India, a land of variety and beauty occupies a strategic position in Asia. India is one of the oldest civilizations. The name India is derived from its great river “ Indus”. It a place we all are proud of.
In India, there is an ancient Sanskrit dictum: “ ATITHI DEVO BHAVA “ – Treat a guest as if he were God himself. For thousand of years this land of magic and mystique has lured distant travelers and we have been treating everybody as God.
Let me now take you to one of the most beautiful and magical place “KULLU”.
"Surely the Gods live here; this is no place for men", wrote Rudyard Kipling of Kullu, India’s valley of the gods. Located in the charming Kullu valley in Himachal Pradesh and set amongst the lower reaches of the mighty Himalayas, the small town of Kullu is famous for its temples, apple orchards, and the annual Dussehra festival, all of which attract hordes of tourists. Kullu is also known for its handicrafts. Beyond the town’s perimeter loom the magnificent greater Himalayas and the silver valley bisected by the Beas River.
Though I have been to kullu only once and it was only for two days I could stay there, I enjoyed every bit of staying there. Though it is very difficult to describe the beauty of it in words, still I have tried to put in words, rest is still alive in my heart. And it was because of my uncle that I know so much about the history of Kullu. He was the one who guided us and explained every little bit of it.
Kullu was once known as "Kulanthpitha", which means the end of the habitable world. Beyond rose the forbidding heights of the Greater Himalayas, and by the banks of the shining river Beas, lays the fabled ’Silver Valley’ of Kulu. Here is the core of an intricate web of numerous valleys - each of which is a visual delight and seems more beautiful than the other. The Himalayan mountain scapes remain spectacular whether in brilliant sunshine or in the haze of the mist. The town of Kullu has long been a centre of faith. In the 17th century, Raja Jagat Singh installed here an idol of Lord Raghunathji, which he brought from Ayodhya. As a mark of his penance, he placed the idol on his throne and it became the presiding deity of the Kullu valley. The town of Kulu is famous for its colourful Dussehra festival. Decorated palanquins and processions convey Gods and Goddesses from temples all over the valley to Kullu, to pay homage to the reigning deity, Raghunathji. A Fair springs up during the festival, which is celebrated with a great deal of singing, dancing and festivity.
Whenever one travels to Kullu the places that must be seen are:
Raghunathji Temple: In the 17th century, Raja Jagat Singh of Kullu committed a great wrong. To atone for the sin he sent a senior courtier to Ayodhya for a statue of Lord Raghunath - Lord Ram. This temple was built by Raja Jagat Singh to house the image and even today, is greatly revered. The shrine houses an image of Shri Raghunath in his chariot.
Vaishno Devi Temple: 4-km along the Kullu to Manali road is this temple with a small cave having an image of goddess Vaishno or Durga. I remember due to weather we could not at that time take the blessings of Mataji. It was during my graduation that we had again come to jammu for the blessings of Mataji.
Sultanpur Palace: It contains some fine examples of the Kullu style of miniature painting, characterised by simple rural scenes and the lack of human subjects
The best time to visit Kullu is May to Jue and from September to October.
There are many ways to travel to kullu. One can go via Plane, the nearest airport is Bhuntar, which is around 10 km from kulu, further from there buses and taxes are available easily.
By train the closest narrow gauge railhead is at jogindernagar, 95 km from kullu.
Kullu- From Delhi and Shimla, luxury buses ply to Kullu. There’s a bus and taxi stand on the opposite side of maidan. The main bus stand is by river in the northern area of the town
It is one place I will never forget though it was just two day trip but the beauty is just difficult to put in words.