Himachal Tourist Guide

Of all the side valleys of the river Satluj, the Sangla valley is perhaps the most beautiful. It is certainly the most famous. (Older books and travelogues refer to this curving valley as the ‘Baspa Valley’ after the river; more recent ones call it the Sangla valley after the main village). Unlike most other major streams of the area that flow north to south, the river Baspa rises in the mountains of adjoinining Uttranchal and flows north-west to meet the churning torrents of the river Satluj at Karcham.

It is 98 km from Rampur. It is Kinnaur's most beautiful side-valley. The valley is about 95 km long starting from Karcham (1899 m) to Chung Sakhago pass. Chitkul (3450 m), in the middle of the valley, is the last inhabited village here. The village of Kamru is a kilometre above Sangla. It has a tower like fort and a temple housing the idol of Kamakhya Devi brought here centuries ago from Assam.

The 95 km long valley gets off to a fairly unimpressive start and it is along this stretch that one sees the determination of the ‘chill’ pine that grows out of sheer rock faces –and whose cones yield the tasty kernel, the rare ‘dry fruit’, the neoza (or chilgoza) and after this corridor, like curtains tossed aside to reveal the setting of a grand stage, the valley bursts open at Kupa. From this point on, every turn and every angle reveals a valley that is strikingly beautiful. As if to savour all this, the waters of the Baspa also slow down and the little river that moments ago had shown the visage of a savage mountain stream, now turns calm and welcoming.

Like the rest of Kinnaur, there are no urban centers in the valley – and like most other parts of the administrative district, the people of the valley practice an unusual mix of Trans Himalayan (Vajrayana) Buddhism and Hinduism. Interestingly, for what was till very recently quite the 'back of the beyond' with limited educational and other facilities, the Sangla valley has an unusual distinction in the number of people it has sent into the Indian Civil service and police.

Between Kupa and Chitkul (3450 m) – roughly halfway up the valley – the area is fairly populous and cultivated. Human habitation ends at chitkul and from then on to the lofty Chung Saghgo Pass, it is a trek route through raw rock and snow that leads to the hills of Uttrancal.

•  Kinnaur
•  History and Culture
•  Destinations and Attractions
•  Sangla Valley
•  Places of Interest in Sangla Valley
•  Recong Peo, Kalpa and Beyond
•  Other Valleys and Destinations
•  Fishing
•  Fast Facts
•  Accommodation
•  Important Distances
•  Events and Festivals
•  Shopping
•  Permits for Foreigners to be Issued by