My Serene Escape to Shangarh Meadows
warm aromatic smell of deodar,
birds singing in the shady nook of pine,
delicious berries along the trail,
spectacular snowy mountains till the eyes see,
somewhere in the Himalayas,
this moment, too, is magical!
It was in the month of June — the peak tourist season for Himachal Pradesh, that I decided to plan a small excursion to the Himalayas with a few other friends. Having already been to Himachal Pradesh multiple times, we wanted to stay away from the crowds, away from the popular destinations like Manali, Kasol, and Jibhi. In today’s reel-hyped culture, finding an actual peaceful, offbeat place has become quite challenging. Still, luckily, after hours of online searching and multiple visits to Himachal’s geographical map, we finally came across Sainj Valley and its famous meadow-ed village — Shangarh, a name we had never heard before. Sainj Valley is nestled between the more popular Parvati Valley to the North and the recently famous Tirthan Valley to the South, surrounded by the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At the core of the Sainj Valley lies is a small hamlet, Shangarh. This village is blessed with serene meadows, deodar forests, temples, and apple orchards with proximity to the snow-capped mountains and the gentle flow of the Sainj River, making it an idyllic retreat for nature enthusiasts alike.
What we planned to cover:
Due to work commitments, our plan was a bit tentative, so we decided to keep our trip short and limited to weekend only. We just booked our travel tickets from Kashmere Gate ISBT in Delhi to Aut, a small village in Himachal Pradesh and just kept a list of some hostels and home stays handy to check on the spot once we had reached the village.
From our homework, we finalised key attractions like Shangchul Mahadev Meadow, Bharshangarh waterfall, Raila Fort and waterfalls, Twin Towers and other local sightseeing in the village.
What we covered:
Apple Orchards, Bharshangarh waterfall, Shangchul Mahadev Meadow, Jangaon Thach trek, Local fair and a deeper understanding of the Himalayan ecosystem.
Here’s why :D
We got off at Aut Tunnel around 6:30 am. While, one can easily get a local bus there to reach Shangarh, but since we were a group of four people, a private taxi was a better option for us. Initially, roads were wide and well laid out, but soon after the diversion of the path from Tirthan Valley, the path became more rocky. Driving along the Sainj River, rock-cut passages began, leading to several steep turns and twists. I was filled with amazement at the difficult and risk-laden lives of the natives, and the strength required to navigate it on a daily basis. As we moved towards this tiny hamlet, the scenery changed completely; the landscapes became greener, and the Sainj River appeared more pristine. After around an hour, we entered the little paradise called Shangarh, surrounded by breathtaking views of snow-capped mountains and deodar trees.
Accidental Apple Orchards
This time, not booking stays upfront bit backfired on us, but after a little effort, we finally found a good stay — Hotel Hiraeth near Shangchul Mahadev Meadow with the help of some local guidance. Owned by a young couple, it was a pretty artistic and cosy place. By the time we freshened up and had breakfast, it was already 11 am, and we realised that we were behind our schedule.
Since it was a bright and sunny day, we decided to visit the meadows in the evening and prepared ourselves to cover the waterfall first. After inquiring about the waterfall route from some locals, we left for a hike to Bharshangarh waterfall. Lost in the beauty of the path, we mistakenly took a wrong turn, only to realise later that we followed the wrong stream sound of a small drain. But to compensate for our disappointments, we landed around beautiful apple orchards in the next turn. Surrounded by pine forest and overlooking mighty peaks, it was no less than any mesmerising sight and totally compensated for all the wrong turns we took. Anyway, I never regret taking any wrong turn in the mountains because every turn is uniquely charming here. We walked through the orchards, happy to witness the blooming apple trees of the season, ready to be harvested in a month or next. After spending some time there, we decided to say goodbye to the sprawling apple trees and left for the waterfall.
Barshangarh Waterfall
We met two young locals on our way to the waterfall who confirmed the route. They were also going in the same direction, so they offered us to join them, and we religiously followed them. En route, we saw them plucking some orange berries from bushes along the trail. When we asked, they told us that it’s a seasonal wild berry native to the region and is also safe to eat. I tasted one berry, and it was absolutely delicious. Those small berries were Hisalu Berries, also known as golden Himalayan raspberries, that grow in the wild in the Himalayas. Admiring the sweet-tart flavour, we also started collecting the berries and didn’t even realise how quickly the sound of the waterfall was getting closer to us.
Finally, after a small trek of around 500 metres on the narrow, slippery trails and crossing a small bridge, we were close to the waterfall. Surrounded by lush green forests and mountains, this waterfall was a revitalising thrill on the scenic terrain. After spending some time here, we started walking back towards the village, hoping to reach the meadows before dark.
Sangchul Mahadev Temple Meadow
On the way back from the waterfall, we savoured Siddu, a Himachali dish, on a local stall and thanked our new friends for helping us. We then rushed to the meadows and reached the Shangchul Mahadev Meadow around sunset, and the view was nothing less than spectacular scenery. Surrounded by snowy mountains partially shrouded in the clouds, it was an impeccable sight submerged in the vibrant colours of the sunset. A small temple in one corner, Shangchul Mahadev temple, was built on the meadow. Made of deodar wood, it had beautiful carvings on the walls and doors, and the view from inside the temple was also magnificent. We took a complete round of that meadow, descended first and then made our way to the other end. The residents were spending their leisure time with their cattle and kids. We sat there until the sun bid us farewell for the day and then left from there. Our stay was next to Zostel, so we had dinner at Zostel and later enjoyed a musical bonfire organised by other travellers staying around. After some stargazing, discussing known constellations like Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, and Orion, we decided to call it a day and left for our room.
Jangaon Thach hike
The next day, we started early in the morning for the Jangaon Thach trek, which we had learned about from the two locals who helped us on our way to the waterfall. Thankfully, one of them also agreed to guide us on the way from the forest. I will not call it a trek; it was more like a hike to another meadow on the top. Once we started deeper into the forest, the view became more serene. The sound of streams flowing nearby, the smell of pine, deodar wood and birds chirping on the shady nook of the trees, was no less than any magical place. Small round strawberries lay spread on the entire trail, so we checked with our guide if they were safe to eat — and of course, they were! They were seasonal Himalayan strawberries locally known as Bhoomphal, which grow in grassland, scrub and moist slopes in the Western Himalayas from April to June. So what next? We collected a bunch of berries on our way and later washed them in freshwater streams on the way. Sitting on a fallen tree trunk in the middle of the forest, we enjoyed those berries. We also discussed the differences among the trees around, such as deodar, pine, sal, walnut, Himalayan brown oaks and many more. Sainj Valley is also home to many birds, and we tried to spot and guess the names of a few. Next to the small waterfall stream, there was a fenced boundary along a small area apparently owned by the government. Himalayan mountains are blessed with various wild fruits and medicinal plants; this was one such area. Observing and making sense of the nature around, I realised that these small, beautiful things along the trail are what make the hikes in the Himalayas so fulfilling. After hiking for around three hours, we reached the top meadow with more breathtaking views, close to glacier mountains. GHNP ranges were very clearly visible from there. We spent some time there at the top, rejuvenated ourselves and then decided it was time to leave. On the way back, our guide informed us about an annual fair in the evening in Shangchul Mahadev meadow and checked if we could attend it before leaving. The weather was getting worse, so he arranged for our return cab to Aut Tunnel and advised us to save some time for the fair before leaving. It started drizzling, and we hurried to our stay, hoping the rain would stop soon.
Sajja Shehri Mela before saying our Goodbyes
Luckily, we managed to reach our homestay before it started to rain very heavily. We quickly had our lunch and packed our backpacks, hoping to attend the fair before leaving. We sat by the windows and enjoyed the mesmerising beauty of the rain on the surrounding panoramic hills, looking brighter and more glorious. To our luck, the rain stopped in some time, and we could hear kids playing nearby and the sound of drum beats. We loaded our bags in the cab and left for the meadow to spend some time at the fair before saying our goodbyes. Everyone at the fair was dressed in traditional attire, and Shangchul Mahadev Devta’s idol was placed on a special platform in the meadow with a small boundary around it. We offered our prayers to the Deity, and some elder residents gave us flowers and prasad and talked to us about our experience in the village. We tried playing volleyball with the kids before our cab driver called to pick us up. It was time to go back, to say goodbye to the meadows in the hope of coming back again soon and spending some more time in this picturesque, unspoilt village before it becomes another digital nomad hub or a trekker’s paradise. Even though it was a short trip, we undoubtedly had the best time in this well-preserved valley. Slowly, as our cab took turns on the curved paths, the sight of meadows and lush green mountains started dimming. We took our return bus from Aut Tunnel. The following day, we were back to the hustle and bustle of the city, almost like waking up suddenly from a beautiful dream!!
