Bathu ki ladi- Nature’s best kept secret

By Akriti Mahajan

“Heaven is a myth, Dharamshala is for real”

Himachal Pradesh, known as the land of Gods and Goddesses, has many hidden treasures for explorers in the form of lesser-known historic sites.

One such Nature’s best kept secret is Bathu temples popularly known as ‘Bathu ki Ladi’, a string of 8 temples with towers and outer protection walls. The temples are located near Dhameta in Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh. It remains immersed in Maharana Ptratap Sagar, the reservoir of Pong Dam for almost eight months of the year. The unique thing about these temples is that they are  only  visible during four months (from March to June) in an year when the water level in the reservoir drops.

The beauty and color of Bathu stone used for construction is mostly intact except that some plaster and bricks have washed out.  Despite being submerged in 50 to 180 feet of water in the reservoir for the last nearly 50 years, there have been no substantial harm to these historic buildings so far.

The temple is made of very strong stone and even after 30 years of being submerged in water it is standing tall and beautiful. The big Pillar next to these temples is the only visible thing you get to see when the Pong Dam Lake is very much in water as all the temples are submerged in the water.

It is said that the temple  have been built around 14th to 16th Century A.D. by Raja Hari Chand Guleria and his descendants just when other forts in the area came up around this period.

The temples receive an influx of tourists during the time when it is visible. As , the temples are in the midst of river, one has to ride a boat to reach the temple complex.

Spending a slow day at Bathu ki ladi, can be the most sought-after weekend where on one side you have vast meadows devoid of any plantation and a little further there is a water body so huge that seems to have no end. The water in the lake is crystal clear and blue giving a similar glimpse of Pangong Tso river of Ladakh.

You can spend few hours at the bank of the water body, enjoying boating or just gazing at the sheer beauty of the lake. Sunlight falling on the blue water of the lake makes the sight even more enticing. One may spend a hushed afternoon here by just sitting at the bank where the light breeze kisses the face and get mesmerized by the serenity in nature.

भोटा में घने चील के पेड़ों के बीच बसा बाबा बालक नाथ मंदिर

By: वर्षा रानी

यूं तो सारे हिमाचल मे बाबा बालक नाथ जी के मंदिर हैं पर हमीरपुर के भोटा के पास जंगल के बीचों-बीच एक खास मंदिर के बारे में मैं आज आपको अवगत करवाने वाली हूँ| बाबा बालक नाथ हिमाचल के कई परिवारों के अराध्य एवं कुल देवता हैं |

दियोटसिद्ध के बारे में तो सभी लोग जानते ही हैं लेकिन ईस जगह के बारे मे बहुत कम लोग जानते हैं, और यह मंदिर काफी प्राचीन है अभी कुछ समय पहले ही फिर से जीर्णोद्धार किया गया है| जंगल के एकदम बीच में स्थित इस मंदिर तक भोटा वाई पास के थोड़ा सा ऊपर से पहुंचा जा सकता है साईनवोर्ड लगे हुये हैं|                                                                                                                                                     

  

इस मंदिर और जगह के बारे में कहा जाता है कि जब बाबा तपस्या के लिये जगह जगह घूम रहे थे और गोरखनाथ जी से बचकर अपनी तपस्या में लीन हो रहे थे उस बक्त बालक नाथ जी इस जगह में ठहरे थे व उन्होंने कई दिनों तक तपस्या की थी, सामने देखने पर नज़ारा एकदम शाहतलाई की तरह दिखता है | 

                                                                                                               

  पास के कई गांवों के लोग इस मंदिर के प्रति अटूट आस्था रखते हैं जिसके बारे मे चमत्कार जैसी चीजें सुनने को मिल जाती है| इस मंदिर में भी महिलाओं का गुफा के पास पहुंचने पर पाबंदी है| 

ऐसे कई वाक्य हुये हैं जिनके कारण भक्तों के अपने आराध्य देवता के प्रति काफी आस्था बनी हुई है| झंडे का रिडा - झंडा मतलव ध्वज और रिडा पहाडी बोली में उच्ची चोटी या पहाड को करते हैं|

HPCA imposes fee for stadium visits- Locals and tourists hassled

By: Aakriti Mahajan

Dharamshala: Sitting at 1457 meters above sea level, the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium at Dharamshala is widely known as one of the most picturesque cricket stadiums in the world. Every day, hundreds of tourists throng the stadium to experience its vivacity and splendid construction. But, with a new move from HPCA to impose visitors' fee of Rs 20 from March this year has hassled the tourists and the local community.

A board which shows the newly imposed visitors fee near HPCA Stadium 

in Dharamshala. (image: Aakriti Mahajan

According to officials at HPCA, the move was meant to avoid locals unnecessarily using the stadium premises and destroying the property of stadium. With imposing of a nominal fee of Rs 20, the HPCA authorities said that they have been successful in avoiding locals lazing around in the stadium premises for hours. However, it appears that it has affected the influx of tourists to the stadium as well.

According to Vipin, a Supervisor at the HPCA stadium, imposing of fees for visiting the stadium is essential to avoid unwanted locals who used to come and laze around for hours in the stadium premises. According to him, they were several instances where such people destroying the chairs of the stadium. Moreover, the visitors fee has turned out to be a new revenue source for the upkeep of the stadium. “With the imposing of fees, we have been able to get enough revenue to keep a cleaner stadium especially by using it for cleaning washrooms and to provide other services to the visitors.” added Vipin.

However, the move has affected the local people and tourists a lot. “It was our usual place to have a chit chat with friends, but since it’s chargeable now, we don’t have any place to sit and spend time with friends”, said Suchita, a student at the nearby Government College in Dharamshala.

Baldev ji, a vendor outside HPCA stadium telling how the stadium fees has affected the influx of tourists and their business

The influx of tourists has considerably reduced  according to the street vendors outside the stadium. “The number of tourists have gone down very much compared to the past. Tourists have become a bit reluctant now to pay fees to see a place that is built for public.” said Baldev, a street vendor outside the stadium.

However, the stadium authorities believes the move to implement visitors' fee is reasonable. “The decision to impose fees is not irrational. We do not want stadium to change into a public park. We want responsible citizens and locals to visit the stadium and value the property of the stadium. The imposing of fees was essential due to this reason.” said Manuj Sharma, operational manager of HPCA stadium.