Offbeat Destination, Simple Culture, Majestic Mountains
An Authentic Experience
Churah Valley, the hidden valley of Himachal, is located North from the district headquarters of Chamba. This year as part of the 'ShodhYatra'- course offered at IIM Ahmedabad, we visited this land of Majestic Natural Beauty. The beauty of Churah Valley and its simplicity made the relentless climbing and walking worth by providing some of the most picturesque scenes.
Natural Beauty
One starts witnessing the natural grandeur at the beginning of the journey itself while traveling from Pathankot to Bhanjraru to reach the Churah Valley - The criss-cross roads in the mountains offer views as serene as the one below.
Churah in literal terms means four paths. Walking along the dense forests and mountains, the silent, sublime and awe-inspiring charms of this remote valley was a reward for me.
The valley is dominated by Cedar trees, Oaks and other Fir trees in the dense forests. One also gets to see the walnut and apple plantations along with number of herbs of medicinal value. Not to forget some notorious herbs like बिच्छू बूटी that gives you minor shocks once you touch them :)
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People
While traveling through the valley and its remote villages, one gets to see the multiple sights of hardworking women performing tasks from handling grains, carrying wooden logs through mountains, grazing their cows etc.
We also met a number of students at schools and while walking through the mountains who exuberated innocence and simplicity. Despite living with basic facilities and resources, their imagination and creativity had no bounds, which we witnessed while our visit to schools in Devikothi, Bhanjraru, and Bairargarh.
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| On the way to Bairargarh |
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| Primary School-Devikothi |
The inner beauty and simplicity of the native people of this valley was reflected in the way they welcomed us and offered their home for the stay. Not to forget the special mention of tasty local food ( बिच्छू बूटी, राजमा, दाल, सरसो का साग, मक्के दी रोटी ) which made our journey even more memorable.
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| Local Authentic Food |
Culture
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| Devikothi Temple |
The religious beliefs, festivals, and customs in the valley seems to be woven around the numerous temples in the Churah Valley. One of the most famous temples we visited was the Chamunda Devi temple at Devi Kothi. The temple is dedicated to Chamunda Devi and has illustrations of the goddess Durga. Also, the mountain lakes and waterfalls in Churah Valley are considered holy and stories associated with them.
People in the valley celebrate festivals like Baisakhi, Diwali etc. During the bonfire, I was mesmerized to see people singing local songs and playing the soothing music via Flute, Dodumbi.
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| Dodumbi - Local Instrument |
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The tiring climb provides the awe-inspiring views of greenery and ruggedness in the valley. It helps one to disconnect to the monotonous thoughts, feel the fresh air, listen to the sound of birds and the waterfall.
"The best view comes from the hardest climbs"
The people in Churah Valley witness a number of hardships due to the remote location. However, they lead a happy and resourceful life in terms of nature's beauty, calmness of the mountains, fresh water, and local food which people like us lack in cities. It's the connectedness within the hearts of people that helps them to survive in the geographically disconnected world. This is one of those experiences that I will cherish lifelong.
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