North India Holidays » Hill Stations in North India » Kullu, Himachal Pradesh

Kullu-Fast Facts

Area	6.68 sq km
Altitude	1200 m above sea level
Population	16,000
Languages	Hindi and Himachali
Religion	Hindu (96.31), Muslim (0.18),Others (3.53)
Maximum Temperature	20°C
Minimum Temperature	5°C
STD Code	01902

Kullu is an extremely popular hill station in the state of Himachal Pradesh, which attracts a lot of tourists and honeymooners every year. It is the perfect summer destination for city weary and a feast for the eyes of those, who long to be close to nature. Here tourists come to see the old temples, shop at the local bazaar that offers local handicrafts and be a part of the Dussehra festival that tourists flock to, from all over the world. Hill Resorts in India offers online booking for tour packages and Hotels in the valley so you simply have to pack your bags and come to Kullu, to have the time of your life.

Kullu-Location
Kullu is a hill station in the state of Himachal Pradesh and is situated at an altitude of 1220m. It is bounded by Lahaul-spiti and Kangra districts on the East and by Kinnaur and Shimla District on the South East.

Kullu-History
The Kullu valley started getting inhabited in the 1st Century AD. By the medieval period, it was ruled by many local rulers. At that time the capital was Jagatsukh, about 5 km south of Manali but in the seventeenth century it was moved to Kullu. Then the boundaries of the kingdom went as far as to the Lahaul-Spiti and river Sutlej in the East. But it was still pretty much a secluded and isolated area till it came under British rule, which connected it to other parts of the country.

Kullu-Sites to Visit
Almost all the tour packages to Kullu feature a tour of The Raghunath temple, which is a famous temple, built in 1660 AD by Raja Jagat Singh. It is believed that the Raja was very remorseful about something and in order to make amends for his sin, he sent a courtier to Ayodhya to get the statue of Lord Ram, which was later enshrined in this temple.

Most Holiday packages also entail a tour of The Jagannathi Devi temple also known as the Bekhli temple, which is in the Bekhli village and is 3kms from Kullu. One has to walk for hour and a half to reach this temple but it is truly a rewarding experience. The temple is not only beautiful in itself, but it also offers a breath-taking view of the valley below.

Kullu-Sites Nearby
Another place that one should take a tour to, is the Bijli Mahadev Temple, which is situated at an altitude of 2,460 meters and is about 11kms from Kullu. It is a very 'striking' temple because inside is a 20-meter high staff which according to the belief attracts blessings from the skies in the form of lightning!

Your Tour package will also take you to Manikaran, which is about 45kms from Kullu and is situated on the right bank of river Parvati. It is quite famous for its hot springs, Shri Ramachandra temple and Shri Guru Nanak Devji Gurdwara. There is an interesting story behind the name 'Manikaran'. According to a belief, Goddess Parvati lost her jewel of the earring that was later found by Sheeshnag in the other world. He sent the jewel back but along with it came the venom of Sheeshnag, which is what made the water hot. These Hot water springs that find a mention in the legend are famous and said to possess healing properties.

About 15kms from Kullu is Bijaura, another favorite place among the tourists. There one can take a tour of the Basheshwar Mahadev Temple, which was supposedly built in the 9th century and is known for the beautiful intricate stone carvings on its walls. A tour to Kullu usually also includes a visit to Naggar, which is about 26kms from Kullu is situated on the left bank of River Beas. It was Kullu's capital for 1460 years and now is a major tourist spot with numerous attractions. There are many places in and around Naggar that are worth paying a visit, such as Jagtipatt temple, Tripura sundari temple, Nicholas Roerich Art Gallery and Gauri Shankar temple.

The tourists on a tour to Kullu can also visit the Vaishno devi Temple, which is more like a small cave that enshrines an image of Godess Durga and Vishnu temple of Dayar.

Kullu-Shopping
It would be a shame if you are on a tour of Kullu and don't shop at the local bazaars. You can buy bright and colorful shawls, grass slippers called pullas, Local tweed, patti and caps along with woodwork, woolen blankets known as Gudmas and wickerwork for yourself and your friends. One can visit Akhara Bazaar area that offers a lot of variety and has the Government Handicrafts Emporium, Himachal Khadi Emporium and Gramodyog Bhawan. These places are a shopper's delight and are perfect places to buy gifts ansd souvenirs for family and friends.

Kullu-Adventure Sports If it is a peaceful outdoor activity you seek, you can go trout-fishing. There are numerous places, which offer this, such as Katrain, Kasol, Raison and Naggar. If it is excitement you want, you can enjoy white river rafting on river Beas. Of course, Kullu offers great trekking opportunities too.

Kullu-How to Reach If you wish to reach Kullu by Air. You can fly to Bhuntar Airport, which is 10kms from Kullu. If you rather take a train, the nearest Railhead is Jogindernagar, which is 95kms from Kullu. Traveling by road is another option. Kullu is about 530 km from Delhi, if you travel via Mandi. And from Simla it is 240kms. You can either take luxury buses or hire taxis to get there.

Kullu-Best time to visit The summers are mild and last from April to June whereas the winter season is quite cold and lasts from November to February. The best time to visit the hill station is between April and June. Though the hill station still attracts a lot of tourism in the month of October because of the Dussehra Festival.

Kullu-Where to stay There is absolutely no dearth of good hotels in Kullu. The visitors can either stay in hotels, private cottages or tourist bungalows. Many of these are run by HPTDC (Himachal Pradesh Tourism development council). There are many budget hotels that provide good comfortable accommodation without burning a hole in your pocket.

Kullu-Fairs and festivals Many tour operators offer holiday packages to Kullu in the month of October, primarily because of the Dussehra festival celebrations. The Dussehra celebrations begin on Vijay Dashmi day itself but continues for a whole week. The Rath Yatra of the idol of Lord Raghunath is led by the Kullu Raja and other village deities. After this procession, all the religious ceremonies and festivities begin which easily last up to a week. There is a lot of singing, dancing, people in colorful clothes, Stalls that offer regional delicacies and handicrafts and a whole lot of fun. Another festival that gives a boost to the tourism in the valley is the Dhoongri fair. It is held in May and is focused around the Goddess Hadimba Devi. Tourists can enjoy a lot of river rafting festivals and water sports related activities. Hill resorts India offers online booking for hotels in Kullu and also several tour or holiday packages to the Valley. Let Hill resorts India do all your travel planning and enjoy a great holiday in "the valley of Gods" better known as Kullu.