Bihar-Chehni-Miyagi – small villages high up in the mountains

20. + 21. September 2023

 

 

We were already in the middle of the mountains in Jibhi. The mountains in this area of Himachal Pradesh are quite steep, forested and suitable for small-scale farming. It is fascinating how many houses and villages you can see on the slopes. And now we drove to one of these villages: Bihar. At least there is a road leading to the village school and then you just walk to all the homesteads. As you can see, it is high above the valley and you have a fantastic view. A Belgian found a wife to marry in Himachal, they had three children and built a house here in Bihar where they welcome guests in 2 rooms and also run a travel agency. The view from the balcony is fantastic.

 

 

We had a first little walk through the village. We found the people very friendly and were smiled at more often than usual.

 

 

 

 

We also went to the Shri Shringa Rishi temple, but didn’t go in again because we thought we would do it the following day, but we didn’t. No matter – the entrance was pretty though:

 

 

The next day we went on a circular tour with a guide. Even though the terrain is relatively small and actually clearly laid out, it is still too confusing with the many paths and you don’t know which one to take. Even maps.me hasn’t really got there yet. Our guide was called Jinhu, was 48 years old, had 3 children, 2 cows, 3 sheep, a 96 year old grandmother and seemed to have never left the area. He spoke little English, but at least a bit. He was very interested in the prices of the things Eva was wearing.

 

 

Our first destination was Chehni, also a small village, but with a sight, the Chehni Kothi. At 30-35 m, this is the highest defence tower to be found in the Western Himalayas. There is a second tower and a village square in between. It was very pretty and we lingered a while.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every village has a platform like this. The Kullu Valley and its surroundings are also called the Valley of Gods, i.e. there are many temples and temples with deities. These lead quite an active life and are not only dragged to Dussehra in Kullu but also visit each other. When they do so, they are placed on this platform.

 

 

There was also a temple with Kirshna as the deity inside. It was being renovated, but we could look inside. We also met two children.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we climbed further up to the Miyagi cluster of houses and past it to a great viewpoint. We stayed there and enjoyed the beautiful weather and view.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, what you never see in the pictures is the smell. Well, here it is quite sad. Himachal Pradesh smells wonderful here! Of apples and cedars and certainly more things. It always wafts over you from time to time and is beguiling.

 

We then walked back down through mini fields and trees. On the way, we met a shepherd with his 3 animals and a small open-air altar.

 

 

 

Back in Bihar, the light was so beautiful and I snapped around a bit more.

 

 

 

 

 

By the way, the cook was fantastic. It was one of the most delicious meals I have ever had in India! The next day Eva and I left this nice place anyway, looking forward to new experiences!