KULLU
Kullu is an extremely popular hill station in the state of Himachal Pradesh, which attracts a lot of tourists and honeymooners every year. It is the perfect summer destination for city weary and a feast for the eyes of those, who long to be close to nature. Kullu got its first motorable access only after Independence. The long centuries of seclusion have however allowed the area to retain a considerable measure of its traditional charm. Here is the core of an intricate web of numerous valleys - each of which is a visual delight and seems more beautiful than the other.

The beauty of Kullu valley just cannot be expressed in words. From the excursion point of view, Kullu hosts variety of outdoor adventure sports and activities. To name a few, one can go for trekking, mountaineering, sight seeing and many more other options just there to be explored by the tourists. Apart from the natural beauty, it is also known for the temples and festivals, Kullu Dussehra and Raghunath Temple are the two major tourists attraction of this place.

PRIME ATTRACTIONS
Raghunathji Temple: In the 17th century, Raja Jagat Singh of Kullu committed a great wrong. To atone for the sin, he sent a senior courtier to Ayodhya for a statue of Lord Raghunath - Lord Rama. This temple was built by Raja Jagat Singh to house the image and even today, is greatly revered.

Bijli Mahadev Temple: 10kms. from Kulu across the Beas river, Bijli Mahadev temple is one of the striking temples in the temples strewn district. It can be reached by a tough but rewarding climb of 10 kms. trek. From the temple a panoramic view of Kulu & Paravati valleys can be seen. A 60 feet high staff of Bijli Mahadev temple glistens like a silver needle in the sun.
The Vaishno Devi Temple: 4-km along the Kullu to Manali road is this temple with a small cave having an image of goddess Vaishno or Durga.
Sultanpur Palace: It contains some fine examples of the Kullu style of miniature painting, characterised by simple rural scenes and the lack of human subjects.
Naggar:  For 1400 years this was the capital of Kullu. Its 16th century stone and wood castle is now a hotel run by Himachal Tourism. Here, a gallery houses the paintings of the Russian artist, Nicholas Roerich. Naggar also has three other old shrines.

FAIRS & FESTIVALS
The festival of Dussehra is celebrated with much zest in Kullu. The festivals marks the victory of good over evil falls in the month of October. Though the Hindu festival is celebrated throughout India Dussehra in Kullu valley is special. The people in Kullu rejoice for seven long days. Lord Raghunath's idol is taken through the streets on a palanquin carried by pilgrims. Five chosen animals namely a crab, a cock, a fish, a buffalo and a male goat are also sacrificed to mark the occasion amongst the other events. You must try Lugri the traditional Kullu drink, flows by the gallon during Dusshera.

HOW TO GET THERE
By Air: The airport at Bhuntar is 10 km from Kullu, where taxis and buses are available.
By Road: The distance from Delhi via Mandi is 530 km and from Shimla this is 240 km. From Delhi and Shimla, luxury buses ply to Kullu.
By Rail: The closest narrow guage railhead is at Jogindemagar, 95 km from Kullu.

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