If you love mountains and if you want to run away from the hustle-bustle of your city to a place where there is no mobile network and no one to break your peace then we have the right place for you – Chopta.
A lesser known trekking paradise in Uttarakhand which has just started getting its long overdue limelight, but still not many people know about Chopta.
It's a small village which is located on the road connecting to Gopeshwar with Guptkashi, and approximately 450 kms from New Delhi.
Chopta is like mini Switzerland still untouched by too much human interference. A valley town overlooking the snow peaks makes you wonder how beautiful these mighty Himalayas are.
Best season: most travellers believe that Chopta is the ideal trekking destination all year around. Yes it is, first time Trekkers should engage in this amazing experience between March and May, when the weather is clear and the stunning landscape proves treat to our eyes.
Major attraction:
- For Trekkers: the trek runs parallel to the sky scraping Himalayan trek. One can enjoy clear view of Majestic Peaks of Panchchuli , Nanda Devi , Nilkanth and Kedarnath.
- Tunganath: highest shiva temple in the world.
- Chau khamba massif dominates the area and is a true visual delight and of course a treat for photographers.
For trek lovers , nature lovers who like to visit remote beautiful places then Chopta is one place to be.
Activities in Chopta:
- Camping, trekking
- Snow trekking, snow skiing
- Rock craft, rock climbing, Rappling
- Photography of majestic View.
Blogger: Ritika Kherwa
Dating back to the 17th century, Kullu Dussehra starts on Vijaya Dashmi and lasts for seven days in the month of October. It is a lovely blend of rich culture, history and ritual.This festival is only held to celebrate the success of good over evil. While music and color create a peaceful ambience, thousands of people gather on the first day of celebration to pay respect to Lord Raghunathji. The first day is started with huge celebration and on this day the statue of Lord Raghunathji is installed on a beautifully designed chariot, which is graced with the presence of village gods and goddess, is pulled by ropes by the locals from its place to different sites across the Maidan.
The following days are celebrated with great devotion, and many an individual takes participate in singing and dancing during the festival. The fair is fulfilled with the burning of the Lanka. On the last day of the festival, the chariot is brought by the banks of Beas River where a mass of wood grass is burnt, signifying the burning of Lanka.
Reflecting the Rich and Colorful History of Kullu Dussehra. According to the mythology, Kullu was under the control of Raja Jagat Singh in the 16th century. At some point he got to know that someone by the name of Durgadutt had charming pearls. The Raja tried everything to have that pearls. Though Durgadutt made him clear that the information was not correct, all his requests were hopeless. He offered him the last chance of giving the pearls but he did not and as a result Durgadutt set himself and his own family on fire and cursed the Raja Jagat Singh for his brutality.
Thereafter, he felt guilty and took advice form a Brahmin. The sacred man asked him to get back the statue of Lord Raghunath from the kingdom of Lord Ram. Worried, the Raja decided to send the Brahmin to Ayodhya. One day, he took the statue and started his way back trip to Kullu. When the locals of Ayodhya came to know that the idol of Lord Raghunath was missing, they left in search of him. The people found the Brahmin with Raghunath ji on the banks of Saryu River. Then he started telling them the story of the king. When the people picked up the idol while heading towards Ayodhya it was heavy, but to their amazement the idol became light as they moved to Kullu. When the Brahmin reached Kullu, the idol of Raghunath ji was installed. Subsequently, the king had a sip of the Charan-Amrit of the statue of the Raghunath ji and the curse was repealed. This myth is associated with the Kullu Dusshera.
