Each place of kinnaur is unique in itself having there own cultural heritage but some places must visite are -:
kalpa :Kalpa : ( 2,670 metres ) It is one of the main villages of the district connected by link road 14 km. from Powari beyond Rekong Peo. Looming in front of Kalpa is an imressive view of 'Kinner Kailash' directly across the Satluj river. This mountain changes colors several times a day with a change of weather conditions or may be as destined by Lord Shiva his eternal abode. 'Parvati Kund' is located on the top of Kinner Kailash. The ancient villages of Pangi, Moorang and Kanum are situated close to Kalpa.
Recong Peo : ( 2,760 metres ) It is the headquarter of the district Kinnaur.
Ribba: ---------------
Ribba-:Land of grapes well famous for grapes wine know as angoori.A place beneath the Kinner Kailash one of the most populated village of kinnaur.( 2,745 meters) It is also called 'Ridang'. It is another popular village at a distance of 20 k.m from Rekong Peo and situated between the village of 'Purbani' and 'Rispa' is known for grapes, orchards and the alcohol distilled from grapes (angoori).Ribba is nearest destination from where u can reach Kinner Kailash asily.Fest in ribba-Fulaich -festival of wild flowers september14 5day6night in a kande (place above village) . Bish-celebrated in april (baisakhi) . is village is also witnessed too manymiracles.LochaRimpochhe one of the incarnation in budhism.He choose this village to make a holy place of budhism and created a monestry in one night
cutting only one tree.A place one can watch the combination of hinduism and bodhism along.
Kothi Temple, Rekong Peo:
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 Its emperor belonging to Sunga, Nanda and Maurya dynasties carried their banners upto the inhabitated parts of inner Himalayan region.Chandragupta Maurya brought about its political unification under onescepter, negotiated an alliance with Parvataka (Himalayan King) before empire building. With the help of several frontier tribes such as Kiratas, Kambojas, Panasikas and Valhika, he built up the great Mauryan Empire.The empire of Ashoka extended upto natural boundaries of India and beyond that in the west. After the collapse of theMauryan empire the Kushanas established an extensive empire within andbeyond India in the northwest. Emperor Kanishkas hegemony spread over Kashmir and the Central Asian regions of Kashgar, Yarkand and Khotan. His hold extended upto the territory of the Inner Himalayas and Kinnaur musthave been the part of thisempire. In the meantime northern India was divided into a number of small kingdoms and autonomous tribal states. Under such a divided country the Gupta empire grew.Samundragupta'sempire included the territories of Rohilkhand, Kumaon, Garhwal, Nepal and Assam.Its northern boundary was along the high Himalayas. Kinnaur must have been included init too. Early in the seventh century A.D., Harsha came to power at Thaneshwar in A.D. 606. During the courseof four decades he had established a most powerful empire in India.All the existing kingdoms of Kapisa, Kashmir, Kuluta, Satadru, Mon-li-pa-lo (Ladakh) and Suwarnagotra (in the high Himalayas) were incorporated in his empire. After the death of Harsha in A.D.647 the country was once again divided into old principalities of the sixth century B.C |
Labrang
Chango :
(3,058 meters) It is in Kinnaur district and is a collection of four hamlets in pargana 'Shuwa' sub-tehsil Hangrang, on the left bank of Spiti river. It is encircled on every side by high hills which is a witness to the presence of a former lake. This village is under the influence of Buddhism, but there are some local Hindu deities too namely 'Gyalba' - 'Dabla' and 'Yalsa'.
Pooh :
( 2,830 metres ) It is also known as 'Spuwa' and it is a tehsil headquarters located on National Highway-22. The place is famous for vineyards, apricot, almond and grapes orchard. It is 58 km. from Powari along the National Highway. It has modern facilities for comfortable stay. The local god is called Dabla, who neither has any dwelling nor possesses an ark. The only manifestation of the deity is a pole with a small idol set on its upper portion and adorned with Yak tail hair and long pieces of colored cloth. The whole being called Fobrang, it is occasion brought to the Santhang.Durga Temple at Ropa ------------------------- There is a Durga temple at Ropa also known as the Chandika temple. Chandika had apportioned to herself this semi-arid tract when she divided Kinnaur amongst her brothers and sisters. Her temple at Ropa, a new structure with a reinforced cement concrete frame, is an architectural malapropism.
Nako :
( 3,662 meters ) It is the highest village in the valley and the existence of lake formed out of the masses of ice and snow above adds to beauty of the village. Situated about 2 kms. above the Hangrang valley road and is 103 kms. from Kalpa on the western direction of the huge mountain of Pargial. Local village deity is Deodum and another Lagang temple with several idols exist here. There is a staying hut for visitors. Leo : Located on the right bank of the Spiti river. It is the headquarters ofsub tehsil Hangrang in Pooh sub-division. There is temple of 'Jamato' worth visiting. Lippa : (2,745 meters) It is in Kinnaur, situated near the left bank of Taiti stream. Three Buddhist monasteries are there, which are dedicated to Galdang, Chhoiker Dunguir and Kangyar. The place is also famous for Ibex found in the nearby forest.
Bairing Nag Temple Sangla
 ( 2,680 metres ) It is an important village of the Baspa valleysituated on the right bank of Baspa river is built on a slope with housesrising one above other with gigantic 'Kinner Kailash' peak ( 6,500 meters ) towering from behind is also famous for 'Kamru Fort'.This fort was the place where so many Rajas of Kinnaur were crowned.The entire place is adorned by soothing saffon fields and alpine meadows. Rakchham : ---------- ( 2,900 metres ) Its name has been derived from 'Rak' a stone and 'Chham' a bridge. The location of the village is striking. It is located on the right bank of the Baspa river. Chitkul : (3,450 meters) This is the last and highest village in the Baspa valley in district Kinnaur. It is situated on the right bank of Baspa river. Karchham : ( 1,900 metres ) The confluence of Satluj and Baspa rivers marks the location of Karchham on Hindustan-Tibet road.A handsome temple dedicated to goddess Chandika, more especially designated as Shuwang Chandika has spread the fame of village Kothi in greater part of the district.The local people hold the goddess in great reverence and consider her to be one of the most powerful goddess. For want of social contact by the local people with their more advanced and brahmin ridden brethren they have evolved their own peculiar procedure of ritual and worship to this presiding deity. There is an image of gold, seated in an ark. It is danced up and down by four persons at the time of worship.Her legend goes that she was the daughter of the demon devta Banaasur who presided over the Kinnaur. He had 18 sons and daughters. Chandika was the eldest among all. She presided over Sairag the heart of Kinnaur. But establishing her hold on the area was not so easy. The thakur of Chini ruled Sairag with a aid of a powerful demon. To defeat this enemy, Chandika took the aid of a cunning female relative called Byche. Byche duped the demon into placing his long hair between the grinding stones of a water mill. Then Chandika sprang on the helpless giant and severed his head with her sword. But a new head immediately replaced the old. Repeated swishes of her sword only brought forth more grinning faces. Frustrated and tiring, Chandika was soon in danger of drowning in the sea of blood created by her actions. Forsaking her pride, she appeared to her brothers for assistance. Chagaon Maheshwar responded and told her to kill the life sustaining beetle, hovering over the demon's head. Chandika maintains her chief abode at Kothi in the middle of Sairag. Chhitkul ; Mathi is the local goddess of the people of chhitkul having three temples the main one said to have been constructed about five hundred years agoby a resident of Garhwal. The square ark of the goddess is made of walnut wood and is covered with clothes and surmounted by a tuft of yak tail. Two poles called bayanga are inserted into it by means of which it is carried. Her legend goes that she started from Brindavan and passing through Mathura and Badri Nath reached Tibet. Afterward she came to Garhwal, and via Sirmour reached Sarhan in Bushahr and ultimately reached the Barua Khad. Beyond Barua Khad she found the territory divided into seven parts.The deity of Shaung village was Narenas, her nephew. She appointed him to guard the territory.Then she proceeded to Chasu village. There too she appointed the Narenas of Chasu, her nephew as a guard. Then she visited the Kamru fort where her husband Badri Nath, was a guard of the throneof Bushahr. She further went to Sangla where her another nephew, Barang Nag, was responsible for safeguarding the Rupin Ghati. Thereafter she proceededto Batseri village, where Badri Nath of Batseri, her husband was responsible for guarding a place named Dhumthan. Thence onward she arrived at Rakchham where Shanshares, yet another nephew was appointed as a guard ofDhumthan. Finally she arrived at Chhitkul and settled there permanently assuming the overall responsibility of safeguarding the seven divisions.After her arrival, people had plenty of food, animals had sufficient grassand the village began to proper. She had also a pujares. In the morning the pujares bring water from the nearby spring and worship goddess byburning incense, while musical instruments are played by Domangs. TEMPLE OF LORD MAHESHWARA(SUNGRA) -----------------------------------------------------  It is said that it is created on a lake by th wife of lord maheshwra. Situated in nichar and also said that Shivaling is present in this temple.Pretty intrestin story about this shivinga is that after long workship by Vanasur (king of shaunikpur now known as Sarahan) God Shiva presented him The Shiv Linga with condition not to put down till he reach destination bt after reaching nichar he felt so tired that he put that Shivlinga on this holy place.The portals of Maheshwar temple of Sungra have superb wood panels on either side. deeply cut images of prominent Hindu deities are a treat for the art historian. On the eastern wall are panels depicting the Vishnu Avatars and the symbol of the Hindu zodiac. The friezes on the eaves are beautiful and the buildings arround the temple courtyard are similarly embellished . A small stone shrine of eighth century stands a short distance from the temple doorway, evidence of the site's antiquity. The Sungra Maheshwar was once said to have been attacked by an enemy of superhuman strength, often linked to the Pandava hero, Bhima. Bhima hurled a huge boulder at the temple from the mountain tops across the Satluj. The Maheshwar deflected the missile to one side. It now lies close to the road, a short way from the temple and still shelters the alpine flowers found only in the high mountains. ---------------------------- Chango has three temples. In lower Chango, the red walls of Rinchen Zangpo temple stand out atop a little promontory but contain little of note. Nearby, the village temple, in more regular use as a place of worship, has a large prayer wheel, clay idols and contemporary wall paintings. A large image of Avalokiteshwara, crudely carved in stone, lies on the path between these two shrines. It was found in some out of the way and the monks decided to place it in a temple but the combined strength of many men was insufficient to lift the stone. Then the present location was though. The temple in upper Chango is the best kept but of relatively recent vintage. Close by, a new prayer hall, library and guest rooms are nearing completion. Across the Chango stream, perched above yellow, alkaline cliffs, is an older collection of religious buildings. Rarang Monastery at Rarang: ----------------------------- Just outside Rarang, on the Thopan side is the newly built Monastery of Tashi Choeling. This new monastery has come in the wake of post-1960 Tibetan influences from the Drugpa sect. Close to the monastery are older dwellings and temples, merging into the rugged surface of a rocky mountain side. These older units are traced to Nyingmapa adherents. Charang Temple : ------------------- Just beyond Charang is a temple of the eleventh century known as Rangrik Tungma complex. The temple takes its name from the goddess Rangrik Tungma and her small metal image, astride a horse is the oldest at the temple. In all likelihood Rangrik Tungma must have been a pre-Buddhist deity, absorbed into the pantheon of the later religion. Two other bronze statues appear to be of considerable value; a Maitreya seated with legs pendant, in bhadrasana and a Buddha in bhumisparsha mudra. The walls of the main hall are linked with clay idols, in the same style as the mandala in thedukhang at Tabo. The wall paintings below are old although the wheel of life outside the door has been redone lately. There is also an interesting hoard of ivory and bonehandled knives and daggers at the temple. Many centuries ago, it is said a robber gang from across the Tibetan border raided the temple. The clay images of protective deities at the entrance set up a terrificnoise, resembling the thundering hooves of galloping horses. The terrific robbers droped their weapons and took off, running up valley to vanish in the crevasses of thehuge glaciers streaming down from the high peaks above. Brelengi Gompa at Brelengi near PeoNear Reckong Peo in Brelengi there is a Buddhist Monastery also known as the Brelengi gompa.This is an impressive modern Buddhist edifice. The monastery of Mahabodhi society was constructed specially for the Dalai Lama to perform the Kalachakra ceremony in 1992. Next to the monastery is a 10 meter statue of the standing Buddha, which is visible from a considerable distance
Bhabha Valley:
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