July 07, 2023

My morning starts pretty late from the touristy standards though I am enjoying the luxury of solo travel. At 10:30 AM, I head to the Big Mugs café. I ask for a cup of tea and maggi for breakfast assuming it would take the least preparation time. The taste is great though sorting cabbage from maggi is a task and takes a lot of time.

Once done, I rush to the bus stand making a mental note of exploring at least some tourist attractions today. Kangra fort and Masrur Rock temples are on my list. While Kangra fort is in Old Kangra (3 kms from the bus stand), Masrur rock temples is at a distance of approximately 36 kms from Kangra.

You can easily book a taxi to these places; however, be ready to pay more. Being on a budget and with no shortage of time, I decide to take local buses instead. When you are backpacking; as a rule of thumb, keep enough time in hand. 

Reaching Masrur

An old employee at the Kangra bus stand gives me a reality check and makes it clear that today, I can cover only one spot out of the two on my list. He advises me and guides on how to visit Masrur. My bus route is to be from Kangra till Rasul Chowk, another bus from Rasul Chowk till Masrur. It really sounds simple, only if it were so.

The adventure just begins.

Even before leaving Kangra, both the driver and conductor get down and start chatting with a group near the parking area while the passengers wait. I can’t help but smile at these typical Indian scenarios. I keep reminding the conductor numerous times to get me down at Rasul Chowk and get a positive nod. On the way, a village named Daulatpur looks quite promising. There is happiness on gaining back my confidence of taking impromptu decisions and getting out of comfort zone again.

Soon, I realize that it’s been a while and I should have reached my stop by now. On an intuition, I ask the conductor again. As suspected, my stop was left behind and now we have reached the next stop at Ranital. I give him a good piece of mind before getting down and make a backward journey of around 15 minutes asking directions to reach Rasul chowk. To my bad luck, I just miss the 12 PM bus to Masrur.

Now, the next one is to come after half an hour which will drop me till Lunj (15 kms from Rasul chowk). Theron, I would need to take another bus to Masrur. Suddenly, the day seems to be long and adventurous ahead. Unlike yesterday, the weather is getting humid. I promise myself to start early day after.

I have too much time to kill and begin talking to Sheetal and Suryansh, my company during the long wait. I offer them to come under my umbrella to escape the scorching heat. The brother-sister duo have so much to share about their studies and lives that I do not realize about the time. Its 12:40 PM and finally the bus arrives.

Capturing Sheetal and Suryansh

Literally taking a backward journey from Ranital to Rasul Chowk

I hop on and head to the front ensuring I’m right around the driver. Under no condition, I’m going to miss my stop again. A group of local women offer me a seat. They are intrigued and keep looking at me with curious smiles throughout. An interesting conversation begins with my co-passengers about our lives, the pandemic, work and beliefs in general. I’m completely in awe of their positive outlook. The ladies wish me and get down at a village – Gehliyan.

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A post shared by Deepika (@a_merakulous_life)

On reaching Lunj, I get some fruits and juice to restock my energy. Luckily, the bus to Masrur arrives on time. Reading the signboard, I figure out that I still have about 7 km of journey left and need to get down at Pir Bindli. By now, I can’t help but laugh at my situation and glad to be still making it.

The distance till the temple is around 2-3 kms from Pir Bindli; however, it’s quite deserted and I decide to take a taxi till Masrur for Rs 150 round trip. The driver is resting under a tree and I convince him to wait at Masrur instead and drop me back to Pir Bindli.

Masrur Rock Cut Temples

Masrur Rock cut temples seem completely out of the world in the entire set-up. They are believed to have been built by Pandavas carved out of a single rock. I have never seen such structures in the Himalayan regions. The main shrine has stone idols of Lord Ram, Devi Sita and Lord Lakshman.

I am glad that I have been persistent to visit the place which is worth it.

Entry ticket – Rs 20 (to be paid online and downloaded)

The driver drops me back and informs about a 3 PM direct bus till Kangra. The bus is packed and somehow, I get a seat. The speed of the bus tests my patience as I feel like I can walk faster.

While waiting for bus at Pir Bindli

Outing to Kangra Mandir Railway Station

I come back to Kangra by 5 PM. All this while, I have been in touch with Mr. Harsh Khullar, whom I know through a traveler group. He is settled nearby and advises me to take a train ride from Kangra Mandir railway station on my journey ahead and enjoy the valley view in the monsoons. I decide to visit the station beforehand to enquire about the train timings. It takes around two hours as I walk out of the town downhill through small houses, cross a wooden bridge, pass through small shops and finally reach the station. The evening concludes with a beautiful sun-set on my way back to the town. Both my phone and camera are drained out. I have no option but to capture it in my heart and memory forever.

By night, I decide to stay another day in Kangra.

Bus routes and charges:

Kangra to Rasul chowk – Rs 30

Rasul chowk to Lunj – Rs 35

Lunj to Pir Bindli – Rs 10

Direct bus from Pir Bindli to Kangra – Rs 80

I am trying to document my ongoing travel through my blog – without much edits and real time captures.

Read the next: Exploring Old Kangra

Previous posts in the series:

Himachal Diaries – 2023

A town named ” Kangra”