RECONG PEO

District: Kinnaur, H.P.; STD code: 01786. It is mainly a commercial and administrative center of Kinnaur District. The main tourist attraction for the scenic beauty is at Kalpa, 11 KM upward by all-weather good road.

Location : Recong Peo is the District Head Quarter of Kinnaur District. It is 238 KM from Shimla. The NH 22 along the river Sutlej from Rampur onwards connects Wangtoo, Karcham, Powari, Puh, Sumdo, etc with Shimla. Powari is a place on the western bank of the River Sutlej. A road goes up from the NH 22 at Powari and joins Hindustan Tibet Trade route at Kalpa at an altitude of 2950 M. Recong Peo is situated at an altitude of 2270 M and this road passes through the town touching the Main Administrative building of the District (DC Office), Railway booking Office, main market, taxi stand, main bus stand, etc. The distance from Powari is 8 KM. and 11 KM down from Kalpa village. The town is facing the Kinner Kailash range which is on other side of the river Sutlej .

General description : It is principally an administrative and commercial town. The Dist. H.Q. has been shifted from Kalpa to this place mainly to accommodate the people for the offices and making it a commercial hub so that Kalpa may maintain its serenity. The weather is slightly warmer than Kalpa and snow-fall lesser. While going up towards Kalpa, the gradual change of ambient temperature and atmosphere can be well perceived by the tourists after crossing Recong Peo. Day by day Recong Peo is converting to a hill slope jungle of concrete structures. The market is quite developed. There is no dearth of supply of goods in the market, of course, bit costlier. Still, the local people can afford it since most of the inhabitants are now a days quite affluent with the income from apple, peach, Chilgoza and local trade. There are many schools in Recong Peo including one Kendriya Vidyalaya. The inhabitants are catagorised as tribal with their traditional culture but habituated in modern living and education. Apple, the life line of Kinnaur, has brought about the changes in their economic life within a very short span of time without touching the traditional culture.

Safety : Safe.Roads : Motorable mountain road. Road traffic: Careful and slow driving in hill roads suggested. Medical support: District hospital; Fuel Pumps: Yes, another at Powari (8 KM)i; Car repairing: Yes for common brands; Market & Shopping Centre: Yes; Tourist Information Centre: Yes;Railway & Air Ticket: Railway booking Office at DC Office; Hotels & Restaurants: A few; Sports & Game Centers: Yes. Cellular service: BSNL; Car rental: Yes at taxi stand.

Places of interest: Chandika Temple at Koti : Goddess Durga is enshrined here and puja (worship) is performed daily at 10 AM. During Durga Puja festival, a specially arranged puja is performed. The temple is made of wood with spectacular design and carvings and very old. Although, the temple is inside the town, its accessibility is bit difficult. One has to walk along a very narrow strip of land on the edge. Mahabodhi Monastery : The monastery was built as a memorial to the Kaalchakra (Time Cycle) in1992. A very tall statue of Buddhadeva has been erected by the side of the Monastery. The statue can be seen from a far distance. The market visit can be useful to the tourists for procuring the dry fruits viz. walnuts, apricot, almonds, chilgoja (one type kernel of neoza pine fruits), kala-jeera, Honey, red & white rajma (red beans), Tibetan articles and some semi-precious stones. Semi-precious stones are available in very raw form on the mountain side as well as river bed. The hand crafted silver ornaments are also very attractive to the tourists.

Transport: The taxi stand is situated at the main market area by the side of the main road near the Divisional Commissioner's Office (DC Office). Different types of vehicles viz. Tata Sumo, Toyota Qualis, Scorpio, Bolero, Alto, Maruti Van, Indica, etc. The hiring charge is depended on distance traveled, direction (road condition & altitude) and total time/days. The local bus also starts from the same place for Kalpa, Roghi, Powari, Tapri, etc. The mini bus service is also available from 8 AM to 5 PM. The fare from Recong Peo to Kalpa is Rs. 8/-. The Main Bus stand for long distance is at 3 KM away from taxi stand but on the same road towards Kalpa. A bus for Delhi starts at 10.30 AM. Hardwar at 6 AM. Chandigarh at 6.15 AM (deluxe), 10.30, 11.00 AM, 3.00PM, the buses for Shimla are at 1 -2 hours interval in the morning time. And a few in the afternoon. The travelers can change the bus at Rampur , since Rampur buses are at 1 hour interval. The buses for Hamirpur, Mandi, Manali, Chintpurni, Kaza, Nako, Puh, Sangla, Chitkul and Kafnu are available at day time. The correct timings and the road conditions for any destinations along the bus route can be obtained from the bus terminus office over phone (01786-222444). The deluxe bus to Chandigarh via Shimla is comfortable with reclining seat reaches Shimla at 4 PM and 9 PM at Chandigarh with 1 hour halt at Shimla. Its fare from Recong Peo to Shimla is Rs 225/-. The same bus starts from Chandigarh at 5.55 AM from ISBT, Chandigarh at Sector 17. The train Passengers of Kalka Mail can avail this transport from Chandigarh . Although, the buses from Chandigarh , Ambala, etc passes through Kalka. The bus can also be availed from Kalka but the distance from Kalka station is about 1 KM. No Auto rickshaw is available before 6 AM at Kalka Station.

Kalpa village is about 11 away and 800 M above Recong Peo. Taxi, Minibuses and Large buses ply between Kalpa and Recong Peo during day time. Many buses go to various places in Himachal Pradesh from Recong Peo.

Special mention: Recong Peo is basically a commercial town and growing at fast pace. The altitude is much lower than Kalpa and warmer than Kalpa.

Accommodation facilities:

The advance booking can be made directly or through www.arraytours.com. Please call +91 9433001192, (Phone) +91 33 24427635. The above data are indicative as provided by the respective hotel or collected from various sources. The author is not responsible for any difference with the actuals.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 November 2010 23:07