Cobblestone Chronicles

Dharamshala, alongside its sister-suburb, Mcleodganj, is perhaps the only place which packs a ton of birr, brought together by the breathtaking Himachal food, local shopping experience, treks, and scintillating mountain-sunrises! So here is a question - which is that one place which has often been known as the foxy concoction of culture, nature, food, and religion? I bet you won’t find many destinations with a blend so unique, with a brew so solitary, and with an identity so sui generis! Dharamshala is indeed the beating heart of Himachal Pradesh - being home to the bewitching cedar forests on the edge of the Himalayas, this city welcomes lost wanderers and excursionists alike, and surprisingly enough, entertains both the demographics.   A typical view from Dharamshala, with the phenomenal snow-clad Dhauladhars in the backdrop I travelled to Dharamshala following my weeklong backpacking respite in Bir-Billing . Having already experienced the hippodrome of nature’s bounty and advent...

View of the snow-capped Dhauladhar ranges from Billing. You would be surprised by the vast number of clandestine suburbs Himachal Pradesh is an abode to. While places like Kutla , Barot, and Bhunbuni are few where natural bounties are copious, there are also few destinations in the ‘dev bhoomi (Land of God)’ of India where the mountains kiss the sky, which are meant to fly, and I mean that quite literally! Tucked away in the valleys of Kangra in Himachal Pradesh, are the hamlets of Bir and Billing; and even with a treacherous mountainous roadway of 14 kilometre between them, these towns are almost always referred to as one, and for a good reason too! Back in 2015, Bir-Billing witnessed the International Paragliding World Cup. Ever since, these towns have attracted colossal crowds. However, Bir-Billing are more than just paragliding destinations; for me, I will often remember this place as the home to some of the most serene locales – some poised and placid meadows, a multit...

A place hosting no concrete structures whatsoever, a place that is not as far from civilisation, yet makes you feel quite afar, Kutla is the dream-like reality - one of the many, yet lesser known places, that Himachal is home to! Himachal Pradesh hosts some of the most surreal mountain tops, awe-inspiring boroughs and scintillating secluded towns. However, the most enshrined asset of this state is the beauty that encompasses the lesser known burgs, the hillocks and trails that are, till this date, explored by just a tiny bit of ardent backpackers, and the small villages, that even though many may have heard of, are visited by hardly a handful! Kutla village is one such place - a lesser known hamlet about an hour away from the Tosh village, located at the far end of the Parvati Valley. A place hosting no concrete structures whatsoever, a place that is not as far from civilisation, yet makes you feel quite afar, Kutla is the dream-like reality - one of the many, yet lesser know...