Kyelang (also spelled Keylong) is a town and the administrative centre of the
Lahaul and Spiti district
The Lahaul and Spiti district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh consists of the two formerly separate districts of Lahaul () and Spiti (; or ). The present administrative centre is Kyelang in Lahaul. Before the two districts were mer ...
in the
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 ...
n 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 ...
, north of
Manali via Atal Tunnel and from the Indo-Tibetan border. It is located along the
Manali-Leh Highway, about northeast of intersection of the
Chandra
Chandra ( sa, चन्द्र, Candra, shining' or 'moon), also known as Soma ( sa, सोम), is the Hindu god of the Moon, and is associated with the night, plants and vegetation. He is one of the Navagraha (nine planets of Hinduism) a ...
,
Bhaga
''Bhaga'' is the Vedic god of wealth, as well as a term for "lord, patron" and "wealth, prosperity". He is an Āditya, a group of societal deities who are the sons of Aditi. Bhaga's responsibility was to make sure that people received a share ...
, and
Chenab
The Chenab River () is a major river that flows in India and Pakistan, and is one of the 5 major rivers of the Punjab region. It is formed by the union of two headwaters, Chandra and Bhaga, which rise in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul ...
valleys, on the banks of Bhaga River.
Sights and festivals
Kyelang faces the famous
Kardang Monastery, the largest and most important monastery in Lahaul, of the
Drukpa sect of
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...
, which is on a slope across the river from Keylong.
Sights near Kyelang include the Kardang, Shasur, and Tayul monasteries, all within a few kilometres of Kyelang. There is also a small temple dedicated to the local deity Kelang Wazir in the house of Shri Nawang Dorje that may be visited upon arrangement.
The annual Lahaul Festival is held here each July with a big, busy market and a number of cultural activities.
Tourism
Kyelang is the district headquarters of Lahaul and Spiti district and is home to most of the government offices and facilities in Lahaul. It hosts a regular bazaar.
There are some tourist facilities including a Circuit House, a Public Works Department (PWD) Rest House, a Sainik (Army) Rest House, a Tourist Bungalow, and a number of small hotels.
[http://hplahaulspiti.nic.in/TouristPlaces.htm ]
If you are traveling by car or bike, please adhere speed limits in Lahual spiti valley as speed cameras are in use throughout the area and you will be fined.
Access
Kyelang is accessible from Manali via the
Manali-Leh Highway, a part of NH21. It is located about north of Manali at an altitude of and used to remain cut off from the outside world for six months from late October to mid-May due to heavy snowfall at Rohtang pass until the opening of Atal Tunnel in October 2020. Keylang is now accessible year round, but road blocks can occur in winter lasting several days. The peak travel season is during May-June and October, when a lot of tourists visit
Rohtang pass
Rohtang Pass (Rohtang , lit: རོ་ (Ro)- corpse(s), ཐང་། (thang)- plain/field Polgreen, Lydia. ''New York Times''. Accessed 31 July 2010.) is a high mountain pass (elevation ) on the eastern end of the Pir Panjal Range of the Hima ...
and Atal tunnel. There are many buses in summer from Kulu and Manali.
The Manali to Atal tunnel south portal is 25.6km via Solang valley road. The length of Atal tunnel up to North portal is 9 km. From the North portal one has to cross bridge on Chandra river and then turn left to go to Sissu away, then continue to Tandi away, and then turn right to reach Keylong.
Atal tunnel
Due to the military significance of the Leh-Manali highway and the need to keep it open for the entire year, the Indian government began building the $320 million long horseshoe shaped
Atal Tunnel
Atal Tunnel (also known as Rohtang Tunnel), named after former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee is a highway tunnel built under the Rohtang Pass in the eastern Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas on the Leh-Manali Highway in Himach ...
project in 2010 to bypass Rohtang pass to create a much safer and faster year-round link to Kyelang.
[Polgreen, Lydia]
India Digs Under Top of the World to Match Rival
. ''New York Times''. Accessed 31 July 2010. The tunnel is now open for traffic and it has shortened the distance between Manali and Keylang by , and the travel time from Manali to Keylang is about 2 hrs now. While it used to take 4 to 6 hours to ascend, negotiate, and descend the Rohtang pass, it will take only about 15 minutes to travel through the Atal tunnel.
Another way to access the area is by via air to Kullu and then travelling on the Leh-Manali highway to Kyelang.
Climate
References
External links
Lonely Planet Online Guide
{{Leh-Manali Highway
Cities and towns in Lahaul and Spiti district