A Chandigarh 500km from Chandigarh

couldn’t do anything for a living except grow apples which would not have been feasible in any other terrain.

So they simply named their new home ground Chandigarh.

The distance between the two Chandigarhs is over 500 km. I happened to come across it during a mountain trip that saw me driving through three districts of Himachal Pradesh. Kaza being my destination, when I started from my Chandigarh, I knew I’d be travelling on the Hindustan-Tibet road and beyond but didn’t see this coming. Chandigarh in Himachal Pradesh is 10 km once you enter the district of Spiti through Kinnaur. Though this hamlet does not promise any opulent place to stay unlike my hometown, you can find homestays and small hotels at nearby Hurling and Tabo. There is a neighbouring village called Gue, which has a mummy of monk said to be 500 years old.The road to Chandigarh is also known as Leo village road and goes till Tabo and Kaza. It remains closed in winter, yes even in April, as one can expect snowfall and debris anytime, owing to the bare mountains around.

The Chandigarh of Spiti may not be a destination but it can certainly add adventure to the escapade. So the next time you take National Highway 5, don’t miss the rain shelter called ‘Varsha Shaalika Chandigarh SH-30’. That’s where the ‘spice’ of this article will be found and your life will also have two Chandigarhs.

SOMEWHERE IN THE HIMALAYAS, IN THE COLD DESERT OF HIMACHAL , THERE EXISTS ANOTHER CHANDIGARH. EQUALLY GLORIOUS,