Barot Valley
The village of Barot, which was built in the 1920s for the Shanan Hydel Project, is today a popular tourist destination in the Himachal Pradesh state of India. Before a road was completed in 1975, getting to Barot was challenging. It is located 65 kilometers from Mandi, the district headquarters, and 40 km from Jogindernagar.
The Jogindernagar-Mandi Highway is where the route to Barot splits off; the distance is 40 kilometers. The route can sometimes be shortened to 12 kilometers by taking the funicular trolley from Jogindernagar. Terraced meadows and dense cedar forests line the road as it ascends to Jhatingri at the top of the hill. Here are the remains of the old kings of Mandi’s summer palace.
Things to Do:
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Water Reservoir Barot: It is a beautiful place for tourists to visit and completely surrounded by cedar trees and woods. Here you can spent your pleasant time with nature. Not to stay.
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O Point Barot: It’s a small fall point where you can enjoy tea and Maggi. Not very much crowded and right in nature’s lap. A beautiful place to relax and refresh yourself. A calm and peaceful environment leads to a rejuvenated life with a healthy and pollution-free environment.
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Lohardi Waterfalls: Lohardi is approximately 7.2 kms but the route is scenic and Uhl river flows all the way with you, lots of waterfalls dot the drive. Lohardi waterfall is one of them.
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Uhl River: The valley’s only naturally occurring body of water is the Uhl River, which rises from the Thamsar Glacier in the Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas. It is one of the best places to visit in Barot since it enables visitors to engage in outdoor activities like camping and fishing.
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Kohar Uparli Waterfall: Kohar Uparli Waterfall is a tourist attraction is located in Multhan tehsil of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh, India. It is situated 118km away from district headquarters of Multhan.
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Ghatasani-Barot Road: Ghatasani Barot Road is a boundary road. It stretches for a length of 13.85 Kms in subdistrict Padhar of the district Mandi.
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Shanan Hydel Project: The Shanan Hydel project was the main driver of the Barot Valley’s growth. It was India’s first megawatt-capacity hydroelectric facility. It was built by the British with the help of the monarch of Jogindernagar, and the Punjab State Electricity Board now has jurisdiction over it.
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Winch Camp: Himachal Pradesh, blessed with an abundance of hill retreats, is where you may experience nature’s allure in its purest form. This Himalayan state has numerous communities, untold tales, and less-traveled locations. The center of Himachal Pradesh is Joginder Nagar, surrounded by the beautiful Dhauladhar Mountains in the north and lesser hills in the south. This secluded hillside refuge hasn’t been affected by city life yet.
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Bir Billing: Bir is a small village in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh situated west of the Joginder Nagar Valley. It is India’s Paragliding Capital. The Bir Tibetan Colony, established in the early 1960s as a colony for Tibetan exiles following the 1959 Tibetan Uprising, is also there.
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Khir Ganga Ghat: Khir Ganga is a tiny village located in Parvati Valley at an altitude of 3050 m, 64 km from Kullu, 56 km from Bhuntar, 22 km from Manikaran, and 102 km from Manali. Traveling there from Barsheni or Kullu takes two days and requires an 11-kilometer climb. One of the best trekking locations in Himachal Pradesh is Khir Ganga. A hot spring can be found in the sacred location of Khir Ganga. A temple honoring Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati exists. Khir Ganga is a significant Hindu sacred site because, according to mythology, Kartikeya, the younger son of Lord Shiva and Parvati, meditated there for a thousand years.
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Tashi Jong Khampagar Monastery: The distance from Palampur to Tashi Jong Buddhist Monastery is around 15 kilometers. The monastery may be found in Tashi Jong village; a tiny rural community positioned halfway between Paprola and Taragarh. This monastery, one of the schools of the Kagyu tradition founded by the 8th Khamtrul Rinpoche, Dongyu Nyima, is home to the Drugpa Kagyu school of Buddhism. The main temple, Khamtrul Rinpoche’s stupa, and the Yamantak Retreat Center, which is closed to the general public, are all located within the monastery complex.
- Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary: Another significant draw of the valley is the Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary, located on the other side of the Uhl River. Numerous animal species, including the Himalayan Monal, Black Bear, and Ghoral, call it home. This wildlife sanctuary’s lush forests are traversed on the hike to Kullu.
- Dharamshala: The Indian state of Himachal Pradesh contains the city of Dharamshala. The Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile are located in this hillside city, surrounded by cedar forests on the edge of the Himalayas. The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives is home to thousands of priceless manuscripts, while the Thekchen Chöling Temple Complex serves as the spiritual headquarters for Tibetan Buddhism.
- Bishtaru Top: The tourist destination Bishtaru Top is in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, India. The location of Bishtaru Top is in Brahman, Himachal Pradesh, India, 175012. There are at least 45 spots that we are covering close to Bishtaru Top, one of the many listed places in the area.
- Masroor Rock Temple: The revered Masroor Rock Temple, which is 47.4 kilometers from Barot, is well recognized for its impressive rock-carved temples. These rock-cut temples were built in the eighth century and are exquisitely made. The primary shrine includes a stone statue of Sita, Laxman, and Ram, as well as a figure of Shiva in the middle.
- Kareri Lake: The primary area for walking is Kareri Lake, located 10 kilometers from Barot. The water flowing here is incredibly clear, with magnificent glacier water and mountain streams all year. One only needs to follow the Nyund stream from the settlement, which leads directly to the lake.
- Jogini Falls: In Himachal Pradesh, there is a stunning waterfall called Jogini or Jogni Falls close to Vashisht Village, which is located 4 kilometers from Vashisht Temple and 7.5 kilometers from Manali Bus Stand. A stream that merges into the Beas River further down creates the fall. Trekking from Vashisht Temple will bring you to the waterfall. It is one of the most well-known sites to visit in Himachal and one of the most well-liked spots to visit in Manali. One of the top attractions you need to include in your Manali vacation packages is this.
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Fishing
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Trekking
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Camping
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Nature Walk
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Paragliding
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Rock Climbing
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Colonel’s Barot Highland Retreat & AstroCamp
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The Heimat Resort
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Wild Highs Resort: Luxury Camps
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Colonel’s Resort
By Air
The closest airport, located at Gaggal in the District of Kangra, HP, is around 114 kilometers away. Another airport is located at Bhuntar in the District of Kullu, HP, about 123 kilometers away.
By Train
The narrow gauge railway line that runs from Jogindernagar to Pathankot’s terminus, Jogindernagar, is where the nearest train station is located. Northern Railways, a part of Indian Railways, runs the line.
By Road
Barot is 25 kilometers from National Highway 20. A village called Ghatasani on the Mandi-Joginder Nagar route, 14 km from Joginder Nagar and 65 km from Mandi serves as the departure point for the detour to Barot. Jhatingri and Tikkan are on the Ghatasni-Barot road. The road follows the Uhl River from Tikkan to Barot. Although not one way, a significant chunk of this road is single lane.
Public buses connect Barot with Mandi, Jogindernagar, and Palampur. Barot is also a stop for buses going to Kothikodh, Bada Gran, and Luhardi.
Places To Visit |
Distances From Barot Valley |
Water Reservoir Barot |
700 m |
O Point Barot |
8 km |
Lohardi waterfa;; |
10 km |
Uhl River |
11.5 km |
Kohar Uparli Waterfall |
20 km |
Ghatasani-Barot Road |
20 km |
Shanan Hydel Project |
28 km |
Winch Camp |
31 km |
Bir Billing |
45 km |
Khir Ganga Ghat |
52 km |
Tashi Jong Khampagar Monastery |
56 km |
Gunehar waterfall |
57 km |
Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary |
65 km |
Dharamshala |
110 km |
Bishtaru Top |
131 km |
Masroor Rock Temple |
137 km |
Kareri Lake |
138 km |
Jogini Falls |
153 km |
Best Time To Visit
All months are suitable for visiting this charming village, with the exception of those with severe rains when the roads may deteriorate. Roads can be blocked by landslides for an uncertain amount of time. The winter months of December through February are fairly cold, and Barot experiences significant snowfall during this time.
Conclusion
Due to its wide range of unrestricted outdoor activities and picturesque settings, Barot in Himachal Pradesh has a lot of potentials to draw tourists from all over the world.
But once more, such locations would be best off without commercialization or tourist-related activity, which would undoubtedly diminish their beauty. So, when you go, we ask that you do so in the Himalayas responsibly.
You would love to spend some quality time with your loved ones there amid nature because Barot is one of the rare spots that can provide you with a respite from the hectic city life. It is a beautiful location that transports you back in time. So get outside and soak up the magic of this location, where you may admire nature at its finest.
F&Q’s Barot Valley
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