The call of the mountains – last episode

Aditi Ghosh

Like every good thing come to an end, today we say goodbye to beautiful Kinnaur. Love you Kinnaur. However, we have two more days of travel to reach home. Tonight we stop at Sarahan, a tiny Himachali hamlet at 6900 ft. It is known as the ‘Gateway to Kinnaur’ and immensely popular amongst locals for its Bhimakali Temple which is believed to be part of the 51 Shaktipeethas ( ear of Sati fell here). The temple’s of its kind architecture and wealth of carvings have made it a resplendent example of Indo-Tibetan style.

Sarahan was the Summer Capital of the erstwhile princely state, Bushaahr Kingdom. This kingdom was an important centre for trade between Tibet, Kinnaur and the lower plain areas. The palace of the king and the queen is situated adjacent to the temple. Deep down the alley flows the river Sutlej and the splendid view of Shrikhand peak makes our stay at Sarahan memorable. In the evening, we made a quick visit to the Palace and the Bhimakali temple. The temple complex is being decorated for the upcoming Dussehra festival and a joyous mood everywhere.

We too also eagerly looking forward to going back home and celebrating the festival with the love and care of family and friends. Maybe that’s the best part of going away for a vacation – coming home again. Greetings of this festive season to all of you.

The writer is a globe traveller