If you have been following us, you would know we have been on our 7 day trip to Tirthan Valley. For quite a while Tirthan was in our bucket list and thankfully we made it to the places. Our itinerary was jam-packed and Chehni Kothi was our next destination.
The Legend of Chehni Kothi
Chehni Kothi or Chaini Kothi is a ten-story tower temple in the Himalayan hamlet of Chehni. There are many interesting folklores surrounding this place. According to locales, these 17th-century structures were built by medieval Kullu kings who used it mainly to fortify their kingdoms. The wooden towers were especially used to garrison the troops. Unfortunately, the tower lost some stories in the 1905 earthquake.
How to reach Chehni Kothi
Actually no motor-able road takes you here. And this makes the hike to this place even more fascinating. From Banjar bus station you can take a taxi to Shringa Rishi temple and then the trails take you to Chehni Kothi.
But trust us, all the hard work is worth it. Moreover the journey itself is an experience. However you must start early and come back during the day itself. Also be careful as there are chances of losing your way uphill.
Now coming back to our journey, the road till Shringa Rishi Temple was under construction, so the taxi dropped us approximately 500 meters away from the Shringa Rishi temple and that is where we started our trek from.
Many say that the hike to this place is an easy one. For travelers who are used to such hikes, the route may not be that taxing. However, for those not used to an active lifestyle, this journey might turn out to be quite a task.
Avoid taking this hike during monsoons as the muddy trails are likely to get slippery. Also, wear shoes that are comfortable, give a firm grip and prevent you from slipping. In our case, the gear wasn’t a problem and we were all prepared. We did lose our way once. But our furry friend, whom we met on the way accompanied us all the way up, making this journey worthwhile.
The Scenic Hike
The hike takes you through the dense forests, where the only noise you would hear would be of birds chirping and bees buzzing. You would also spot innumerable apple, peach and apricot trees on the way and the sight is sure to give you viewgasms. It is really a treat to see nature’s offerings at such a display.
The Locals Of The Village
When we reached the village, we were welcomed by some cute little village residents. The villagers are really friendly here and a lady also offered us fresh apples from the trees. Needless to say, they tasted divine.
Plucking apples from the trees
It was interesting to note the paradox that the apples that would cost us not less than INR 150 per kilo, were offered for free here. We were wondering how much money these locals must be earning. However, we were shocked to hear from a lady, who ran a small stall here that the cost of transportation down to the plains summed up to be more than the possible profits. Hence many choose to not sell them. As a result, these fruits blossomed on the trees and decomposed in nature’s lap.
We thought we were lucky to taste them and wanted to take some home. But obviously transporting them down wasn’t possible for us too. But the experience of actually plucking them from the tree (with the due permissions from the owner) was quite fun.
After spending half an hour at the top we decided to descend down. The trail downwards is easy but one has to be really cautious, as it may get slippery.
We were relieved to finally reach the car that dropped us to our homestay. Being a small town, it was amusing to know that almost all residents knew each other and the community was quite close-knit.
We weren’t surprised to find that even our cab driver and our homestay owner Mr. Mohinder were close acquaintances. This was in quite a contrast with the big cities where we seldom interact even with the neighbors.
Anyway, our dinner was waiting for us and we relished each and every morsel. The food was simple, non-spicy, but fresh. Perhaps this makes the food all the more special here.
