Sarahan Trekking Holidays
Distance :177km from Shimla
¤ Great Legend Associated To Sarahan
 According
to a legend Sarahan was once ruled Banasura, the mythological demon
king. One night, Usha, his beautiful daughter, dreamt of a handsome
and strong prince.
She told her friend Chitralekha about the dream. Based on Usha’s
vivid description, Chitralekha drew his portrait and then vowed that
she would search the world and bring that prince to Usha.
Like a good friend Chitralekha searched high and low till she saw
Aniruddha, the son of Lord Krishna. Chitralekha instantly knew that he
was the prince of Usha’s dream.
So as Aniruddha slept, Chitralekha quietly lifted his bed and carried
him to Usha.
But the moment Lord Krishna heard of his son’s abduction, he
marched against Usha’s father with his army. Poor Banasura –
who had no idea about what was going on – was soundly defeated.
The story of the dream then tumbled out and everything ended well.
Magnanimous as ever, Lord Krishna married his son to Usha and returned
Banasura’s kingdom as dowry, or rather, reverse dowry.
¤ The Historic Perspective
Myths and legends apart, Sarahan was the capital of the princely
state of Bushahr. The raja moved in here from Kamru in Spiti. In the
18th century the capital was shifted again, to Rampur this time.
Bushahr was regarded as one of the wealthiest states in the region
and was a major entrepot for trade with Tibet, Ladakh, Kashmir and
Khazakistan.
Even after it was capital no more, there was no decline in Sarahan’s
standing. The ruling family moved here during summer and it was the
entry point to Kinnaur on the old Hindustan-Tibet road.
Sarahan is a pretty spot amidst deodar forests; it is also ideal for
making holidays amidst the green natural vegetation fuull of eternal
beauty. The fort is within the large rectangular enclosure which also
contains temples, apartments and stores. These are all constructed in
the characteristic local technique of dry-stone masonry bonded with
horizontal cedar logs.
¤ Sarahan As A Treker's Delight
You could do with a visit to Sarahan also for its fantastic trekking
and hiking trails. The nearby village of Ranwin and Bashal Peak offer
excellent views and are ideal locations for your trekking holidays.
Important : You won’t
find mineral water in Sarahan. Pack it in at Jeori on the main road,
before you turn for Sarahan.
¤ Bhimakali Temple
Sarahan is considered a pilgrimage centre by the Hindus because of
the famous Bhimakali Temple, one of the 51 sacred shaktipeeths in the
country.
These shaktipeeths are dedicated to Shakti, or the Mother goddess,
which came up when Sati, the wife of Shiva (third of the Hindu Trinity
of Creator-Preserver-Destroyer) killed herself.
¤ Legendry Tale
Legend has it that Sati was the daughter of King Daksha who was very
unhappy when she married the ascetic Shiva. Because the ash-smeared,
near naked Shiva did not present a very ‘respectable’ sight.
Now, it came to pass that King Daksha organized an elaborate yagya (a
sacrificial ritual) and invited all but his son-in-law to the
ceremony.
Unable to accept this insult, Sati killed herself. When Shiva heard
of his wife’s death, his rage knew no bounds.
Carrying Sati’s body on his shoulders, he began stalking the
three worlds (heaven, earth and hell) and dancing the thundering
tandava dance (which brings destruction).
Trembling before his great wrath, all the gods appealed to Vishnu
(the Preserver) for help. Vishnu then let fly a volley of arrows that
pierced Sati’s body and severed it into 51 pieces. Wherever a
portion of her body fell, a shaktipeeth came into being, so there are
exactly 51 shaktipeeths spread over the country. These places are said
to be charged with ‘primordial energy’.
and how did people know that a part of Sati had fallen here? Well,
there’s a legend for that too.
Once a man called Bhimagiri set out from Bengal to visit all the
places sacred to Lord Shiva and Devi in the Himalayas. He carried a
tall staff and an image of Devi tucked in his matted locks.
When he reached Sarahan, his staff sank deep in the ground revealing
an image of Bhimakali. She appeared before him and said that this was
her true home and she would live here forever. That was how the
Bhimakali Temple came up.
¤ The Architecture Splendor of Temple
The wooden Bhimakali Temple is a grand specimen of hill architecture
in a mix of Hindu and Buddhist styles. The palaces
of the royal families of the Bushahr rulers are nearby. The present
Bhimakali Temple is a new one, built in 1927.
The old temple, nearby, has an amusing story to it – it got
tilted slightly in the 1905 earthquake, and then miraculously
straightened back with a subsequent tremor!
It is said that the foundations of this temple are very deep and that
there is a disused tunnel that connects this to the village of Ranwin,
a kilometre away. Pundits (priests) would enter and leave the temple
through this secret passage. The complex has smaller temples too,
dedicated to Lord Narsingh and Lord Raghunath.
This beautifully carved (new) temple has three stories topped by a
fascinating roofline. The upper floors have balconies and windows with
great ornamental woodcarving, while the doors are adorned with silver
repoussé work.
A 200-yr old gold image of the goddess Bhimakali is enshrined on the
first floor, which is actively worshipped only during the Dusshera
festival. The other image on the second floor is worshipped daily. The
temple also has some lovely silver decorations, other Hindu and
Buddhist images and a small museum.
Note: Do remember to wear a
cap before you venture into the temple. If you don’t own one, it
can be obtained from the temple.
¤ A Ritual Best Forgotten
The most ghastly of all rituals was practiced at the Bhimakali temple
– that of human sacrifice.
During the 16th-17th centuries it was carried out with elaborate
ceremony. The sacrificial victim was kept in the adjoining Narsimha
Temple.
After the sacrifice, an offering of his blood was placed on Bhimakali’s
tongue and then it was used to wash the feet of a second deity,
Ushadevi. Once this was done, the priest would smear each worshipper’s
forehead with a bloody tilak!
The chopped head was finally thrown into the Sutlej River and the
body into the well in the courtyard. The well has now been sealed by
the authorities.
¤ Facilities
Transport
There are several daily buses to Sarahan from Rampur.
¤ Accommodation
There’s no reason why anybody should wish to spend a night in
Sarahan. However in case you just have to, try the only decent hotel
in the place – HPTDC’s Hotel Srikhand
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