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Hemmed in by giant pinnacled mountain peaks, the Parbati
valley, which twists west from the glaciers and snoowfields on the Spiti
bosder to meet the Beas at Bhuntar, 8-km of south of
Kullu , is the
Kullu valley's longest tributary. Picturesque hamlets perch precariously
on its sides, amid lush terraces and old growth pine forests
Jari
is halfway along the Parbati Valley-about 19-km from Bhuntar. It has
recently been developed to cater for the hippie crowd who have spilled
over from Manikaran, or who prefer Jari's peace and cheap rooms.
Kasol is another tiny village along the Parbati Valley road, which has
become a hangout. It's very pretty, in a lovely setting among pines and
streams with some trout. The village is acually divided into 'Old Kasol',
on the Bhuntar side of the bridge, and 'New Kasol', on the
Manikaran side.
From
Manikaran, a well-defined
trail leads to the village of Pulga. The next stage continues on up the
Parbati Valley to the hot springs at Khirganga, where Shiva sat and
meditated for 2,000 years. Here there are a number of teahouses to spend
the night before returning directly to
Manikaran in one long stage.
Porters and guides can be hired in Manikaran.
On the other side of the river from Jari is the interesting
Malana Valley. Malana can be reached in
a full day trek from Jari. There are about 500 people in Malana and they
speak a peculiar dialect with strong Tibetan elements. It's an isolated
village with its own system of government and caste structure so rigid
that it's forbidden for visitors to touch either the people or any of
their possessions. It's very important to respect his custom; wait at the
edge of the village for an invitation to enter.