Delhi to Barot Village, Himachal – Travel Guide

A Tranquil river, an offbeat place, some lovely meadows, a thick cedar forests, some terraced fields and a

relaxing homestay – seems like your perfect holiday destination, right? Well, then Barot Village near

Mandi in Himachal is one place you MUST visit without thinking any further.

Let me introduce all of you to YashiSrivastava who has written this Guest Post for all of us here at DoW. She will

help us out for making our trip to Barot Village in Himachal Pradesh a memorable experience by sharing all the

required details in her article on comprehensive Travel Guide for Barot Yashi loves to explore new places and

experiences while traveling and is an aspiring Travel Blogger. She will share with us few more such informative

articles on traveling to Himalayas in coming months. But as of now, let’s come back to topic and enjoy this Barot

Village Travel Guide in order to prepare ourselves for our next trip to Himalayas :)…

Barot Village has been named in the article: 5 Must Visit Off-beat Places in Himachal Pradesh and it has

completely lived up to the standards and expectations so far. Prospering in the lap of the great Himalayas, Barot

Village, a small, hilly village with a population of approximately 2000 people, imbibes a sense of calmness among

the travellers. Located in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh and contoured by Uhl River, this offbeat place

remains un-crowded most of the year barring the summer season. Hindi is the official language in Barot and few

locals can also converse in decent English. So, there is no issues in communication aspects

Silky Waters of Uhl River near Barot Village

A major geographical feature of the Barot Village is the two reservoirs under Shanan Power Project. The

gushing water of Uhl River, apart from adding all the charm to this hamlet, also allow locals for trout

breeding. In fact, there is a trout breeding centre from where the fishes are released into the river. The

travellers, however, can get involved in activities like angling / fishing, hiking, trekking, picnic, etc..

For those having a fondness for wildlife, Barot Village is also a portal to Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary A

variety of animals including Monal, Black Bear, Wildcats, Monkeys, Deer, etc.. have found shelter under

this sanctuary. One can also spend a night or two near the Sanctuary since there are two popular

accommodation options, namelyThaltukhod and Silbadhwan Barot is also linked with Kullu through a trek

route which is accessorized with thick forests. One interesting fact regarding this hamlet is that left bank

of Uhl river is the village Barot that belongs to Mandi district while on the other side Kangra district is

situated whereas the river belongs to Punjab (as per contract ;)) …

Location

Barot is located in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh (about 66 km from Mandi, the district

headquarters). It is situated at a distance of about 40 odd km from JoginderNnagar, nearest railhead, on

the Mandi – Pathankot Highway The road to this little known yet astonishing village expands from

Ghatasni, a place on Mandi – Pathankot Highway and Barot lies at a distance of about 25 kms from

Ghatasani. One could also manage to swing by the haulage trolley run by Punjab State Electricity Board

(PSEB). The haulage trolley connects Joginderagar with Barot. Use of haulage trolley shortens the

distance by 12 km. Unfortunately, the trolley is not in use anymore.

Altitude

Barot is located in Chauhar/Chuhar Valley at an altitude of 1,830 Metres or 6,001 Feet.

Seasons for Travelling to Barot

This lovely village can be visited during all months except for rainy seasons because the condition of the

roads may degrade due to heavy rains. Landslides can also contribute in blocking the roads for an

uncertain period. During the months of November to February, climate is quite cold and heavy snowfall

can be expected during January. However, the village looks pristine when covered under white carpet of

snow. People having an affinity for whiteout can visit this place during winter but be prepared with couple

of days buffer in case of heavy snowfall, as road might get closed due to it.

Himalayas the first good views welcome us…

How to Reach Barot from Delhi

By Road

Barot is situated about 25 KM off the National Highway 20 (NH-20), also known as Mandi – Pathankot

Highway. The road to Barot cuts from Ghatasni. and goes through Jhatingiri – Tikkan Villages. If your

travel starts from Delhi, the distance is about 530 KMs and travel time will be approximately 14 hours if

the climate and road conditions are seemingly fair. One of the most comfortable and direct route to reach

Barot from Delhi is given below Delhi –>Ambala –> Chandigarh –>Kiratpur Sahib –>Swarghat –>Bilaspur

–>Mandi –>Ghatasni –>Jhatingiri –>Tikkan –>Barot

The Mandi-PathankotHighway(NH-20) stretching from Mandi to Ghatasni is in vogue with travellers these

days. The roads leading to Barot are however steep and at places you cannot go above first gear. The

condition of the roads require a little experience in driving on hills.

Public Transport

By Bus: Mandi is well connected with all the major cities of Himachal Pradesh and in fact Delhi as well.

One can board a bus from Delhi or Chandigarh and reach Mandi in about 10 hours. We recommend you

to take an overnight bus which will drop you off at Mandi in the morning. From there, you can hop on

another bus and get off at Ghatasni. Again, you can get on a bus and finally reach Barot. The average

fare is around 950 INR.You can find all the necessary information about ticket booking at the

link: http://hp.gov.in/hrtctickets/.

By Taxi/ Cab: You can easily hire a cab or a taxi from Delhi or Chandigarh and reach Barot directly which

is clearly not the case while travelling in a bus. A car will take about 13-14 hours from Delhi to reach

Barot.

By Train: The closest railway station is at Joginder Nagar and there is a narrow gauge railway line

connecting Joginde Nagar to Pathankot. When travelling from Delhi, here’s the route: Delhi – Pathankot

(480KM) and the narrow gauge track from Pathankot – Joginder Nagar (153KM). From Joginder Nagar to

Ghatasni (35 KM) and then to Barot (25 KMs), shall be covered by road.

By Air: Barot is 127 km from Bhuntar Airport near Kullu. You can also reach Barot from Gaggal airport

near Kangra, approximate distance is 97 km. It is suggested to keep a check on flights on the websites

from time to time as the frequency of flights is really low due to unpredictable climatic conditions at these

places.

Suggested Itinerary

Although it is a matter of personal preference but to save you some time I will suggest you a 4 day

itinerary for your perfect stay at Barot in case you are visiting from Delhi.

Day 1 – Take an overnight bus from Delhi. Reach Mandi next morning. From Mandi hop on another bus

that drops you off at Ghatasni and from there you can finally take a bus or a shared cab and reach Barot.

Check in your rest house or homestay and you can spend rest of the day relaxing near the Uhl River or a

walk around the village is quite de-stressing.

Day 2 – After breakfast one can head straight for a few outdoor activities like angling, fishing, picnic,

hiking, etc..

Day 3 – After breakfast you can gear yourself up for a trek through Barot. However, the trek isn’t small

enough to be finished in a day. You will require at least a day more to finish it. Or else, you can drive

towards Luhardi Village or Bada Gran village. From Luhardi, road ends at the project but you can walk to

village by the name Poling from where snow clad peaks appear just in touching distance. In fact, at Luhardi

there is primary school as well where you can execute DoW – Causes | A Step Towards Responsible

Travel, in case you beieve in spreading smiles up there in Himalayas. You can even check one such event

executed by Dheeraj at the link: DoW Cause | GYAAN 500 in action at Barot, Himachal

OR You can pay a visit to Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary which branches off at Barot. You can also

visitDianasur Lake along with the two reservoirs which take us back to 1924 due to its old machinery.

OR You can go to Bir – Billing which is famous for its Paragliding activities. You can learn more in detail

about it at the link of DoW Community: Paragliding in Himalayas

Day 4 – Start your journey back from Barot or Bir – Billing. You shall board a bus till Ghatasani and then

another for Mandi or Dharamshala and finally to Delhi or Chandigarh.

The Super Sunset on the way to Barot

Accommodation options at Barot

Considering the fact that Barot is a hamlet, there are no hotels available as such. However, there are

relaxing home stays in Barot. You can lodge here and the locals will graciously greet you. Two popular

guest house run by government departments and a few privately owned rest houses will make your stay

comfortable and relaxing. The average tariff of a single homestay ranges from Rs.300 to 600 per day.

Contact information of these houses is given below.

Homestays at Barot

River View Homestay: You can check Dheeraj’s Review in DoW Community at the link: River View

Homestay at Barot | A Detailed Review

Shobhla Homestay can be contacted at 9418298556 & 01908267223

Barrage View Homestay can be contacted at 09736958568 & 09816863982

Guest Houses at Barot

Sachin Guest House 01908 – 267342, 09816807627

K.K Negi Guest House can be contacted at 01908 – 267312

Heera Guest House can be contacted at 09418260576

Govt. Rest Houses at Barot

PWD Rest House whose booking can be done at Paddhar Tehsil Office 01908 – 260665

Forest Rest house, whose booking can be done at Joginder Nagar Forest Department 01908 – 222079

For more details of the process and booking, you can check the link: How to Book HP PWD Rest Houses

or FRHs

The Lovely PWD Rest House at Barot

Attractions or Sightseeing around Barot

If and when, you get full of admiring the picturesque views and dazzling features of this valley then some

other things to do at Barot are listed below:

Angling, fishing, trekking, picnic, camping, rock climbing, river crossing and other various outdoor

activities.

Many trekking trails pass through Barot, including trek to Bada Bhangal, Manali and Kullu.

Barot is near Bir – Biling which is quite famous for Paragliding.

The place is famous for its Trout fishing. So if you love fishing, this place is your heaven!

Internet accounts also tells us about the Summer Palace of Mandi Kings in Jhatangiri. Also, Jhatingiri is a

great vantage point to witness an amazing sunset.

There is also a high altitude panoramic lake at an height of 14000 (4150m) feet known as Dianasur lake

where holy journeys are started during August and September. Lord Hanuman is believed to have stopped

over this place while killing an evil witch.The route to this lake requires a little experience in trekking.

Nonetheless, the difficulty level is not that high for newbies too :).

There are two reservoirs at Barot under Shanan power project. They were built in the year 1924 by a British

engineer Col. Betty. You can see old machinery used in project.

There are also some small scale industries and shops where shawls and woollen clothes are manufactured

using a typical technology called ‘Khaddi’. One can visit these shops, if interested.

Barot is doorway to Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary which is situated across the Uhlriver.

If you have a little extra time, you may want to take a tour of nearby villages like Luhardi village, Poling

Village, Bada Gran which are as much awe-inspiring as Barot. You will find plenty of places where you can

site besides the river and relax in the lap of nature.

The Uhl River at Barot Village

Food Joints

Food availability is not a problem at all in Barot. The rest house generally provide food three times but

there are also a few dhabas that serve food too and you can also try the local Himachali Cuisines too.

People have kitchengardens outside their houses which is a rare sight in metropolitan cities. The

vegetables grown in these gardens are used for cooking meals by the locals. Dal / Rrajma, sabzi, rice,

chutney, salad, etc..is the basic food of this area. Trout Fish and PahariAaloo are the special dishes of

Barot.

Medical Facilities

Besides primary health centre, a 24×7 ambulance services can be reached at 108 telephone number. For

any emergency situation, you need to go to Mandi or Jogindernagar for treatment. Hence, advise you to

carry your medical kit along with you which is commonly required during any journey. Do keep extra

woollen clothes with you. There are chances that you might get wet, so better have some option.

ATM Availability

There is a PNB ATM situated at a village named Tikkan, approximately 12 km away from Barot. Even so,

it is advised that you carry cash. Mandi, on the other hand, offers excellent ATM Services. ICICI, Canara

Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, Union Bank, SBI have their ATMs established in Mandi.

Mobile Connection/Signal

Almost all the service providers have their coverage at Barot but it is always best to have BSNL or Airtel

connection as they generally provide excellent services in remote areas too. Besides one can find

number of STD/ISD telephone booths around there at Barot.

Petrol Pumps

Mandi is the nearest place where petrol pump is available, so do top up in case it is required.

Barot Village

Other Tips an Suggestions from DoW

1. GPS is quite successful in this area but cannot be always relied on. It is hence recommended to take help

from shopkeepers and passer-by for directions whenever you are confused.

2. Always carry some extra woollen clothes. They might come very handy in case you get your clothes wet,

somehow.

3. Bring along a few medicines that are often required during a journey. Medical ambulance and can be

reached at the following telephone number 108, keep this number with yourself for any such case.

4. You can also check our suggested list of things to carry on trip including medical kit

5. Due to rains in monsoon and snow fall in winters, the area tends to encounter landslides and can be closed

for any uncertain number of time during such period. So, plan your visit accordingly with required buffer

days.

The woods around Barot… Can you spot the sheep?

Conclusion

Barot is quite an unexplored and offbeat destination in Himachal Pradesh and has a lot of potential to

entice travellers around the world due to its unrestricted outdoor activities and picturesque location. But

again such places are better off without any commercialization or tourist activities which most certainly

spoil the beauty of such unusually vivid places. So, when you travel then our request is that you travel

responsibly. You can read our tips in DoW Community link: Responsible Travel in Himalayas

Barot is one of the very few places which can give you a break from the bustling city life and you will love

to spend some quality time with your loved ones there in the lap of nature. It is a lovely place that takes

you back in time. So step out and experience the magic of this place where nature is experienced at its

best…

Feel free to post any queries here as comments or in Itinerary Advice Forum of DoW Community…

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