EP -1 Manali to Lahaul Valley | Rohtang Pass, Sissu Waterfall | Himachali Food, Himachal Pradesh
Namaskar friends! Welcome to Visa2explore! This is your host, Harish Bali. Right now, we are in Manali, in Himachal Pradesh. We are about to leave for Rohtang Pass.
We haven't left Manali yet. But we have already witnessed the traffic to Rohtang Pass. This is from where the cars will proceed towards Rohtang Pass at a slow pace. We will also face jam. Because we are going to Rohtang Pass during the peak season.
By the way, it is peak season also for Manali. The taxi is ready to take us to Rohtang Pass. After Rohtang, we have to reach Tandi, Keylong, by the end of the day.
I am now showing you the view of Beas river in Manali. See, this is it! Just imagine, you are sitting atop a rock, somewhere and... ...the water is flowing by your side at this speed. So beautiful! It is looking nice! Good! Right now, the time is 8 AM. Now, I can't make any judgement about what time we will reach Rohtang.
But, it could take us anytime between 5-7 hours. Today is Sunday. That is another reason why today's traffic would be heavy. It has been at least 2.15 hours since we left Manali. In the first leg of the journey, we faced jam at several places and the traffic moved too slowly. Now, for the last 5 KM...
... there has been no jam. Let me now show you the place where we chose to stop for a while. See! The road is like this. We are about 5 KM from Raghu Bhai tells me that in the last one month, he hasn't seen the road this empty. He says since this is for the first time in this season, it means we are lucky today!!! Well, these days, tourists leave Manali around 3.30 or 4.00 AM to go to Rohtang Pass.
But that was not the case about 7-8 years ago, tourists... ...used to leave around 5.30 or 6.00 AM. But now they prefer to leave two hours earlier. You don't really see the road while coming up on it but once you look at it from this height... ...only then are you able to understand how this road has been constructed in these mountains. On that side, I can see a waterfall. We had passed that Fall earlier.
See this Fall. Isn't it lovely! Let us move forward now. It is 10.15 AM and we haven't had breakfast yet. We will have our breakfast at Marhi.
We have reached Marhi. Usually, the tourists travelling from Manali to Rohtang... ...halt here for sure. They either have breakfast here or just a cup of tea. You can relax here and, of course, enjoy the scenic view. I can see 10-12 dhabas here. Marhi didn't look anything like this when I last visited here.
At that time, there were permanent structures like the ones you see now. There is proper outdoor seating space. There is proper parking space as well. Rohtang Pass is 17 KM from here.
Let us go to one of these dhabas. There, we'll have breakfast. I have ordered an aloo-pyaaz prantha (stuffed flatbread) for myself. I asked for dahi (yogurt) with it.
It is good! I am not in any hurry, usually while I am travelling. Now, see, I am eating paranthas comfortably. Adding black salt to the dahi has made it tastier. Here... I am talking of Marhi...
...I have proper mobile network on my Jio sim card. But there will be no network when we will go further. There is no network in Rohtang either. During the last 15 KM journey on the way to Rohtang... ...we could see paragliding activity taking place at every few kilometers. I asked my guide just now and he says, the charges are Rs 4000 per person. The flight goes on for 7-8 minutes.
Obviously, there will be a pilot accompanying you. I have done paragliding just once in my life. When I visited Bir Billing in Himachal Pradesh... ...and never after that. To be honest, after that I didn't even feel like indulging in this activity.
This looks like a fun activity, but once you are airborne, you are a little scared as well. I mean you don't feel scared once you are up in the air. You feel most scared while doing that 30 meter run before takeoff. We have to travel for another 6 K before we reach the Rohtang Pass. Roadside snow is already visible to us. Seven years ago, when I visited Manali...
...I had shot two videos here. One was a detailed video on Manali. The second one was an exclusive video about Rohtang Pass. I still remember... ...we left Manali at 9.30 AM to go to Rohtang... ...and we could reach there only by 4 PM. At that time, I had also enjoyed a slide-ride over snow. That was a lot of fun! Even today, we will get to see lots of snow in Rohtang. But now, after my Meniscus Tear knee surgery, I won't be able to slide in the snow Just 4 KM short of Rohtang...
...look at the traffic jam on the road. Look at the scene here. The vehicles are lined up behind each other. I can see this queue of vehicles till far off, which means this traffic jam extends up to Rohtang. Do you see the Himachal Roadways bus behind us? I just asked the driver about how much time does it take to travel from Manali to Rohtang? He told me that the bus starts from Manali at 6 AM. A bus leaves Manali every 30 minutes between 6 and 10 AM.
You can book a bus ticket, both offline and online, a day in advance. Offline booking can be done at Manali bus stand. Right! Now that we are at a height... ...I am feeling short of breath. The air in Rohtang is, anyways, low in oxygen. Now, we've decided that 4 KM is not a very big deal, that too on the road.
If we go this way, we will reach Rohtang hardly in 30-45 minutes. So, it would be better to climb the mountain, like this, and reach Rohtang. If we wait here, we might have to wait till 2.30 PM. If someone has to go to Spiti via Rohtang... ...this is the route you'll take. You will pass through Gramphu, Khoksar,...
...and Chandra Taal, to reach Kaza. Maximum tourists travel to Manali via Spiti. They enter from Shimla and then exit at Manali. But talking to tourists here, I have learned that at present... 30-40% of tourists are going from Manali. They face difficulty because of the sudden elevation. There is zero plantation around.
Apart from the breathing problem, they feel nausea, headache, etc. While visiting Spiti, we learned that you should travel from Shimla side. That way, you would enjoy better and your health won't suffer.
Because you elevate gradually while travelling from Shimla. Come, let us go to the Rohtang Pass. Just now, I visited the Vyas Mandir... ...and had darshan of Ved Vyas Ji in the 'pindi' form. This is the same place from where the Vyas river originated.
After paying obeisance, I took some water in my hand from the place of origin of the river... ...and drank it. The water was really cold. It felt good! Now, look at the surroundings. All this is Rohtang Pass area.
It doesn't feel cold because the sun is shining bright. But there is a wind blowing. I am enjoying it. Usually, if there are clouds in the sky and no sunshine at Rohtang Pass... ...you can feel too cold. Because of the wind! Come, let us move forward.
This is the Rohtang Pass landmark, which says its altitude is 13,058 feet. A photograph clicked here becomes a lifetime memory! Great! I remember when I was returning from Leh... ...I travelled through five mountain passes on the way. While travelling towards Manali, I mean. We used to stop at every pass.
And we used to get photographed. I still have those photographs and I have got them enlarged. And I have put them in an album. Excellent! Good! There was a lot of snow in the backdrop of the place where we just clicked photographs.
So, we decided to walk 200-300 meters ahead. We are here now. Look at all this snow! It feels awesome to stand on all this snow! At the Rohtang Pass...
...I am enjoying the full taste of maggi. Its cost is Rs 80. I saw five minutes ago too... ...such sheep travelling alongside on the road. People who travel with these sheep belong to the Gaddi tribe.
If you travel to Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh... ...or to Patnitop in Jammu region... ...wherever you go into high altitude locations... ...even in the rest of Jammu and Kashmir... ...you will find such tribal people everywhere. They live a hard life, like walking for two months straight, to reach from one place to another. We reached Rohtang at around 12 PM. The time, right now, is 2.15 PM.
We have been roaming here for more than two hours now. We had lot of fun. The charges for ice skating are Rs 1000. If you want to ride a snow-bike, which runs on a roller,... ...its charge is Rs 500, which... ...is of 7-8 minutes duration while ice skating is for 45 minutes. Overall, after every visit to Rohtang Pass, you want to come back again.
Well, that is true of both Manali and Rohtang. Now I have to go back 2-3 KM to the place where our car is parked. Then, we will come back this way in our car because we have to go to Sissu. Right! That is our programme going forward.
So, we will join you again in a short while. In today's journey to Rohtang, I've observed that... ...traffic jam is a serious problem. While going towards Rohtang in car, I was thinking what is the big deal about a 1-KM stretch. But the traffic is moving too slowly. Now, we have travelled 200-300 meters more. So, the car travels for some distance and then some tempo-traveller enters the queue...
...and the car cannot pass through. Due to that... ...we ended up walking for another 15-20 minutes. Now, I can see some traffic movement. We are waiting for our driver to reach us with the car.
He is here! Oh Bhai! Very good! Come to that side. As they say,... ...the journey is more enjoyable than the destination. Rohtang was the destination of our journey today.
But I am having same level of fun here as I had in Rohtang. We have travelled about 10 KM from Rohtang. The view that I can see from this spot... ...the wind that I feel on my face... ...it is mindblowing!! I don't have a better word to describe this feeling! Whenever I am in such a natural environment,... ...I feel like getting down from the car and.. ...just walk down the road till far! Do you know which area am I reminded of today? When we were travelling in Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh... ...we travelled to Chumig Gyatse via Bumla Pass. All these mountains, this landscape....
...remind me of that journey. Very good! 8 or 10 years ago... ...if someone had to travel to Spiti or Ladakh... ...the only route available was from Manali via Rohtang Pass. During winter season, when this route used to be closed... ...at that time, Spiti, Ladakh, Lahaul Valley, Pangi Valley,... ...used to get completely disconnected from Manali. After the construction of Atal Tunnel, you can travel in this region throughout the year. We wanted to go to Lahaul Valley via Rohtang Pass. That is why we took this route.
If we had to go directly to Sissu, we would have gone through the Atal Tunnel. If you are a first-time visitor to Manali... ...it would be better for your stay in Manali. You must spend at least three days in Manali because it is really a good hill station. If you are coming here during peak season, the traffic might become too much. But if you have already visited Manali 2-3 times... ...you might obviously want to stay in Sissu or Keylong. In that case, one can enjoy a 3-night stay in either of these two places.
Then, one can spend one night in Manali, while on their way back. Right now, we are moving forward to Sissu. Right now, we are going to visit the Sissu waterfall. I was feeling famished.
So, the path leading us to the waterfall.. ...also has Atal Cafe. Right now, I am sitting outside the Atal Cafe. We ordered a vegetable sandwich for ourselves quickly. I really liked the location of this cafe.
You realise that you are sitting at an amazing place! Right in front of us is the hill with a view of the Fall. To visit the Sissu Waterfall, we have to take this zipline. The ticket charge is Rs 300 per person. It took us not even a minute, hardly 40 or 50 seconds, to reach the other side.
We didn't even realise when we had crossed over. When I visited Manali last time... ...I watched this waterfall from the road, while passing Sissu. Since then, I had wanted to go near the waterfall.
By God! What an amazing view! When I see Sissu Fall from the roadside... ...it feels good. But to see it from here, 'good' would be a very small word to describe the feeling! Standing here, I can only think of why didn't I come here earlier. I have visited Manali several times... ...but I never realised that I would trek up to this waterfall. So beautiful! If you look at the flow of this water, you will get an idea that...
..this is a lot of water flowing down. Looking at this downward stream, you will get an idea of the volume of water. Come, let's go closer! Oh God! Mindblowing! Uff! Ahh! I cannot describe in words... ...the kind of view I am seeing right now. Amazing! The water flowing from above... ...is hitting the rocks below... ...throwing water droplets in every direction. If you stand near that rock.... ...it won't take you even 30 seconds to get drenched completely. Right now, I am at least 50-60 meters away from the waterfall. Despite that...
....the droplets are reaching me too. Crazy! Do you know where else I have seen such a Fall? When I visited North Sikkim. I might have visited more such waterfalls after that but... ...looking at the flow of this waterfall and the flying droplets... ...I think in the last five years.... ...or in four years, I haven't seen such a waterfall. So beautiful! Right now, I want to click a few photographs with the waterfall in the backdrop. Once I reach home, I will enlarge those photographs... ...and frame them before putting them up on a wall. That should give you an idea about how much impressed I am here.
This was all about the Fall. Now, let us talk about the surroundings. There is greenery on this side. There are tall mountains on the other side. And, in front of us, as I told you earlier... ..I can see snow on the mountains. We have reached a higher altitude.
Very good! Now, I will join you again in a short while. In another five minutes, we will be at the zipline point. I forgot to tell you while I was coming here...
...that there is also a beautiful lake here. Right behind the place where we ate sandwiches. Behind the Atal Cafe! From here, I will show you the aerial view of the lake. Isn't it beautiful! Now, by the time we will cross on the zipline, till then...
..the daylight wouldn't be available, so I thought that... ...before that happens, let us enjoy an aerial view of the lake. You can also enjoy boating on the lake. I really enjoyed it here. I don't have a better word to express my feelings. Come, let''s go! Wearing this helmet has reminded me of an old memory. When I had gone for river rafting in Rishikesh... ...there, I fell into the water... .....while doing river rafting. And after that my helmet came off.
The boatman threw his oar towards me. I thought he threw the oar because he lost his grip. He kept pointing towards the oar. And I thought he wanted me to hand over his oar to him.
I was surprised that while I was fighting for my life.... ...he was asking for his oar! Once I was back in the back, I realised that... ...he was actually asking me to keep the oar in my hand so that I don't strike against a rock. That is how you recall old memories sometimes. Oh, I thought we were shaking hands. (laughter) Okay, good enough! We have reached Atal Cafe for dinner! Before I left here, I told them I wanted to eat a few dishes of Himachali cuisine! So, what are we eating here now? Where should I start from? Let's start from here.
This dish is 'Rajma Madra' (kidney beans curry). In Himachal Pradesh, whenever you will visit the Mandi or Kangra regions... ...everyone knows this dish is cooked, not just in these two regions, but everywhere in Himachal. And this is Gobhi Palda (cauliflower curry). This is something that I have heard of for the first time. Gobhi pieces are fried and then cooked in a curd-based gravy.
This is 'Sepu Vadi.' Urad Dal is boiled and cakes are made out of it. Those cakes are then fried. After this whole process, the fried cakes are cooked in a spinach gravy! First of all, let me taste all three dishes.
This is the Sepu Vadi I was talking about. Lovely! If given a chance, I would like to attend a wedding in Himachal Pradesh. Apart from these dishes, a Himachali wedding Dham (feast) consists of many more dishes. Some of the dishes are different, depending upon different regions.
Some of the dishes in a Kangra Dham would be different. On the Mandi side, you will have different dishes in what is called a "Mandiyali Dham." I could never imagine...
...that Gobhi could be cooked in a curd-based gravy... ...and it could taste so heart-warming. There are some whole spices too added to the gravy. The prominent flavours are that of fennel seeds and dried fenugreek leaves. It is fragrant because of those.
And it is also a little sour because of the curd. I had assumed that the Rajma here would have lot of ghee. I thought so because...
...while I was on a tour of Dalhousie-Khajiar, and on the way to Chamba... ...I ate 'Chambiali Rajma' (Rajma cooked in Chamba style of cooking). Correct! There, I was told that... ...they serve as much ghee as is the quantity of the rajma. So, since then, the Chambiali Rajma has been on my mind. That is why I was expecting as much ghee here too, but this is a different recipe. Here, it is not about the ghee but about the flavours. I can smell the fragrance of curd, because curd has been used to cook this gravy. And, as I told you, all three dishes are low on spices.
You will get to experience a different flavour. This is Himachali Pulao! I was told that it contains dry fruit. It also has dried apple.
And they also add pineapple to it. It is not every day that you get to eat a pulao like this. In fact, in the past, whenever I have travelled in Himachal... ...I haven't got to taste this pulao. This is the first time. Now, we are going to Tandi from here.
In Tandi, we will be staying at a homestay, which is... ...6 -7 KM from the Sangam (confluence of rivers) in Tandi. We will reach the homestay... ...and, obviously, we will finish our data-copying work. And then we would call it a day! So, I am ending this episode here. I am feeling very tired today.
Because ever since I've left Delhi, I haven't really slept well. Last night also, I didn't sleep well. So, today I want to sleep on time.
So that tomorrow we wake up fresh after 7-8 hours of sleep. Tomorrow, we are going to Udaipur. There is one Udaipur in Rajasthan and another in Himachal Pradesh. Our plan is to spend tomorrow night in Udaipur. Right! So, today's episode ends here.
I also wanted to go to Keylong and visit some sightseeing points there but... ...we are late now. So, Keylong won't be possible. Right! I will now say bye-bye to you. Will see you soon!
Thanks for your time! It is obvious that you will like it when you'll visit this lake here. But what you'll enjoy more than that is the 360-degree view from this spot. And enjoy nature properly.
2024-08-07 10:48
