Barot (Himachal Pradesh)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Barot, a village originally developed in 1920s for Shanan Hydel Project, is now a tourist location in
Mandi district Mandi district is one of the central districts of Himachal Pradesh state in northern India. The town of Mandi is the headquarters of the district. The main native language is Mandeali. As of 2011 it is the second most populous district of H ...
in the Indian state 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 ...
. Barot was difficult to access until 1975, when a road was opened. It is situated 40 km from
Jogindernagar Jogindernagar, or Jogindar Nagar (Hindi: जोगिंदर नगर) (), is a municipality, and a sub district in Mandi district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Named after Raja Joginder Sen, the hill station is the terminus of the ...
and 65 km from
Mandi Mandi may refer to: Places * Mandı, Azerbaijan India * Mandi, Jammu and Kashmir, a town on the Mandi River in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir * Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, a city in Himachal Pradesh ** Mandi State, former princely sta ...
, the
District A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
Headquarter. The road to Barot branches off at
Jogindernagar Jogindernagar, or Jogindar Nagar (Hindi: जोगिंदर नगर) (), is a municipality, and a sub district in Mandi district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Named after Raja Joginder Sen, the hill station is the terminus of the ...
-
Mandi Mandi may refer to: Places * Mandı, Azerbaijan India * Mandi, Jammu and Kashmir, a town on the Mandi River in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir * Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, a city in Himachal Pradesh ** Mandi State, former princely sta ...
Highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-access ...
and from
Jogindernagar Jogindernagar, or Jogindar Nagar (Hindi: जोगिंदर नगर) (), is a municipality, and a sub district in Mandi district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Named after Raja Joginder Sen, the hill station is the terminus of the ...
the distance is 40 km. It is sometimes possible to use the funicular trolley from
Jogindernagar Jogindernagar, or Jogindar Nagar (Hindi: जोगिंदर नगर) (), is a municipality, and a sub district in Mandi district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Named after Raja Joginder Sen, the hill station is the terminus of the ...
which reduces the distance to 12 km. The road route includes terraced fields and thick cedar forests, rising to Jhatingri at the hilltop. The remains of the summer palace of the former rulers of Mandi are located here. Through the little village of Tikkan, the road carries on to Barot. The town has a range of outdoor activities, including a trout breeding centre, from where fish are released into the Uhl river. A 30 km section of the river is used for angling. Barot also forms the gateway to the Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary which lies across the Uhl. The sanctuary is home to the
monal A monal is a bird of genus ''Lophophorus'' of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. Description The males all have colorful, iridescent plumage. Their physique is rather plump. Their diet consists of plants such as roots and bulbs and insects. D ...
, black bear and
ghoral The gorals are four species in the genus ''Naemorhedus''. They are small ungulates with a goat-like or antelope-like appearance. Until recently, this genus also contained the serow species (now in genus '' Capricornis''). Etymology The origina ...
. Within it are forest rest houses at Thaltuckhod and Silbandhwari. Through woods of cedar and pine a trek route cuts across the sanctuary to Kullu.


Shanan Hydel Project

Barot is the inlet point of the tunnel that diverts river water of
Uhl river The Uhl is a Himalayan river which is part of the watershed of Beas river. The river originates at the Thamsar Glacier in the Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas, flows through the Uhl valley crossing the villages Bada Gran (Baragram) and Barot. ...
to
Shanan Power House Shanan Power House (commissioned in 1932 ) is situated 2 km from Jogindernagar in Himachal Pradesh, India. First power house of Himachal Pradesh is Bhuri singh project in Chamba. British Engineer Colonel B.C. Batty and his team in collaboration ...
in Jogindernagar. The town has a diversion dam that was commissioned in 1932. The
funicular A funicular (, , ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite en ...
trolley system was built during construction to connect Barot with Jogindernagar. The project workers live in the
Punjab State Electricity Board Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) is the electricity generating and distributing company of the Government of Punjab state in India. It was formerly known as Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) which was unbundled by the governm ...
(PSEB) colony in Barot.


Accessibility


By road

Barot is situated 25 km off
National Highway 20 Route 20, or Highway 20, may refer to: International * European route E20 Australia * Sturt Highway (NSW/VIC/SA) * Yarra Bank Highway Brazil * BR-020 Canada * Alberta Highway 20 * British Columbia Highway 20 * Manitoba Highway 20 *New Br ...
. The diversion to Barot is from a village, Ghatasani, on the Mandi-Jogidernagar road, 14 km from
Joginder Nagar Jogindernagar, or Jogindar Nagar (Hindi: जोगिंदर नगर) (), is a municipality, and a sub district in Mandi district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Named after Raja Joginder Sen, the hill station is the terminus of the ...
and 65 km from
Mandi Mandi may refer to: Places * Mandı, Azerbaijan India * Mandi, Jammu and Kashmir, a town on the Mandi River in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir * Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, a city in Himachal Pradesh ** Mandi State, former princely sta ...
. This Ghatasni-Barot road passes through Jhatingri and Tikkan. From Tikkan, the road runs along the
Uhl river The Uhl is a Himalayan river which is part of the watershed of Beas river. The river originates at the Thamsar Glacier in the Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas, flows through the Uhl valley crossing the villages Bada Gran (Baragram) and Barot. ...
till Barot. A major portion of this road is single lane, though not one way. Barot is connected by public buses to
Mandi Mandi may refer to: Places * Mandı, Azerbaijan India * Mandi, Jammu and Kashmir, a town on the Mandi River in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir * Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, a city in Himachal Pradesh ** Mandi State, former princely sta ...
,
Jogindernagar Jogindernagar, or Jogindar Nagar (Hindi: जोगिंदर नगर) (), is a municipality, and a sub district in Mandi district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Named after Raja Joginder Sen, the hill station is the terminus of the ...
and
Palampur Palampur is a hill station and a municipal corporation situated in the Kangra District in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is surrounded by pine forests and flanked by the Dhauladhar ranges. There are numerous streams flowing from the ...
. Buses plying to Kothikodh, Bada Gran and Luhardi also pass through Barot.


Railway

The closest railway station is at
Jogindernagar Jogindernagar, or Jogindar Nagar (Hindi: जोगिंदर नगर) (), is a municipality, and a sub district in Mandi district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Named after Raja Joginder Sen, the hill station is the terminus of the ...
, terminus of the
narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...
railway line connecting
Jogindernagar Jogindernagar, or Jogindar Nagar (Hindi: जोगिंदर नगर) (), is a municipality, and a sub district in Mandi district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Named after Raja Joginder Sen, the hill station is the terminus of the ...
to
Pathankot Pathankot is a city and the district headquarters of the Pathankot district in Punjab, India. Pathankot is the 6th most populous city of Punjab, after Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala and Bathinda. Its local government is a municipal cor ...
. The line is operated by
Northern Railways The Northern Railway (NR) is one of the 19 Railway zones of India and the northernmost zone of the Indian Railways. It is headquartered at Baroda House in New Delhi. History Officially notified as a new railway zone on 14 April 1952, ...
, a division of
Indian Railways Indian Railways (IR) is a statutory body under the ownership of Ministry of Railways, Government of India that operates India's national railway system. It manages the fourth largest national railway system in the world by size, with a tot ...
.


By Air

By air from Delhi to Bhunter (Kullu) or Gaggal (Kangra) airport and then by road to Barot.


Other modes

The
funicular A funicular (, , ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite en ...
trolley system connecting Barot with Jogindernagar built during the construction of the Shanan Hydel project and was the only access until the road was opened in 1975. This trolley link was set up to facilitate transport of construction material to Barot for a reservoir on
Uhl river The Uhl is a Himalayan river which is part of the watershed of Beas river. The river originates at the Thamsar Glacier in the Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas, flows through the Uhl valley crossing the villages Bada Gran (Baragram) and Barot. ...
for
Shanan Power House Shanan Power House (commissioned in 1932 ) is situated 2 km from Jogindernagar in Himachal Pradesh, India. First power house of Himachal Pradesh is Bhuri singh project in Chamba. British Engineer Colonel B.C. Batty and his team in collaboration ...
. However, once the road connection was established, the trolley fell into a state of disrepair. It is currently owned and maintained by the
Punjab State Electricity Board Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) is the electricity generating and distributing company of the Government of Punjab state in India. It was formerly known as Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) which was unbundled by the governm ...
. Currently, the trolley is not in use and is only operated for occasional inspections of the penstocks.


History

Historically, Barot formed part of the
Mandi Mandi may refer to: Places * Mandı, Azerbaijan India * Mandi, Jammu and Kashmir, a town on the Mandi River in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir * Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, a city in Himachal Pradesh ** Mandi State, former princely sta ...
riyasat before and during British times and was governed by the King of Mandi. Pre Independence, Barot was also on the mule trail connecting
Kullu valley Kullu Valley is a broad open valley in Himachal Pradesh, India, formed by the Beas River between Manali and Larji. This valley is famous for its temples, beauty and its majestic hills covered with pine and deodar forest and sprawling apple orc ...
to
Kangra valley Kangra Valley is a river valley situated in the Western Himalayas.Kullu Kullu is a municipal council town that serves as the administrative headquarters of the Kullu district of the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is located on the banks of the Beas River in the Kullu Va ...
was connected to a road from
Mandi Mandi may refer to: Places * Mandı, Azerbaijan India * Mandi, Jammu and Kashmir, a town on the Mandi River in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir * Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, a city in Himachal Pradesh ** Mandi State, former princely sta ...
.


Geography

Barot is situated in a small
valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between Hill, hills or Mountain, mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers ...
formed by the
Uhl river The Uhl is a Himalayan river which is part of the watershed of Beas river. The river originates at the Thamsar Glacier in the Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas, flows through the Uhl valley crossing the villages Bada Gran (Baragram) and Barot. ...
. Surrounded on both sides by parts of the
Dhauladhar Dhauladhar ( hi, धौलाधार) () is a mountain range which is part of a lesser Himalayan chain of mountains. It rises from the Shivalik hills, to the north of Kangra and Mandi. Dharamsala, the headquarters of Kangra district and th ...
range of the
Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
, Barot is located at an elevation of 1819 metres (6001 ft) above the mean
sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...
. Most of the village is settled along the banks of Uhl river. The Uhl barrage and reservoir for the
Shanan Power House Shanan Power House (commissioned in 1932 ) is situated 2 km from Jogindernagar in Himachal Pradesh, India. First power house of Himachal Pradesh is Bhuri singh project in Chamba. British Engineer Colonel B.C. Batty and his team in collaboration ...
are a major geographical feature of Barot. Most of the forest around Barot is deodar and Himalayan
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 ...
.


Tourism

Barot is a frequent backpacker and day tourist destination. Many trekking trails pass through Barot, including trails to
Bada Bhangal Bada (stylized as bada; Korean: ) is a discontinued mobile operating system developed by Samsung Electronics for devices such as mid- to high-end smartphones and tablet computers. The name is derived from " (bada)", meaning "ocean" or "sea" in ...
, Manali and
Kullu Kullu is a municipal council town that serves as the administrative headquarters of the Kullu district of the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is located on the banks of the Beas River in the Kullu Va ...
. Most tourists are attracted by the serene surroundings and availability of cheap accommodation. Of late, Barot is also developing into an
angling Angling is a fishing technique that uses a fish hook or "angle" (from Old English ''angol'') attached to a fishing line to tether individual fish in the mouth. The fishing line is usually manipulated via a fishing rod, although rodless techniqu ...
destination. The
Uhl river The Uhl is a Himalayan river which is part of the watershed of Beas river. The river originates at the Thamsar Glacier in the Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas, flows through the Uhl valley crossing the villages Bada Gran (Baragram) and Barot. ...
supports
trout Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salmoni ...
breeding and Barot has a few
fish farms upright=1.3, Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture) at Loch Ainort, Isle of Skye">mariculture.html" ;"title="Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture">Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture) at Loch Ainort, Isle of Skye, Scotland Fish farming or ...
. Across the river Uhl is the
Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary lies on the east side of the Uhl River in Mandi District of Himachal Pradesh. It was notified in 1999 and covers an area of . The slopes of the sanctuary are covered with Alpine forest. It is home to various species ...
, home to
goral The gorals are four species in the genus ''Naemorhedus''. They are small ungulates with a goat-like or antelope-like appearance. Until recently, this genus also contained the serow species (now in genus '' Capricornis''). Etymology The original ...
,
Himalayan black bear The Himalayan black bear (''Ursus thibetanus laniger'') is a subspecies of the Asian black bear found in the Himalayas of India, Bhutan, Nepal, China, and Pakistan. Description It is distinguished from '' U. t. thibetanus'' by its longer, thicke ...
and a variety of
pheasants Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera native range is restricted to Eurasi ...
. Three artificial lakes including one reservoir on Uhl river enhance the beauty of this magnificent hidden treasure as one enters the Barot village near Dhrangan. An old fountain channelising the waters of Uhl erupting at regular intervals is another source of attraction. Just opposite the fountain, two centres of religious faith are situated. One is the temple of Dev Pashakot, the local deity of rain whereas the other is old temple which have been the witness to majority of couples of valley getting tied in marital bonds. The Thandi Golai ground on the way to old Mayot road is the camp site for various trekkers organised by the trekking organisers. Rulling, the highest village in Mandi district is just an hour's uphill trek falling in Lapas panchayat.


See also

*
Shanan Power House Shanan Power House (commissioned in 1932 ) is situated 2 km from Jogindernagar in Himachal Pradesh, India. First power house of Himachal Pradesh is Bhuri singh project in Chamba. British Engineer Colonel B.C. Batty and his team in collaboration ...
*
Uhl River The Uhl is a Himalayan river which is part of the watershed of Beas river. The river originates at the Thamsar Glacier in the Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas, flows through the Uhl valley crossing the villages Bada Gran (Baragram) and Barot. ...


Gallery

Panoramic view of Barot Valley.jpg, Panoramic view of Barot Valley Barot from across the Uhl reservoir.jpg, Barot from across the Uhl reservoir View of Barot valley 01.jpg, View of Barot valley View of Barot valley 02.jpg, View of Barot valley Uhl Barot Himachal Oct20 D72 18717.jpg, Rocky Uhl above reservoir, Oct '20 Reservoir Uhl Barot Himachal Oct20 D72 18712.jpg, Reservoir viewed from barrage, Oct '20 Downstream Uhl Barot Himachal Oct20 D72 18713.jpg, Dry riverbed downstream from barrage, Oct '20 Barrage Uhl Barot Himachal Oct20 D72 18715.jpg, Barrage and Barot village, Oct '20 PWD Resthouse Barot Oct 2017 D72 2280 04.jpg, PWD Resthouse, Barot Oct '17 PWD_Resthouse,_Barot_Oct_2017_D72_2280.jpg, PWD Resthouse, Barot Oct '17 Uhl_above_Barot_towards_Billing_Oct_2017_D72_2280_01.jpg, The Uhl River above Barot looking towards Billing, Oct 2017


People and life in Barot Valley

File:A Himachali couple selling Lingaru naturally grown vegitable in mountains of HP.jpg, A Himachali couple selling Lingaru – a naturally grown vegetable in mountain File:Himachali woman carrying fodder.jpg, Himachali woman carrying fodder File:A farmer with sticks to be used for support of Vegitable crops.jpg, A farmer with sticks to be used for support of vegetable crops File:People and social life in Barot ,Mandi,Himachal Pardesh.jpg, People and social life in Barot, Mandi, Himachal Pardesh File:Women working in Agriculture fields.jpg, Women working in agriculture fields File:People and social life in Barot -an old Himachali woman on the way to her home near Barot.jpg, People and social life in Barot – an old Himachali woman on the way to her home near Barot File:Himachali women doing rest after working in the fields.jpg, Himachali women resting after working in the fields


Traditional Housing structures of Barot

File:Traditional woden structure houses in Barot area , Mandi ,Himachal Pardesh 01.jpg, File:Traditional woden structure houses in Barot area , Mandi ,Himachal Pardesh 02.jpg, File:Traditional woden structure houses in Barot area , Mandi ,Himachal Pardesh 03.jpg, File:Traditional woden structure houses in Barot area , Mandi ,Himachal Pardesh 04.jpg, File:Traditional woden structure houses in Barot area , Mandi ,Himachal Pardesh 05.jpg,


References


External links

* {{Mandi district Tourist attractions in Himachal Pradesh Villages in Mandi district