 to 1998, from 2003 to 2007 and finally from 2012 to 2017, when he was succeeded by the BJP's Jai Ram Thakur. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1962, 1967, 1971, 1980 and 2009. Singh served as a Union Minister in the governments of Indira Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. At the time of his demise, he was serving as an MLA from Arki constituency.
Bushahr, also spelt as 'Bashahr' and 'Bussahir' or 'Bushair' was a Rajput princely state in India during the British Raj. It was located in the hilly western Himalaya promontory bordering Tibet.
Shimla district is one of the twelve districts of the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India. Its headquarters is the state capital of Shimla. Neighbouring districts are Mandi and Kullu in the north, Kinnaur in the east, Uttarakhand in the southeast, Solan to the southwest and Sirmaur in the south. The elevation of the district ranges from 987 metres (3,238 ft) to 4,500 metres (14,764 ft).
Chail is a hill station in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is 45 kilometres (28 mi) from Solan city and 44 kilometres (27 mi) from Shimla. It is known for its salubrious beauty and virgin forests. The Chail Palace is well known for its architecture: the palace was built as a summer retreat by the Maharaja of Patiala during the British Raj, on the land allotted to him by the British for the former's assistance in the Anglo-Nepalese War. The cricket ground and a polo ground which is there at an altitude of 2,444 m are owned by the erstwhile royal family of Patiala. It is the world's highest cricket ground.
Rampur Bushahr is a town and a municipal council in Shimla district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is about 130 km from Shimla and is well connected with NH 5 which passes through Theog, Narkanda and Kumarsain.
Waknaghat is a small town in Solan district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh which falls on the way to Shimla, India from Kalka, India. It is located on National Highway 22. Waknaghat is around 22 km (14 mi) from Shimla and 25 km (16 mi) from Solan. Other nearby villages and towns are Wakna, Domehar, Aanji-Sunara, Sabathu, Mamlig, Shoghi and Kandaghat, Dhyari PG FOR BOYS BAHRA UNIVERSITY. Nearby railway stations include Kaithli-Ghat, 3 km (1.9 mi) from Waknaghat, and Kandaghat, 12 km (7.5 mi) from Waknaghat.
The Daranghati Sanctuary is located in Rampur Bushahr, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India. It has undisturbed forest areas. Monal, Tragopan, Koklas and Kalij are the pheasants found here. Some of the common animals found here are Musk deer, Goral and Thar. Forest staff posted at Dofda and Sarahan is there for advice and guidance.
Himachal Pradesh, although railways and airways serve very limited transport needs, the road network of the state serves the transport needs of the people. Although, the geography of Himachal presents considerable challenge to the development of transport infrastructure, it has the highest road density among all the Hill States of India. Himachal also has 3 airports, 2 narrow gauge rail tracks and couple of other under-construction broad gauge railway tracks, but roads remain the main mode of transport.
Baragaon is a village in Kumarsain subdivision of Shimla district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.
National Highway 5 (NH5) is a primary national highway in India, running from West to East, connecting Firozpur in Punjab to the Sino-Indian border at Shipki La. The highway passes through Moga, Jagraon, Ludhiana, Mohali, Chandigarh, Panchkula, Kalka, Solan, Shimla, Theog, Narkanda, Kumarsain, Rampur Bushahr and continues along the Sutlej River till its terminus near the Tibet border.
Hatu Peak is located in the Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh in India. It is one of the highest peaks in the region, standing at an elevation of 3400 meters (11,152ft) above sea level. The peak is surrounded by a dense forest of conifers, oaks, and maples.
Kumarsain, also known as Kumharsain, is a town in Shimla District in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Formerly under the British Raj, it was the capital of princely state of Kumharsain, which was one of the several states of the Punjab States Agency. It is about 80 km from Shimla and famous for apple and cherry orchards.
Tourism in Himachal Pradesh relates to tourism in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. This is popularly renowned for its Himalayan landscapes and popular hill-stations. Many outdoor activities such as rock climbing, mountain biking, paragliding, ice-skating, trekking, rafting, and heli-skiing are popular tourist attractions in Himachal Pradesh.
Nankhari is a Tehsil (town) and a block in Shimla district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is about 92.5 km from Shimla and 33 km from Narkanda and NH 5. It consists of 17 Gram panchayat and 102 villages.
Nand Lal is an Indian politician, who currently serves as MLA from Rampur constituency. He is associated with Indian National Congress. He is son of Pyare Lal. He was born at Deothi, Distt. Shimla. He is a Post Graduate in Political Science from Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla. He is married to Smt. Satya.
Vikramaditya Singh is an Indian politician, who currently serves as Member of Legislative Assembly from Shimla Rural constituency. He is the son of the former chief minister of Himachal Pradesh Late Virbhadra Singh. His mother is Pratibha Singh, who was a Member of Parliament from Mandi, Lok Sabha Constituency.