Kheerganga: A trek to remember

It was a hot june day. The traffic and the monotonous life of Delhi was getting on my nerves. I needed a break from this busy schedule and maddening crowd. Next day one of my friend told me about her trek to kheerganga.Kheer Ganga is a tableland surrounded by thick forest of alpine meadows. . Known for hot water stream which flows beneath the temple of Lord Shiva, KheerGanga (3050 meter) lies in the extreme end of Parvati valley and the last inhibited village while trekking to pin valley via Pin-Parvati pass. Then and there I decided to go on an adventurous trek to Kheer Ganga. I started looking for some good travelingpackages, checking out all the available options. Then I came across “Hype Events” that offered excellent off-beat experiential traveling package. I would recommend them if you're planning for a trek. Here's the link https://www.facebook.com/hypeeventsindia/

With all my bags packed, bookings done, I along with four of my friends started our journey to Kheer ganga. We travelled overnight to reach Kasol, our first destination. We all were so excited for our trek that none of us could sleep the whole night. We had a lot of fun playing games and planning what all we will do on our journey. Early morning, we reached Kasol and went to the hotel. After having breakfast and resting for a while, we left the hotel to explore the beauty of Kasol. Kasol is a lovely place and is famous for its soothing climate and beautiful, elegant pine forests. This place is full of beautiful mountains, Deodar trees, rivers and steep roads. Views of scenic valley, untouched hills were incredible. We also visited the local market offering clothes and western food. The food was really delicious. Then we headed to the Parvati Valley. Situated at the backdrop of scenic landscape, this place is perfect for adventure lovers. We engaged in lots of adventure sports like rapelling, rafting, mountain biking. I must say doing white water rafting in the bone-chilling water was awesome. There were mixed feelings of fear and thrill that I had never experienced before. Initially I was hesitating whether to do mountain biking or not, but then letting go all my fears I did it and it was really amazing.Ans trust me, Hype Events made it whole lot easier.

After this adventurous session we went to Manikaran. The town is considered sacred by both Hindus and Sikhs. Manikaran is famous for the natural hot springs. A dip in the hot water springs after this tiring day was very refreshing and soothing. After the day’s expedition we returned to hotel for an overnight stay.

Next morning, we woke up early to capture some alluring morning shots. Then after having breakfast we left the hotel to begin the ascent to the KheerGanga. We drove up to Bharsheni. Barshaini is the last motor-able point and the starting point of the Kheerganga. There is a confluence of Tosh River on left and Parvati River on right at Barsheni.

From here, we began our trek to Kheer Ganga. Enroute Kheer Ganga is a small village Tosh. We walked through the village which leads to a pleasant trail through apple fields and green pastures. Then we made a stop at Rudra Naag. Rudra Naag is the serpent shaped waterfall. It was the most striking waterfall I have ever seen in my life. Trail passes through beautiful alpine meadows following the river Parvati uphill.

As we entered the jungle area the view gets more and more beautiful. There was so much peace and natural beauty all around. Following the roaring parvati river and crossing some breath-taking wooden bridges, we made it to Kheer Ganga after 3-4 hours of trekking. We would have been utterly lost in this new area if Hype Events hadn’t helped us with understanding the local terrain.

The moment we stepped in Kheerganga, we felt like we have entered a different world. We saw a huge ground surrounded by tall and majestic mountains crowned with greenery and dense white clouds were all around us. It was totally like heaven on earth, so peaceful and so pure. As we reached atop the whole view and environment changed drastically and opened up into a flatland that is graced by the occasional tent, the few guest houses and cafes and the temple premises which also comprises of the hot water spring.

In the evening, views of the forest and the peaks were simply spectacular. Heavy mist was enclosing the valley but the peaks were shining while sun was setting down at a distant horizon. As the night approached, clouds disappeared completely to offer us the crystal clear view of sky and the stars. After spending a fascinating day in Kheer Ganga we get begun with the camping for an overnight stay. Believe me things couldn't have been better than this. If you're going to kheerganga and not camping then you're missing out a lot.

As the sun rose next morning, after having breakfast we had a dip in the hot water springs of Kheer Ganga to rejuvenate ourselves. Then we started trekking downhill. Descending was easy as compared to trek to the top. On the way back to Kasol, we visited a solitary village of Malana. Situated on a remote plateau by the side of the torrential Malana river, and it is isolated from the rest of the world. Malana is a tribal village, and is considered as the oldest Democracy in the World.Cool right? Unaffected by modern civilisation, Malana has its own lifestyle and social structure. We interacted with the locals and witnessed their daily activities.

By evening, we reached Kasol and then checked into the hotel for an overnight stay.

Next morning, it was time to say goodbye to this peaceful place of Kasol. I didn’t feel like going back but we left the place hoping we would definitely visit the place again someday. Trekking to Kheer Ganga was an adventurous journey into the world of nature’s beauty and serenity. It was truly an amazing experience. The place was is a pure bliss. I’ll never be able to forget the stunning beauty of the mountains, beautiful wilderness of the pine trees and greenery to decorate the place with its colors which gives Kheer ganga its charm, its beauty and fills this place with serenity. I would love to visit kheer Ganga again and definitely with Hype Events.