Roghi Village, Kalpa

Brimming with myriad natural wonders, the postcard-pretty Roghi village is centered around some paradisal hamlet houses and gardens and shares a vicinity of 8kms from the Kalpa town. Framed around the chilgoza, apricot trees, the mesmerizing and time-honored Roghi village, Kalpa is the talk-of-the-town for its blooming Apple orchards and novel-like village life that constitutes of a plethora of stunning monasteries, temples, and buildings inspired by the vintage style of Kinnaur. The village is thronged by tourists almost throughout the year for being an offbeat yet exquisitely beautiful destination.

Traveler Tips:
The road from Kalpa to Roghi Village, Kalpa is pretty risky, owing to the cliff that covers one portion of the road from Kalpa, hence making it a dangerous task for tourists to cross it. That said, the roads have also witnessed few brave hearts and adventure maniacs who totally adore this road as they happen to take a trip from Roghi exclusively to enjoy the thrilling road overlooking the jaw-dropping sights of Kinnaur-Kailash range.

Things to do

When in Roghi Village, here are some of the things you can enjoy dong to make the most of your trip.
The Roghi Village, Kalpa is the testament of the basic and simple life of the Himachal Pradesh. You can take a stroll around the hamlet houses which looks straight out of a picture or the divine gardens that are a treat to the eyes. You can treat your eyes to the rearing and the cattle activities of the Roghi village and enjoy flocks of cows almost everywhere. Apart from this, the village is also blessed with a bungalow that had Lord Dalhousie staying in it, which is now being used by someone else for residence purposes.
With the suicide-point just a few kilometers away from the village, you cannot afford to miss out on the place. For the peace-hungry people, you can also witness the Monastery, Laxminarayan temple and the Durga Mata Mandir here.

Availability

The travelers who have changed into the spectacular village have had access to delicious food that they could purchase, clean facilities of bathroom, and storage/locker facilities as well. Apart from this, you are also allowed to click some splendid shots against the heavenly backdrop or make videos of the time-lapse and the spectacular skyline and sights of Roghi Village, Kalpa.

History

Unfolded mysteries always clouded over the history of Kalpa and its astounding Kinnaur’s neighboring region. Kalpa presently forms a part of what was previously termed as Kinnaur in the age-old times. Allegiance was sworn to the Magadha kingdom, which in the later time the Mauryan annexed during the 6th century BC. Kinnaur was later handed over to the Mughals upon Akbar’s successful conquest over the region. And after the Mughal dynasty fell, the regions of Kalpa and Kinnaur constituted the China Tehsil, which was later merged for administration with the Mahasu district and stayed there till the 1960s until it was re-organized.

Architecture

The buildings and temples present in the Roghi Village, Kalpa is said to have taken influence from the Kinnauri style architecture. Besides this, the monasteries present in the village are designed in the style of vintage Tibetan Pagoda. The architecture as seen in the Hindu temples is the perfect blend of both Buddhism and Hinduism.

Festival

The famous Phulech Festival is the most popular festival in Kalpa, which is celebrated with much pomp and show. The festival brings together locals and visitors together to soak in the grandeur of the festivity in between the months of September to October. The villagers of Roghi village, Kalpa collect flowers from the hilltops that encircle the hamlets and use them to idolize and worship the village deity. The flowers are later distributed amongst the villagers.

Popular Culture

The world-famous Kinnauri folk dance is Kalpa’s common sight. The locals deck up in their traditional clothes to perform this dance. Besides this, the Lama lifestyle is followed by the Buddhist community. You can also have a look at the displayed art and craft in the monasteries which is also a strong testament of the Tibetan Buddhist influence. You can enjoy the grandeur and bliss of the local Hindu festivals like Sankranthi and Ashtami which are celebrated with quite vigor.

Best Time to Visit:

The best time to visit the Roghi Village is anytime between the months of April and July when you can enjoy the spectacular sights of the Kinnaur and Kailash, the snowclad mountains and get tranquilized in the serenity of the village.

How to Reach?

By Flight
The nearest airports from Roghi Village are the Kula Airport which is some 225 km away from Kalpa or the Shimla Airport which is 445 km away.
By Bus
You can avail the NH22 to travel to Kalpa from Shimla or any other cities in the lower regions of the northern plains. The roads are motorbikes friendly and have buses plying during the warm months from Bunter, Chandigarh, and Shimla to Kalpa.
By Train
Kalpa sits pretty in the epicenter of Kinnaur District’s tribal region, which was for long remained aloof from the world. You can get off at Shimla’s station and take a toy train ride to Kalpa to enjoy the enthralling vistas while on the go or you can board a bike, car or local bus as there is no railway present between Shimla and Kalpa.

Interesting Facts and Trivia About:

• You can witness the pious Shelving rock sitting atop the Kailash mountain which happens to change color during the day, from Kalpa.
• Kalpa is situated at an elevation of 2960 meters.
• Kalpa is rocked above the Reckong Peo town, which is Kinnaur’s district headquarters and is blessed with a Buddhist Monastery that dates back its origin to some 100 years.
• During the winter, Roghi along with many other villages are clad with a layer of snow and there is a drastic drop in the temperature to -20 Degree Celsius.

Nearby Attractions:

Kinnaur Kailash
Kinnaur Kailash is known as the sacred range of mountains that has an altitude of 6050 m. The mountain is famous amongst tourists, owing to its 79 ft elongated rock formation that shares a close resemblance with Shivalinga. The mountain is famous for pilgrim trek and trekking.

Sangla

A beautiful city in the Baspa Valley, Sangla is world-famous for being the producer of some best-quality apples. When in Sangla, you can enjoy the saffron trees, meadows and the natural beauties besides some major tourist spots like Being Nag Temple which is commemorated to Lord Shiva. The temple draws crowds from all parts of the country for playing host to the ever-famous festival of Fulaich Fair- that is celebrated annually.