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THE HINDUSTAN TIBET ROAD
Location: Himachal Pradesh
Also Known As: The Silk Route
Making Of A Landmark
It was the British governor general of India, Lord Dalhousie who ordered
work on to begin on the 'Hindustan Tibet Road' in June, 850. In the
Millennium year, celebrations were held of its formal initiation a hundred
and fifty years back. Various reasons are cited for the building of the
road that connected Kalka and
Shimla , to the
Tibetan border.
The system of 'Begari' prevalent in the hills, where unpaid labourers
were pressed into service, including for the transport of timber and files
to Shimla is said to have upset the Governor General so deeply that he
wanted to improve the road these men trudged. Lord Dalhousie also wanted
to create trade ties with Tibet and this is felt to be the real reason for
initiating the road and for his own trip to
Kalpa in Kinnaur
(then, 'Chini' in the erstwhile state of Bushair).
The immense machinery at the disposal of the East India Company was
pressed into service and halfway down the 19th century, work on what was
then styled as the 'Great Hindustan - Tibet Road' began under the charge
of the commander in chief, Sir Charles Napier. Beyond Shimla, to the
Shipki pass on the border, the route took 228 miles.
The Renowned Silk Route
While the Dalhousie's road brought the route into focus, the area had
long been on one of the peripheral trade circuits of the legendary silk
route. The paths that passed the tract, carried goods like musk, borax,
wool, livestock, dry fruits, precious and semi precious stones to and from
Tibet, Kashmir
Ladakh and Yarkand.
Maintaining a vibrant tradition, Rampur's Lavi fair dates back to the
trade agreements between Tibet and the former state of Bushair and apart
from the goods that plied on the path, it was the myriad cultural and
historical influences that established the true worth of the road.
A Tour
All the romance of the road can be savoured in the following stages: -
| Day 01 |
Parwanoo |
| Day 02 |
Shimla
. Enroute visit Kasauli and see a section of
the old staging road. |
| Day 03 |
At
Shimla |
| Day 04, 05 and 06: |
At Kufri, Fagu
and Narkanda visit Thanedar and Kotgarh.
Himachal's apple growing heartland. Drive or trek through Bagikhadrala. |
| Day 07 |
Sarahan |
| Day 08 |
Sangla |
| Day 09 |
Kalpa |
| Day 10 |
Drive beyond Kalpa towards
Spiti, or return to
Shimla . |
