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Hatu Peak is located in
Hatu Peak lies beside National Highway 5 nearly 71 km from Shimla. From
At the top of the peak is a small wooden temple called Hatu temple.
According to local belief, the famous Hatu Mata temple is the temple of Maa Kaali. On the first Sunday of
Shimla district
Shimla is a District (India), district in the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India. Its headquarters is the state capital of Shimla. Neighbouring districts are Mandi District, Mandi and Kullu in the north, Kinnaur in the east, Uttarakhand ...
of Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...
, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. It is one of the highest peaks in the region, standing at an elevation of 3400 m (11,152 ft) above sea level. The peak is surrounded by dense forest of conifers, oaks and maples.
Location
Hatu Peak lies beside National Highway 5 nearly 71 km from Shimla. From Narkanda
Narkanda is a town and a nagar panchayat in Kumarsain subdivision of Shimla district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is at an elevation of 2708 meters on the Hindustan-Tibet Road ( NH 5) in Himachal Pradesh, India within a fir (''ab ...
, the peak can be accessed by bike or car.
Attractions
Hatu Temple
At the top of the peak is a small wooden temple called Hatu temple.
According to local belief, the famous Hatu Mata temple is the temple of Maa Kaali. On the first Sunday of Jyeshtha
Jyeshtha or Jyēṣṭha ( sa, ज्येष्ठ; ne, जेठ ''jēṭ''; as, জেঠ ''zeth''; or, ଜ୍ୟେଷ୍ଠ ''Jyeṣṭha'') is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Jyestha is the third mon ...
, groups of people arrive in large numbers to engage in rituals. Near the temple, there is an ancient stove-like formation of rocks that locals believe to be used by the Pandavas
The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledg ...
brothers to cook their food during their Agyaat Vaas.
Tourist House
A small structure has been created which is used seldom by civil authorities.Scenic Views
The steep road to Hatu Peak provides scenic views of the Himalayas.
Flora
The peak and the surrounding area is dominated by a large temperate forest mostly consist ofConifer
Conifers are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single ...
, Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
, Maple
''Acer'' () is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated since http ...
, Populus
''Populus'' is a genus of 25–30 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar (), aspen, and cottonwood.
The we ...
, Aesculus
The genus ''Aesculus'' ( or ), with species called buckeye and horse chestnut, comprises 13–19 species of flowering plants in the family Sapindaceae. They are trees and shrubs native plant, native to the temperateness, temperate Northern H ...
, Corylus
The hazel (''Corylus'') is a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K. (1999). ...
and Holly
''Ilex'' (), or holly, is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. ''Ilex'' has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus. The species are evergreen o ...
species.
''Conifer'': There are various species of conifers growing in the area which cover the substantial part of the forest. These are:
1.Abies pindrow
''Abies pindrow'', the pindrow fir or west Himalayan fir, is a fir native to the western Himalaya and adjacent mountains, from northeast Afghanistan east through northern Pakistan and India to central Nepal.
Description
It is a large e ...
,
2.Cedrus deodara
''Cedrus deodara'', the deodar cedar, Himalayan cedar, or deodar, is a species of cedar native to the Himalayas.
Description
It is a large evergreen coniferous tree reaching tall, exceptionally with a trunk up to in diameter. It has a conic c ...
,
3. Cryptomeria japonica
''Cryptomeria'' (literally "hidden parts") is a monotypic genus of conifer in the cypress family Cupressaceae, formerly belonging to the family Taxodiaceae. It includes only one species, ''Cryptomeria japonica'' ( syn. ''Cupressus japonica'' L ...
,
4. Picea smithiana
''Picea smithiana'' is a species of evergreen tree in the family Pinaceae family It is referred to by the common names morinda spruce and West Himalayan spruce, and is a spruce native to the western Himalaya and adjacent mountains, from northeas ...
,
5.Pinus wallichiana
''Pinus wallichiana'' is a coniferous evergreen tree native to the Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountains, from eastern Afghanistan east across northern Pakistan and north west India to Yunnan in southwest China. It grows in mountain valle ...
,
6. Taxus contorta.
''Oak'': Quercus semecarpifolia
''Quercus semecarpifolia'' is an Asian species of oak. It is native to the Himalayas and nearby mountains in Tibet, Afghanistan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. It is classified in subgenus ''Cerris'', section ''Ilex''.
''Quercus semecarpifolia'' ...
and Quercus floribunda
''Quercus floribunda'', called the Moru oak or Mohru oak, Tilonj oak and green oak, is a species of oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant ...
are native to the area.
''Maple'': Acer caesium, Acer acuminatum
''Acer acuminatum'' is an Asian species of maple native to the Himalayas and neighboring mountains in Tibet, Kashmir, northern India, Nepal, and Pakistan.
''Acer acuminatum'' is a multi-stemmed tree up to 10 meters tall. It is dioecious, meani ...
and Acer cappadocicum
''Acer cappadocicum'', the Cappadocian maple, is a maple native to Asia, from central Turkey (ancient Cappadocia) east along the Caucasus, the Himalayas, to southwestern China.Mitchell, A. F. (1974). ''A Field Guide to the Trees of Britain and No ...
are native to the area.
''Poplar'': Populus ciliata
''Populus ciliata'', the Himalayan poplar, is a large deciduous tree with tall clean straight trunk and wide rounded crown.http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/sea/Products/AFDbases/af/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=1333. 2011 “HIMALAYAN Poplar (Po ...
is native to the area.
''Aesculus:'' Aesculus indica
''Aesculus indica'', commonly known as the Indian horse-chestnut or Himalayan horse chestnut, is a species of deciduous broad-leaved tree in the family Sapindaceae.
Description
''Aesculus indica'' is an attractive tree growing to with a spread ...
is native to the area.
''Hazelnut'': Corylus jacquemontii is native to the area.
''Holly'': Ilex dipyrena is native to the area.
Apart from these major trees there are various species shrubs like ''Berberis aristata
''Berberis aristata'', also known as Indian barberry, "chutro" or "sumbal" or tree turmeric , is a shrub belonging to the family Berberidaceae and the genus ''Berberis''. The genus comprises approximately 450-500 species of deciduous evergreen ...
'' and flower plants growing in the area. Recently, the forest has been cleared for the apple orchards.
Accessibility
The small hill station of Narkanda (at 2708 m) is the start for the journey to the top of Hatu Peak.Air
Shimla has a small airstrip located on a nearby hill top (in Jubbarhatti, about 23 km south of town). This airstrip is too small to support jets, so the only service available is from Jagson Airlines which offers single flight service into Shimla from Delhi on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.Train
A narrow gauge "toy" train service runs from Kalka to Shimla. This service takes about 4 hours to wind up the ridges to the hill station.Bus
There are numerous bus services to Shimla from Delhi, Manali and Chandigarh on a daily basis.Facilities
Hatu Peak is uninhabited and therefore few facilities are available at the top. There is a tourist lodge by HPTC 1 km below the peak which can be used for general facilities and accommodation.https://letsgoyaar.wordpress.com/References
{{coord, 31.244, 77.501, display=title Mountains of Himachal Pradesh Geography of Shimla district