India is a home to a large number of temples and every day new ones are popping out of the Mother Earth. Each temple has a mystery attached to their timeline. Of the many, only a few ought to have real stories revolving around them and the rest merely exists for money making. It feels pity to see how priests/pandits forcefully get the money out of pilgrims pocket. Amongst such greedy trust that has made it a business there still exist the ones where God is not on sale and treats everyone the same. One such temple is Baijnath Temple in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India.
The month of January was at its coda when I visited this little quaint hill station of Palampur. Baijnath Temple being one of the top places to visit around Palampur, made to the top of our itinerary. It was my second day at Palampur, the sun was shining bright and a cool breeze was caressing the body. Soon after a light breakfast, we headed out towards the Baijnath Temple.
Baijnath Temple on the map
Adorned by the snow-clad, lush green Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas is the temple of Baijnath at 17 km from Palampur. Perched at an altitude of around 1314 meters, Baijnath Temple lies on the NH 154 Mandi – Pathankot highway in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh.
The history
Resting in the serenity of Kangra district is a 13th-century old Baijnath Temple devoted to Lord Shiva. It is believed that the shivalinga here is dedicated to the Vaidyanath form of Shiva who is also titled as Lord of physicians. Some texts even state that this is one of the 12 jyotirlingas that Lord Shiva established as a challenge against Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma. When Ravana, through his worship succeeded in pleasing Lord Shiva for attaining invincibility and immortality, he asked Lord Shiva to accompany him to Sri Lanka. Responding to this Lord Shiva transformed himself into a Shivling which Ravan could establish in his Lanka. But, when Ravana reached Baijnath, Lord Ganesh cleverly took it and kept it on the ground making it firmly established there…And that’s what is now seen inside the sanctum of Baijnath Temple.
The Architecture
The temple showcases one of the most prominent early medieval styles of architecture known as Nagra style. Built on a raised platform, the sanctum is enclosed by high walls carved with images of various gods and goddesses. Moving up the platform through one of its two entries on the North & South of the sanctum is a porch. Besides the several small sanctums resting on the porch is an idol of Nandi Bull facing the entry to the main sanctum. The five projections surmounted by a curvilinear Shikhara forms the main sanctum inside which enshrined is the Shivalinga. Taking a step further from the porch I walked through a vestibule towards the shivalinga. In the vestibule lied a large square Mandapa and a balcony on the North & South face of the temple kept a cool breeze circulating within the sanctum. Post receiving endowments from Lord Shiva, it was time to relish picturesque views from the backyard of the Baijnath Temple.
Adorning the backdrop of the Baijnath Temple is the Dhauladhar range of Himalayas. A river gushing through foothill of the Dhauladhars graces the beauty of the valley and creates an enchanting environment in and around the temple. Just next to the temple is a green sprawling garden where we spent about an hour for some sun basking.
Other nearby attractions
It may seem to be a small town but there are plenty of things to do in Palampur. Apart from Baijnath Temple, some other prominent ones amongst locals are Mukut Nath temple at Sansal (6 km)and Awahi Nag temple (1.5 km) and the Mahankal Temple (5 km) at Mahankal on Chobin Road.
Besides this close to Palampur is a home to the internationally renowned Paragliding site at Bir where you swiftly glides down witnessing spectacular views. Another must have experience awaits you at the Andretta Pottery Studio and Museum where you can take a mini session or a full course on pottery.
Any trip to Palampur would be incomplete without a tea tasting session and for this, there are many tea estates offering the same. I went for a tour with Himalayan Brew Tea Factory and it was a really nice, refreshing session.
Reaching Baijnath Temple
Being well connected via rail, road and air modes of transport makes Baijnath Temple a perfect weekend destination to escape the heat of cities like Delhi, Chandigarh, Dehradun. The nearest airport is the Gaggal Airport at 43 km and regular flights ply to and from Delhi.
Places to stay
Though there are plenty of options at disposal from homestays to luxury resorts to suit everyone’s pocket, I would suggest going with a homestay for the best experience. During my three day trip, I stayed with Jyoti Niwas Homestay and loved every bit of it from food to rooms to courtesy.
Best time to visit
Palampur sees hot summers and pleasantly chilly winters. This makes the months of October to February the best time to visit Baijnath Temple and other nearby attractions.
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Its been little over a year now since I was back from a fun-filled adventurous road trip. A journey through the desolate peaks of Spiti Valley to the lush green Mcleodganj. In short, I call it Himalayan-Heights-With-Punjabi- Delights, for this week-long trip included much of Himachal Pradesh and ended on a scrumptious note in Punjab. And now I was back in the laps of the Himalayas and this time with a new place to explore- Palampur, a small town in Himachal Pradesh. The agenda of this trip was to be part of the first ever Blogger’s meet by StayOnSkills. So our second long weekend of the year was spent at a beautiful, quaint homestay named Jyoti Niwas surrounded by the tea estates of Aweri, Palampur.
Now before I move on let meet couple on bike – Yogesh & Rajni and Anjali- a globetrotting mom from travelmelodies . It was the quaintness of Palampur and the company of these wonderful people that made my jaunt through Palampur filled with innumerable memories to cherish.
About Jyoti Niwas Homestay Palampur-
At an altitude of 1472m, lies a beautiful valley adorned with lush green forests and flanked by the snow-clad Dhauladhars. Through the valley flows numerous perennial rivers making Palampur an adventurous yet picturesque sight to delve into. Amid pine forests and tea gardens of Palampur is almost a century old house of nawabs of Bahawalpur. I call it to be a place where comfort elegantly mingled with nature. Even a short stay here refreshed me all from lungs to the soul.
First Impressions of Jyoti Niwas Homestay
Let’s Enter Jyoti Niwas Homestay
We got dropped off by the bus at the very spot google showed us and were still on the lookout for the homestay. On turning around our neck for a few minutes and sneaking casually inside a green gate we saw the name Jyoti Niwas. It would have been easier to find the homestay had there been a board hanging on the main gate instead. Anyways, taking in the very first step I fell in love with the calm and secluded environment created all by their garden and the surrounding forest. The property was still not in our sight…Further, we walked a few more steps and looking at our stay for the next two days brought a broad smile on our faces.
A peep into your rooms
Inside the colonial structure of Jyoti Niwas resides two cozy bedrooms that were perfect for a comfortable night. Both the rooms were furnished with a small desk and a single sitting sofa. Also, attached to each room was a kids room furnished with a single bed, a dressing table and old style wooden cupboards conceived on the walls. After taking in the warmth of bonfire we entered the comfort of our rooms where room heaters had done their role perfectly…And after a little more chit-chat session we were off to the world of our dreams.
And the washroom
From my personal experience, one thing I am for sure about is that washroom ought to be the very first thing we look out at check-in. There is no compromising with the cleanliness of the washroom and it should have well-functioning fixtures. The washrooms at this homestay in Palampur reflected old styled sanitary with a pink tiled wall. Partitioned with a glass was the shower area with a corner stand to rest all your toiletries.
The Living Room
The living area was the very first room under sight as we entered through the main door. The furnishings, tiled flooring, and wall decor altogether gave an archaic feel to the room. A pile of magazines stocked on the side table gave a hint that someone here is fond of interior decoration. Grab one of these and enjoy the garden view as you rest your back against the chair.
The Dining Room
Passing through the living area, we walked into the dining room and loved the Mughal style tiled flooring. A dark wood table, reddish brown cushioned chairs and weaved bamboo placemats gave a perfect setting to the dining room. As can be seen in the image below the corners of the room were occupied by a glassware shelf and a vertical rack that displayed some memories from the past.
Let’s savor some delectable homelike food
Let’s talk Food
Food is an essence of travel, at least for me and whatever little I eat should be full of taste and served with a smile. Similar was my experience at Jyoti Niwas. A perk that comes with homestays is that we are free to cook as we like and similar was the case at Jyoti Niwas. The kitchen at the backyard awaited to get the taste of our hands.
BUT
For we felt lazy and wanted to have a relaxing weekend vacation we took a helping hand of their caretaker cum cook. Raj Kumar Ji with his wife made sure to serve us scrumptious home like dishes unbounded by a menu. We were free to order our choice of dish provided the ingredients are available in the local market.
The cost factor
I am sure all the blurb I have written so far would have put you in a dilemma and you must be imagining a hole in your pockets to stay here. Take a sigh of relief…Jyoti Niwas is not only one of the best homestay in Palampur but also a pocket-friendly option for the travelers. The bookings can be made directly on their website or via leading platforms such as Airbnb. Also, you can reach us here and I would be happy to curate an itinerary for you.
Now that your stay is sorted you must be wondering why should you visit Palampur. Well, then here’s what we did on a weekend trip to Palampur and reading this will surely excite you too…
Today we landed in Palampur and post lunch we headed for a much-awaited experience ….getting our hand dirty as we try to mold out clay at Andretta Pottery Studio and Museum. I was very excited when our newly met local friend @sensesofarundhati told us about Andretta Pottery Studio and also arranged a session for us. To reach Andretta Pottery Studio we stepped out of Jyoti Niwas Homestay, walked downhill a few steps and took a bus for Paprola. From Paprola we hopped on another bus that dropped us at Andretta. From this point, it was a walk for about 1.5 km to reach Andretta Pottery Studio & Museum.
Coming over to our second day in Palampur…the day began with a morning tea and breakfast in the backyard of Jyoti Niwas under the open sky. Today we planned to start with Baijnath Temple followed by Bir Billing, Monasteries and to end by witnessing a sunset at Jakhani Mata Temple. So let’s begin……
Offering prayers at Baijnath Temple
Our day began with the endowments of Lord Shiva at Baijnath Temple. The temple is at a distance of 5 km from Jyoti Niwas Homestay and we took a bus that was fortunately available very next to the homestay ( perks of being an on-road property ).
Dating back to the 13th century, Baijnath Temple marks as one of the top places to visit in Palampur. Its early medieval architectural style known as Nagra style of temples is worth applause. After offering prayers we walked through the sprawling garden towards the backside of the temple. Lush green snow clad Dhauladhars and a rocky river flowing at the foothills created a spectacular site to delve in. We spent about an hour in the temple enjoying the views, going live on insta and a bit of shopping.
Baijnath Temple Palampur
Gliding down through the air
Bir Billing is known to be one of the best sites to go paragliding. Apart from receiving an International level of recognition Billing has played host to Paragliding International Championship. The whole journey of coming down is in itself a pure bliss for both the atmosphere and the views are breathtaking. Though we could not try our hands on paragliding as we ended up reaching here on a national holiday but would definitely recommend you to go for it.
Reaching Bir was an easy task and we took a bus from Baijnath Temple bus stop that dropped us at Bir in about half an hour. Further, if you plan for paragliding than you will have to hire a cab from Bir that will drop you at Billing which is at 14 km. Billing is where you take off and swiftly gliding through the air you land in Bir.
Praying at Jakhni Mata Temple
The best time to visit Jakhni Mata Temple is as the sun gets closer to the horizon. This way you will not only be able to take endowments at the temple but also get to relish a picturesque sunset over a valley. Jakhni Mata Temple is 8 km from Palampur and I would recommend to either have your own vehicle or you hire a cab to reach here as there is no bus service on this route.
And the time has come….it felt like flowing away so fast in this all so enchanting and serene environment of Palampur…The third and last day of our trip was here and on the eve we had to bid a goodbye to Palampur…But before we left, one last activity was yet remained to be experienced and any trip to Palampur is incomplete without this…
Going for a Tea Tasting session
Today was the eve of our departure and whatever time we were left with was reserved for a tea tasting session at Himalayan Brew Tea Factory. At about 6 km from the town of Palampur, the tea factory is accessible via motorable roads. We hired a cab to reach there and would advise doing so if you don’t have your own car.
Before beginning with the tasting session we took a guided tour through the factory and how that single tea plant yields the many flavors available in the market. Being an avid lover of green tea I was very eagerly waiting for the tea-tasting session. And soon it was time… After sipping the many flavors namely rose, jasmine, lemongrass, chamomile and more we finally went to grab some boxes to take back home. My personal choice was the Kangra Orange Pekoe Black Tea and Tulsi Mulethi Green Tea.
Talking a walk through tea gardens
For the beauty of Palampur has overshadowed the lovely property of Jyoti Niwas Palampur, here’s a short video insight that won’t let you forget it…
How to reach Jyoti Niwas, Palampur?
The blissful hill station of Palampur is well connected to major cities like Delhi, Jaipur, and Chandigarh by multi modes of transport viz. rail, road, and air. Also if not bounded by time then you can take a toy train from Pathankot and hop on a 6 hrs picturesque ride to Palampur. For those flying in, the Kangra Gaggal airport is just 38 km and regular flights ply to and from Delhi. Regular buses ply from Delhi all through the day until midnight and take about 10 hours to reach Palampur.
Once at Palampur bus stop, you can either hire a cab or take a local bus to Aweri as we did. Jyoti Niwas Homestay is about 14 km from here and the bus drops you at the property itself so you won’t have to walk much to find your homestay. The Taragarh Palace Hotel by WelcomeHeritage is a prominent landmark sharing its boundaries with Jyoti Niwas Homestay.
Best time to visit Palampur?
Palampur sees a varied climate from hot summers through rainy monsoons to pleasantly cold winters. I believe that October to March accounts to be the best time to visit Palampur.
* PS – Though my stay at Jyoti Niwas Palampur was arranged by StayOnSkill as part of the blogger’s meet, this review is in no way biased and reflects my true experience to its best.
Final Verdict
My experience of staying at Jyoti Niwas over a period of two days was at par and I loved every bit of it. For I haven’t stayed at any other homestays in the region it won’t be justice to call it the best homestay in Palampur. But worth mentioning is that Jyoti Niwas definitely deserves to top the list of homestays in Palampur.
Also, an applause for the great initiative by StayOnSkill for bringing together people and have them exchange their skills for a free stay. Thanks for having us stay at such a lovely property.
Jaunting Journeys 