My 🏔️ Himachal Pradesh Diary 🌄 Road-trip Rally: Chandigarh → Rampur → Sarahan by Mahindra Thar 🚙
The tall stance of the Mahindra Thar gave me a brilliant view. The SUV bounced tremendously as we hit the circling dirt roads of Himachal, leaving the smooth roads of Chandigarh behind.
The clock showed a little over 12.30 pm, and hunger knocked at the door. We entered Himachal’s green folds, heading towards Sarahan via Rampur — and what a ride it turned out to be
Scenic Mountains 🏞️
I parked the THAR beside the hill road as we stopped for lunch, which included hot parathas and curry. Rampur Bushahr’s village encircled the areaWe soaked up the village charm, gave a bit of rest to the aching legs and hands after driving the THAR across the hairpin hilly road bendsA playful Alsatian dog toyed with a plastic bottle near Sarahan as we relished the spicy lunch
The Scattered Hilly Towns🏘️
The weather over a mountain mass keeps changing. A cool wind blew over the valley, ricocheting off the hills around. Dense tree branches moved in the air and drew contrasting patterns with the western sun as the backdropThe National Highway 5 is very scenic. It connects Punjab and weaves across the mountainous Himachal and buts into the Shipki La pass. The beauty of this road is its frequent crisscrossing of the Sutlej RiverThe highway narrowed down and entered the Rampur Sarahan town. The close-set houses huddled over the roads, making the entire area very congested. Interestingly, after pushing through the traffic, we drove towards a brilliant landscape drawn colorfully by nature
Changing Terrain🌄
The lesser Himalayan foothills with the dense vegetation and clear sky started changing. As we climbed, our THAR needed more power as the elevation increased, the distant and rugged, and lofty Kailash Kinnaur ranges played hide and seek through murky cloudsOur ascent brought us closer to the charming town of Shimla. The city provided breathtaking views of the snow-covered Himalayas aroundThe winding Himalayan road passed through a welcome sign or a decorated gate from Shimla. Tall pine trees, house roofs in the Elizabethan style, and a delightful hill cuisine culture created fairytale-like surroundings.
Rugged Mountains Ahead🏔️
A blue board above gave us a hint that about 65 kilometers away Rampur nestled in the hills, where we would break for the nightThe sun went down, the cold increased, and the narrow roads told us that we were heading towards the greater Himalayas. A very comfortable night halt awaited us
We will explore the homestay with you NEXT ☺️💚
Inference
🌍 Once you arrive in Sarahan, visit the Bhimakali Temple
🚶♂️Stroll around the town, enjoy the palace view (Shrikhand View Palace) & vantage overlooking Satluj valley
🌟 Sarahan was the summer capital of the former princely state of Bushahr
🛍️ You can buy diverse handcrafted treasures
Distance from Chandigarh – Rampur, Sarahan via Shimla
273 Kms
Best time to travel
Late March through early November
What can you buy as gift items?
Woollen wear: shawls, caps (especially local “Kinnauri caps”), warm socks. Local jams, preserves & fruits: Apple jam/apricot jam and fresh fruits from orchards around the area
Main attraction
The Bhimadevi or Bhimakali temple
Travel Tips
My 🏔️ Himachal Pradesh Diary – The Mystical Bhimakali Temple in Sarahan🛕
SPITFIRE GAUTAM 