Barot (Himachal Pradesh)

Barot
village
Barot Location in Himachal Pradesh, India
Coordinates: 32°2′11″N 76°50′51″E / 32.03639°N 76.84750°E / 32.03639; 76.84750Coordinates: 32°2′11″N 76°50′51″E / 32.03639°N 76.84750°E / 32.03639; 76.84750
Country	India
State	Himachal Pradesh
District	Mandi
Elevation	1,829 m (6,001 ft)
Population
• Total	2,000 (app.)
Languages
• Official	Hindi
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	175013 [1]
Telephone code	1908 (Joginder Nagar) [2]
Vehicle registration	HP 29 (Joginder Nagar)H.P.76(Padhar)
Nearest city	Joginder Nagar
Lok Sabha constituency	Mandi
Vidhan Sabha constituency	Drang-30
Climate	Cold (Köppen)

Barot from across the Uhl reservoir

Barot is a picnic spot and tourist location in Mandi district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is situated 40 km from Jogindernagar and 66 km from Mandi, the district headquarters. The road to Barot branches off at Jogindernagar-Mandi high ways and from Jogindernagar the distance is 40 km. It is sometimes possible to use the trolley from Jogindernagar which reduces the distance to 12 km. The route includes terraced fields and thick cedar forests, rising to Jhatingri at the hilltop. The remains of the summer palace of the former rulers of Mandi are located here.Through the little village of Tikkan, the road carries on to Barot. The town has a range of outdoor activities, including a trout breeding centre from where fish are released into the Uhl. A 30 km section of the river is used for angling.

Barot also forms the gateway to the Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary which lies across the Uhl. The sanctuary is home to the monal, black bear and ghoral. Within it are forest rest house s at Thaltuckhod and Silbandhwari. Through woods of cedar and pine a trek route cuts across the sanctuary to Kullu.

PWD Rest House at Barot

Accessibility

By road

Barot is situated 25 km off National Highway 20. The diversion to Barot is at a village, Ghatasani, 14 km from Joginder Nagar and 35 km from Mandi. This bye road passes through Jhatingri and Tikkan. From Tikkan, the road runs along the Uhl river till Barot. A major portion of this road is single lane, though not one way.

Barot is connected by public buses to Mandi, Jogindernagar and Palampur. Buses plying to Kothikodh, Bada Gran and Luhardi also pass through Barot.

Railway

The closest railway station is at Jogindernagar, terminus of the narrow gauge railway line connecting Jogindernagar to Pathankot. The line is operated by Northern Railways, a division of Indian Railways.

Other modes

A haulage trolley of the British times connects Barot to Jogindernagar. This trolley link was set up to facilitate transport of construction material to Barot for a reservoir on Uhl river for Shanan Power House. The trolley was also sparingly used as a means of transport since Barot was not linked to a road till 1975. However, once the road connection was established, the trolley fell into a state of disrepair. It is currently owned and maintained by the Punjab State Electricity Board. Currently, the trolley is not in use and is only operated for occasional inspections of the project pipelines.

By air from Delhi to Bhunter(Kullu) or Gaggal(Kangra) airport and then by Taxi(+919418166531)to Barot easily reach the Barot.

History

Historically, Barot formed part of the Mandi riyasat before and during British times and was governed by the King of Mandi. Pre Independence, Barot was also on the mule trail connecting Kullu valley to Kangra valley. The importance of this route declined once Kullu was connected to a road from Mandi.

Geography

Barot is situated in a small V-Shaped valley formed by the Uhl river. Surrounded on both sides by parts of the Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas, Barot is located at an elevation of 1819 metres above the mean sea level. Most of the village is settled along the banks of Uhl on both sides in Joginder Nagar Valley. The Uhl barrage and reservoir for the Shanan Power House are a major geographical feature of Barot. Most of the forest around Barot is Deodar and Himalayan Oak.

Tourism

Barot is a frequent backpacker and day tourist destination. Many trekking trails pass through Barot, including trails to Bada Bhangal, Manali and Kullu. Most of the day tourists as attracted by the serene surroundings and cheap availability of accommodation.

Of late, Barot is also developing into an angling destination. The Uhl river supports Trout breeding and Barot has a few fish farms. Across the river Uhl is the Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary, home to Ghoral, Himalayan Black Bear and a variety of pheasants. Three artificial lakes including one reservoir on Uhl river enhance the beauty of this magnificent hidden treasure as one enters the Barot village near Dhrangan. An old fountain channelising the waters of Uhl erupting at regular intervals is another source of attraction. Just opposite the fountain, two centeres of religious faith are situated. One is the temple of Dev Pashakot, the local deity of rain whereas the other is old temple which have been the witness to majority of couples of valley getting tied in marital bonds. The Thandi Golai ground on the way to old Mayot road is the camp site for various treckers organised by the trecking organisers. Rulling, the highest village in Mandi district is just an hour's uphill treck falling in Lapas panchayat.

References