Barot Valley: Paradise on Earth

Barot is a picnic spot and tourist location in Mandi district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is situated 40 km from Jogindernagar and 66 km from Mandi, the district headquarters. The road to Barot branches off at Jogindernagar-Mandi high ways and from Jogindernagar the distance is 40 km. It is sometimes possible to use the trolley from Jogindernagar which reduces the distance to 12 km.A haulage trolley of the British times connects Barot to Jogindernagar. This trolley link was set up to facilitate transport of construction material to Barot for a reservoir on Uhl river for Shanan Power House. The trolley was also sparingly used as a means of transport since Barot was not linked to a road till 1975.Barot is situated in a small V-Shaped valley formed by the Uhl river. Surrounded on both sides by parts of the Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas, Barot is located at an elevation of 1819 metres above the mean sea level. Most of the village is settled along the banks of Uhl on both sides in Joginder Nagar Valley. The Uhl barrage and reservoir for the Shanan Power House are a major geographical feature of Barot. Most of the forest around Barot is Deodar and Himalayan Oak...Barot is a frequent backpacker and day tourist destination. Many trekking trails pass through Barot, including trails to Bada Bhangal, Manali and Kullu. Most of the day tourists as attracted by the serene surroundings and cheap availability of accommodation The Thandi Golai ground on the way to old Mayot road is the camp site for various treckers organised by the trecking organisers. Rulling, the highest village in Mandi district is just an hour's uphill treck falling in Lapas panchayat.