Upcoming Hill Stations

Ancient Indian texts like the Puranas placed the people of Kinnaur as halfway between men and gods. Other ancient traditions speak of the exile of the Pandavas and the time they spent in Kinnaur, an episode from the epic, Mahabharata. In verifiable history, Kalpa, like the rest of Kinnaur, was a part of the erstwhile princely state of Bushair. From their original seat in the village of Kamru, the rulers moved out to Sarahan that lies lower down the Satluj, and then to Rampur - which is built right on the banks of the river. In the early nineteenth century, when the Gurkha’s spilled out of the borders of nearby Nepal, they captured large tracts of present-day Himachal Pradesh. Bushair also fell into their hands and the infant ruler was scurried to safety in Kinnaur. With their growing power, the British intervened, the Gurkhas were expelled and the treaty of Sagauli was signed in 1815-16. Most of the original rulers were restored their seats, and the British presence in the area was firmly established.

Kinnaur relapsed into secluded splendor till the British Governor-General of India, Lord Dalhousie set about creating the ambitious Hindustan-Tibet Road in 1850. Dalhousie himself travelled to Kalpa, then called Chini, was enamored by the beauty and climate of the area.

With the coming of India’s independence in 1947 and the creation of the state of Himachal Pradesh in 1972, geographic isolation steadily eroded. Hydro projects, the spread of education and economic growth with scientific horticultural practices began bringing their own changes. Relaxation of the Inner Line Permits in the mid nineteen-nineties, Kinnaur was opened to tourism.

Lahaul and Spiti were brought together to form a new district of - of Himachal Pradesh in 1960. Earlier, these areas were a part of the Kangra district of Punjab.

The people of Lahaul and Spiti follow a mixture of Hinduism and Buddhism, with a culture that is deeply influenced by Tibetan Buddhism. Once part of the Maharaja of Kashmir’s empire, Spiti was later exchanged for certain areas in Kangra. Buddhism spread along the Spiti River, extending its influence up to Tibet. In the 10th century AD Rinchen Zangpo, the Great Translator travelled from Tibet across these lands during the rule of the Guge kings of Tibet. Under his tutelage, several important monasteries came up in Lahaul – Spiti, which still continue to follow a pure form of Tibetan Buddhism. Down the ages, the people of Lahaul and Spiti have retained trade and cultural links across the border with Tibet and with neighbouring Ladakh in Jammu & Kashmir. At the crossroads of important trade routes, the Hindustan-Tibet road passes through this district and is the lifeline of its people. Due to the inaccessible terrain, the entire region remained insulated from external influences, untouched by modern life. Only after roads were built by the Indian Army to patrol India’s border with China did the area start receiving visitors. The pristine landscape and the timelessness of the habitations have spellbound all those who ventured across the high mountain passes to enter this far-away land.

Until the 18th century AD, Kalimpong was a part of the Kingdom of Sikkim and was ruled by Sikkimese rulers. It was then taken over by the Bhutanese. In the 19th century, the British took over Kalimpong and merged into the present Indian state of West Bengal.

It was in the year 1641 that the first Chogyal or monarch of Sikkim was blessed by three renowned lamas in Yuksom, the oldest capital of this princely state. Yuksom literally means the meeting place (Som) of the three (Yuk) and is named so because it was here that the great lamas met to consecrate the king. Located at an altitude of 2150 meters (7,053 feet), Pelling is 125 kilometers (77.67 miles) from the present capital Gangtok and about 44 kilometers (27.34 miles) from Yuksom. The predominant language here is Sikkimese, followed by other prevalent languages like Nepali, Hindi, and English, while Buddhism is the majorly practiced religion.