Barot - A stunning Himalayan village with rich natural beauty, river with chilled water, star studded sky and lot of surprises

Tucked away in the remote recesses of the Mandi District of Himachal Pradesh, lies the tiny town of Barot. To a large extent untouched by tourism, the town offers a peaceful getaway to travellers, away from the hustle-bustle of daily life. Surrounded by century-old, tall deodars, Barot is a time capsule and visiting Barot is like taking a peek into the bygone era when human beings still knew how to live in peace with their surroundings and with nature. The river Uhl runs through the town twisting its way amongst boulders and polishing pebbles till they glitter like silver and gold, and birds of all colours and sizes sing their various songs while flitting in and out of sight.

On the surface, Barot appears to be a sleepy village with women chasing hens and chicks to put them away for the night and folks dressed in traditional attire chatting away in the afternoon sun. But you just have to walk a few metres to come upon the Uhl Water Reservoir or the trout farm,

which are not only symbols of progress but also underline the intertwining of a traditional way of life with modern thinking. Several homestays and guest houses offer affordable yet comfortable lodging and also provide you with a chance to interact with the ever-smiling and pleasant local people.

The town experiences very cold winters and often receives snowfall during the winter months. Days in summers are cool while the nights can get very cold so carrying light woolens even during peak summers is advisable. The road that connects Barot and Jogindernagar is more-or-less in

good condition with the exception of a few rough patches, but the route is very scenic, offering distraction from the bumpy ride. Even though Barot may not exactly be on the tourist circle or, for that matter, even easily accessible, but for those who want to let their hair down, the town

is a good travel option.

Surrounded by lush green mountain ranges, the high altitude Barot valley is Himachal Pradesh's least explored tourist destination. Everyone is flocking towards Manali and Shimla pressurising the local ecosystem, neglecting much more beautiful destinations in Himachal Pradesh like Barot, Jibhi, and Tirthan. Barot is located at a distance of 38km from Jogindernagar (nearest railway station) and is home to scenic mountains, old villages, and lush green deodar trees. So if you are planning the next trip to Himachal Pradesh then Barot valley should always be on your wish list.

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How to reach Barot from Chandigarh or Delhi 

Reaching Barot totally depends upon your starting location. If you are coming from Chandigarh or Delhi then you need to follow the steps mentioned below To reach Barot you need to know the basic geography of your traveling route. 

Delhi > Chandigarh > Bilaspur > Sundernagar > Mandi. From Mandi, one route will go towards Manali and the other towards Pathankot. You have to take Mandi- Pathankot national highway and at a distance of 58km from Mandi place called Ghatasni will come from where one way will go towards Jogindernagar and other will go towards Barot via Jhatingiri>Tikkan. The distance from Ghatasni to Barot is around 28km.

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How to Reach Barot from Pathankot 

In order to reach Barot from Pathankot, you need to follow the steps mentioned below From Pathankot you need to travel via Shahpur>Palampur>Jogindernagar>Ghatasni>Tikkan>Barot From Kangra one route will lead towards Hamirpur and other toward Palampur, you have traveled on Pathankot-Mandi national highway. So above was the basic idea of how you can reach Barot from Pathankot or Chandigarh.

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By Air : 

The nearest airport to Barot is the Bhuntar airport which lies at a distance of 125km. One can either take a taxi or can rent a bike from Bhuntar. The other airport which lies at close proximity is the Gagal airport which lies at a distance of 142km from Barot Valley.

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By Train 

The nearest railway station to Barot is in Jogindernagar which lies 38km from Barot. One can take a train from Delhi to Pathankot and then change for a train to Jogindernagar from Pathankot. This would be the only method of reaching Barot through rail route.

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By Road : 

I have described every possible method of reaching Barot by road from Delhi as well as from Pathankot in a detailed manner. But I will give you a few more ideas related to buses and Taxis in order to access Barot by road. You can take a bus from Delhi to Manali and get down at the place called Mandi From Mandi, one can take a bus to Pathankot and get down at Ghatasni from where one can either take a local bus to Barot or can hire a taxi. If you ask me I would suggest that hiring a taxi is a better Idea than taking a local bus as the buses in Barot valley are very few and run after fixed Interval.

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Things to do around Barot 

Walk by Uhl River 

Nice stroll down the Uhl River is one of the best things to do in Barot. The looming pine trees and the lush green meadows are something that will surely make your heart pound widely. Walking is probably the best method to explore this small Himalayan village.

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Trekking 

Barot is famous for its trekking routes and is also referred to as starting point for the trails like Billing, Bara Bengal, and Kullu etc. If you are trek lover and looking for some unexplored treks around Himachal then Barot is probably the best option to go for. Routes from Barot to Billing and Kullu are among the old shepherd routes and were once among the busiest shepherd routes in Himachal Pradesh. 

Fishing 

Fishing is one of the most common and lovable activities done in Barot. Here one can find brown as well as rainbow trout in the stream of Uhl. The fishing season usually ranges from March to October and is also considered as the best time for fishing. The tourist season in Barot lies around May, June which is also a good month for fishing. 

Camping 

I have always considered that camping is one of the must-do activities when traveling in the Himalayas. Some people often relate camping to be harsh with no place to get food, staying in the jungle and the absence of light. But in today's world, one can experience all the luxury of hotels inside an Alpine camp. Alpine camps or Swiss tents is a concept in which one can get charging slots, attached washrooms and good food to eat along with king size bed to sleep. You can get these Alpine tents in Barot as well adding little more charm to your trip. 

The first thing I remember about this trip to Barot was that we went there in an old Maruti 800 with friends. And en route we stopped to have stuffed parathas that had stuffing I had never heard of. It was some Himachali specialty and tasted absolutely out of this world. Accompanying the parathas was galgal ka achaar and chai. What else could one ask for? 

The drive after that was fairly long and when we reached Barot, we were shocked to find that our booking at the Government Guest House had been unceremoniously cancelled because some senior Government official had suddenly made plans to visit the town. We decided not to get into any arguments and search for another accommodation. Luckily there were several homestays close by and we were able to find one at a very reasonable price. By now, we were famished, so decided to freshen up and head for lunch. 

I also remember that our balcony overlooked the River Uhl that flowed over a rocky bed and had waters as clear as glass. We could see fish swimming in the flow. Across the river was a small dhaba llike restaurant, and that is where we headed for our lunch. I remember having some really tasty chicken curry with tandoori roti. It was heavenly, really. After that we went for a walk along the river and soon found ourselves in lush green meadows where locals were happily passing by. I clearly remember an old lady, dressed in traditional Himachali attire walking with the support of a walking stick. She smiled at us as she crossed us. 

We happened upon a trout farm and I do not remember much of it, but I do remember people talking about trout that is served whole in Barot and is really tasty. I didn't get an opportunity to taste it though. However, we did come across a local artisan weaving the traditional Mandi shawl. That was quite a fascinating process as well. 

By the time we returned from our walk, the sun had set and the locals were preparing for the night. This was when we spotted our landlady chasing a hen and her chicks. Soon she had her under a wicker basket and it was then that we realized that she was putting them away for the night. The birds did make her chase them for quite some time though. It was a sight that one will never see in cities. 

We only had a night in Barot and whenever I think of the place I feel that it is perfect for a writer to stay for a few months to finish off that difficult novel. You can find folklore, peace, and simplicity here, which are all quite conducive to writing. Go ahead, try it for yourself.