Abhinav Vashisht

Kullu, June 6

For those looking for solace, the Banjar valley is the perfect destination. Be it domestic tourists or foreigners, all make a beeline for the picturesque place. Rivers, lakes, waterfalls, mountain ranges, evergreen forest, grasslands, historic buildings and temples are a major tourist attraction here.The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) was declared a world heritage site in June 2014 and since then new avenues have opened up for entrepreneurs associated with tourism industry in the Banjar valley.Scenic Jibhi village and Shoja valley attract a large number of foreign and domestic tourists. The villages have witnessed an increase in the number of guest houses over the years.Pilgrims throng the temple and the lake at Seolsar in large numbers.Davinder, managing director, Jibhi Inn, said the best part was that the area was unexplored unlike other hill stations. “A traveller gets to see a lot of new places here,” he said.The Banjar valley can be approached from the Chandigarh-Manali highway. It is the ideal destination for nature lovers and trekkers. Davinder said: “The valley is surrounded by pine trees and snow-covered majestic peaks. There are various trekking routes, small streams and old temples. Water bodies are popular for various games and fishing. Picturesque spots like Sarehul Lake, Chaini Fort, Sharingi Bagi Temple and Shringa Rishi Temple delight the visitors.” Having splendid mountain ranges and forests, Jibhi is the unexplored heaven in the heart of the Himalayas.

About Banjar valley

• Banjar is situated at the height of 1,356 m (4515.48 feet) from the sea level
• The place lies on the alternative route to Kullu from Shimla
• The main route is via Bilaspur and Mandi. The alternative route goes from Theog, Aani, Jalori Pass, Banjar and joins the main route at Aut
• The valley is in the middle Himalayan range. Going towards east, the peaksprogressively get taller, finally giving way to the great Himalayan range, wherethe peaks are as high as 4,500 m and above