Prashar Lake - Exciting Activities Get Nearer To The Mind When One Consider To Travel Prashar lake

PARSHAR LAKE

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MANDI

Parashar Lake is located at an height of 2730 m above sea level. Its in Mandi District of Himachal Pradesh. With deep blue water the Lake is held sacred to the sage Prashar and he is regarded to have meditated here.

Framed by snow-capped peaks and looking down on fast flowing river Beas, the Lake can be approached via Drang. Every year in the month of June, famous traditional fair is held here. Several camping sites are also located here and it is the base for numerous easy and hard treks.

The lake is situated at an avg. height of 2730m (8,960 ft) in the lap of mountains. The deep blue lake lies in a saucer shaped valley and is surrounded by snow-capped peaks.

The primary inflows to the natural sweet water lake are rain water and glacier run off/melt water and the lake depth is unclear as of now. There is a little floating island in between the lake which keeps on revolving and changes its position at regular intervals which is quite unique.

The lake has been named after the sage Prashar (father of Vedavyas) who has mediated here and is a pristine spiritual place.

Alongside the lake there is an old three storied pagoda shaped temple dedicated to the sage Prashar. The temple and a small ground alongside the lake offers great scenic natural beauty and provides the feel of heaven. This temple was built by Raja Ban Sen of Mandi in the 14th century and is capped with a roof of slate tiles and has a wealth of wood carvings.

The area has been surrounded by the dense forest and is awesome place to relax and connect with nature. An entire amazing panorama of snowy mountain ranges is visible from this location.

At the top of the valley, one can be surrounded by lash green spots with cows, lambs, horses grazing and small mud huts made by Gaddis and Gujjars. The good part is that the area is completely pollution free, clean, calm, less populated, and totally untouched by the modern amenities.

In nutshell it is a must visit place for trips, picnic, and group parties.The road to the Prashar is very adventurous and breathtaking. The road goes through a patch of dense lush green jungle and wild hens can be easily spotted on the way.

By Bus:  An HRTC bus runs on this route on daily basis. The bus starts from Mandi bus stand @ 7 AM and reaches the Prashar (via Kataula and Bagi) @ 11AM appro. The same returns from Prashar @ 1:30 PM and reaches Mandi @ 5PM approx.

The last HRTC bus makes an overnight stop at Suda village, between Bagi village and Prashar Lake.

Buses do not ply to Prashar Lake in peak winters because of snowfall and bad road conditions.

Get The Ecstasy Feelings While Paragliding At Gangtok

PARAGLIDING IN GANGTOK

Paragliding in Gangtok is becoming an increasingly popular adventure sports. And why not. Who would not love to see the magnificent Himalayan range and the snow peaks from the sky as you fly like a bird and the look below to see the stunning mountain landscape of Sikkim and Gangtok. 

Actually there is no experience or training required to enjoy paragliding in Gangtok. Because the operators here offer Tandem Flights. Which means that an experienced and certified pillot will accompany you. Both pilot and the passenger sit safely and comfortably in harness which is attached to the paraglider. The pilot takes care of the entire flight and its navigation. So after an easy take off, you will only enjoy the flight with breathtaking views. 

  

However you should be physically fit and within normal weight limits (90 kgs). While the pilot does the bulk of the job, you will need to participate in take off and landing. So wear sneakers, jeans/trousers etc. 

Paragliding location and flights in Gangtok 

There are two types of paragliding flights you can enjoy and both are offered with Tandem Flights which means there will be a certified pilot with you. 

The first type of Paragliding flight is known as Medium Fly. As the name suggests, you will fly at a medium altitude of about 1300 - 1400 meters and will get a lovely aerial view of Gangtok township as well as that of Himalayan snow peaks. The take off location for Medium Fly Paragliding is at Baliman Dara near Gangtok. The flying time is 5-10 minutes. Landing takes place at a stadium field at Reshithang Sports Village. 

The second type of paragliding flight is High Fly where you will fly at a higher altitude. The take off location is at Bulbuley Dara further up from Reshithang village in Ranka (near Gangtok). The take off location altitude is 2,200 meters. 

The landing zone (the stadium field) is at an altitude of 1,150 meters, about 4kms from the take off point. Among amazing views of the mountains, you will also see Taktse International School at Pangthang, Bojoghari village and Tashi View Point. The total flying time in high fly is 20-30 minutes. 

Note that Baliman Dara and Bulbuley Dara are the only two certified paragliding take off locations in east Sikkim (both are near Gangtok). 

Indicative Rates 

Medium fly: Rs. 2,500/- per person. 

High Fly: Rs. 4,500/- per person. 

You should make advance booking. The operators can arrange hotel pickup and drop at additional cost. It can take up to 2 hours for the entire paragliding trip including flying time and ground movements.  

Paragliding Operators in Gangtok 

There are several of them. Here are the most well known ones: 

1) Sikkim Paragliding Adventure Sports Cooperative Society Ltd. 

They started paragliding operation in 2010. They have all Sikkimese pilots who have been trained by the Sikkim Government. The operator is affiliated with Paragliding Association of India (PAI) and is the state representative of PAI in Sikkim. Other than usual tandem flights, they also offer Paraliding tours for visiting experienced paragliding pilots and also para trekking expeditions to explore and discover Sikkim from the sky. 

Booking Office: 

Reshithang Sport Village, Ranka 

Near Banjhakri Water Fall (about 100 meters ahead) 

Phone: 03592 - 649053, Mobile: +91 9547116119 

Email: fly@sikkimparagliding.org 

Head Office: 

Kazi Road, Gangtok 

Mobile: +91 9547116119; Email: fly@sikkimparagliding.org 

2) Fly Sikkim Adventure 

They are the first Paragliding operator in Sikkim and have certified pilots trained from Paragliding Association of India. 

Booking Office: 

Reshithang Sport Village, Ranka 

Located next to Sikkim Paragliding Adventure Sports Cooperative Society 

Phone:  +91 9197207767 (O),+91 98515 88593, +91 97350 17094 

Email: flysikkimadventure@gmail.com 

Kalimpong Hill Station - It Is Very Well-Known For Its Wide Range Of Exotic Vegetation, Orchids And Cactus.

KALIMPONG HILL STATION

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WEST BENGAL

Situated on the lower ranges of the Himalayas, Kalimpong offers panoramic vistas of the Teesta Rangit Valley in Sikkim. Kalimpong is situated on the northern edge of West Bengal in East India. It is about 53 km from the hill station of Darjeeling.

Kalimpong is located at an altitude of 4,100ft. Because of its relatively lower altitude compared to Darjeeling or Gangtok, the weather is milder and pleasant for most part of the year. And therefore it suits all tourists who are looking for such pleasant weather combined with magnificent views of Kanchenjunga and other Himalayan snow peaks, sweeping landscapes and lush greenery. 

Numerous view points to get lovely sight of the Kanchenjunga snow peaks, monasteries, temples, tourist complexes, heritage buildings, parks, flower nurseries, heritage schools, charitable institutes and more. 

There are standard local packaged tours available. Take a taxi from the market stand and get set for local sightseeing tours. You can plan east Kalimpong in about 4 hours and west Kalimpong in another 4 hours. On other days make day trips to some lovely places like Lava, Loleygaon and Pedong, enjoy the drive and see the attractions & view points around those places. 

Kalimpong offers a wide range of accommodations. There are several heritage hotels and lodges, all inclusive tourist complexes, luxury hotels & resorts, as well as budget hotels, homestays and guesthouses.

The above link would give a glimpse and my reviews of a select set of such hotels. However use the search box below to find all the good hotels in Kalimpong. You can then sort the list by price, property type etc, go through the amenities, guest reviews & scores and book a hotel at attractive low rate. This service is provided by World's no.1 online hotel booking site.

By Air

The nearest airport is Bagdogra near Siliguri, The taxi fare from the airport to Kalimpong is about Rs 1,500. This airport is connected to Kolkata, Delhi and Guwahati. International travelers can get connecting flights from Kolkata or Delhi. Both are well connected with many cities in India and abroad.

By Train

The nearest rail is New Jalpaiguri. This is well connected to most of the major cities in India.

By Bus

The Kalimpong city is well connected to other cities in Sikkim and the neighboring states by bus services.