Treks near Jibhi - To Shringa Rishi Temple and Chehni Kothi

Jibhi is a small mountain paradise in Himachal Pradesh. Tucked in the lap of nature, it's teeming with beautiful treks. One of the easiest and best treks is the trek to Shringa Rishi temple and Chehni Kothi village.

For those of you who might not have heard about the secret gem of Himachal, here is everything you'll need to know before planning a trip to Jibhi.

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Complete travel guide for Jibhi

An exhausting overnight bus from Delhi to Aut, another bus from Aut to Banjar and then a cab from Banjar to Jibhi. All of us were dead tired after we reached our hostel but we still decided to hike to the shringa rishi Temple. To make matters worse, it started raining! The path was nothing more than mud and slippery stones. So after all that, as I was trekking towards the temple, I thought, 'It better be worth it'. So, was it worth it? Take a look for yourself! 

Colorful balcony of Shringa Rishi temple

Don't miss this view from Shringa Rishi temple!

In Banjar, Gods aren't just an abstract concept or some enlightened being high in the sky. Here the Gods are very much alive. They bless and they punish. They are very much involved in every part of daily life. When survival depends on the whims of nature, and the comforts of science and technology seem too far to be true...Myths seem real. One is more inclined to believe in magic, in mystery, in Gods.

Shringa Rishi is the ruling God of Banjar. He is also one of the 18 Gods of Kullu Valley. So this temple has huge importance for the locals. The sculpture of the Shringi rishi has a horn on its head which makes him clearly recognizable among the sculpture of other deities. He is also famous for being one of the sages who performed the rituals that led to the birth of Lord Rama. 

But the biggest reason for me to see this temple was the breathtaking view from its balcony! The picture above doesn't even do it justice! The balcony is pretty and colorful. The architecture is ancient and traditional. And the views are just mind-blowing

The trek to Shringa Rishi is moderate in difficulty and well-marked. You do not need a guide for this trek. All you have to do is follow the well laid out, seemingly endless low stairs. 

Pro tip: Don't keep checking your watch. It only makes the trek feel longer!

lovely path to Shringa Rishi temple

I also came upon an interesting folk legend about the temple.

There was a man called Shartangan who had a farm in Tharinwala, Kullu. When he used to plough, he would hear a voice like ‘Main Ichhoo, Main Ichhoo’ . Finally when he heard this voice once again, he said: ‘Come in’. No sooner did he say this, he heard the sound of flowing water and a dry pond near his land completely filled in. When he reached near the bank of the river, a voice said, 'Come Inside’. By dint of attraction of the voice, he moved into the pond. There he saw a statue which started talking to him. The statue told him that he is Shriga Rishi and wanted to move to Sakiran Jot. Shartangan told him that he don’t know about this place. Shartangan had no idea where the place was but as soon as he picked up the statue , the path became clear to him. After reaching there he saw that Joginis were preparing ‘Thada’ to build a temple. But suddenly, Shartangan and Shringa Rishi they disappeared and the statue established on Thada itself!
(Source: http://kulludussehra.hp.gov.in/devtas-of-banjar/shringa-rishi/)

Entrance gate of Chehni Kothi village

The trek to Chehni Kothi starts from Shringa Rishi temple itself. The stone stairs disappear and so does the path. A stranger to the mountains could easily get lost here. So, I would recommend a guide for this portion.

Chenni Kothi was at the top of my list of 'things to do in jibhi'. It seemed like the perfect amalgamation of all the things i love- offbeat, culture and trekking! So i read up on it but I had NO idea what was in store for us. We walked on non-existent paths ... climbed up near vertical slopes and sloshed around in deep mud. The whole trek to Chehni Kothi takes about 4 hours. The rains on the previous day had made the path muddy and treacherous in some stretches. So when the village finally came in sight after what seemed like an eternity, I felt like I had reached the mystical land of Shangri-la. I wondered if it would be everything I had imagined and boy it WAS! It was the Himachal I had always fantasized about but never seen. Traditional houses, agricultural community and not even a wiff of tourists!

Beautiful Chehni Kothi village

The tower-like structure of  Chehni Kothi would be the first thing you see after the ardous trek. This is a 300 year old tower named after the village. It's made of stone and wood, same as all the other houses in the village. The tower also has a distinct lean like the Tower of Pisa. There's a temple inside the tower but entry is forbidden to any outsiders. Not that I was planning to enter anyway! The tiny wooden staircase without any railings is the only way in! I got dizzy just looking at it!

Chehni Kothi

A 400 year old fortress-turned temple. The highest monument in the entire Himalayan stretch! Ancient villages in the region had defense structures known as ‘kots’ or ‘kothis’ built within their limits to thwart any enemy attacks. The most famous of them is the castle temple of the local goddess Jogini, known as Chaini Kothi or Chaini Fort. 

Built out of deodhar wood and stone, it is the only form of earthquake-resistant architecture which has proven to be effective. In the kath-kuni style, the walls of a structure are constructed at particular angles in a manner by which it vibrates in case of an earthquake, but never buckles!
Source- www.livehistoryindia.com

There's not much to do in the village beside gape at the tower, marvel at the traditional houses and play with the adorable children. One can't help but wonder if the entire Himachal would have been this serene had it not fallen victim to the lures of over-tourism and commercialization. 

Traditional village houses

There are no cafes and restaurants in the village so remember to take your own food supplies. Also, such villages are built on a foundation of tradition and custom. Hence, please follow any rules that the villagers might ask you to like not going inside the temples for example. We are just visitors after all. It is their home.

Lastly, do make sure to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Sitting at an elevation of 2145m, the village enjoys incredible views of the mountains and the valleys below with the dense pine forests in the background. On a sunny day, the best thing you can do is to lie down on the grass and let the wind wipe away the sweat from the climb. 

 

Doesn't get any prettier than this

The pink cherry blossoms in full bloom would literally be a cherry on the top of the cake if you go in spring! Even otherwise, the village is secluded, peaceful and incredibly beautiful.

Full credit to Tinku bhaiya, our guide. Without him, we would have got lost for sure or lost a limb or two!

P.S. we started the trek to Chehni Kothi from Shringa Rishi Temple but there is another path which starts from Bihar village. It's supposedly less steep and less taxing. Could have really used this information before! 

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