Chehni Kothi in a day — Shringa Rishi's temple, the wooden tower above Banjar, Bahu lake and the bazaar

Chehni Kothi is the reason to spend a day on the heritage of the valley rather than its walks: a wooden tower above a hamlet north of Banjar, built in the kath-kuni way with courses of stone and deodar laid without mortar. It is one of the tallest of its kind still standing in the western Himalaya. The day puts the valley deity's temple before it, Bahu's temple pond after it, and the bazaar last.

Nothing needs booking and nothing has a ticket. The road minutes are measured on the actual road; the climb to the tower was measured on the path. The tower is a living shrine and a family's home, not a monument with a gate: manners are the entry fee.

Who this is for

Anyone with a spare day in the valley who would rather see something old than climb something high, families with children who can manage half an hour of steps, and people passing through Banjar between the river and the pass. The monsoon plan and the classic three days both carry the tower as one morning.

Day by day

Getting there

From anywhere in the valley: Banjar is 24 km up from Aut on the Kullu highway, 10 km down from Gushaini and 7 km down from Jibhi. The Shringa Rishi road is a side road from the bazaar; Bahu lake is on the Jalori side. A taxi from Banjar does the whole day, and the temple road and Bahu both have buses.

Where to stay

The day is a day trip from anywhere in the valley — Gushaini on the river, Jibhi on the pass road, or Banjar itself, which has rooms by the bus stand for anyone spending a night in the town.

Know before you go

• The tower is a shrine and a home — do not enter or climb it, ask before every photograph of a person, and keep children off the steps.
• Prices are bands checked in September 2026; the day has no tickets and no counters.
• The Chehni path is short and steep, on rock steps that ice in winter and slick in rain — shoes with grip.
• Shoes off and head covered at Shringa Rishi; no photographs inside.
• Fagli, the masked festival, moves with the calendar — ask at the bus stand, and if a village is holding it, go as a guest, not a photographer.

If plans change

The tower as one morning of three days: the classic.

In the rain: the monsoon plan keeps this day and drops the paths that slide.

Old buildings on the Beas side: Naggar's castle is a lunch on the Tirthan and Manali five days.

Places on this route

Chehni Kothi

fort · 13 min from Banjar

Bahu Lake

lake · 32 min from Banjar

Shringa Rishi Temple

temple · 13 min from Banjar

Other ways to do it

All Banjar itineraries →

2 nights · 3 days · First visitClassic

Three days in the Tirthan valley — the river, Jalori Pass and Serolsar lake, then Chehni Kothi and Jibhi

The classic three days in the Tirthan valley: the river at Gushaini, Jalori Pass and the ridge walk to Serolsar lake, Chehni Kothi and Jibhi on the way out.

Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Nov

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2 nights · 3 days · Slow travelMonsoon

The Tirthan valley in the monsoon — what still works: the river from the bank, Chehni Kothi, the park's museum and a wet Jibhi

The Tirthan valley from July to September, honestly: the river from a terrace, Chehni Kothi between showers, the park's museum, an empty Jibhi, what is closed.

Best Jul–Sep

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4 nights · 5 days · First visitMulti-hub

The Tirthan valley and Manali in five days — the river and Jalori first, then the left-bank road to Naggar, Solang and Hadimba

starts in Banjar

Five days across two valleys: the Tirthan at Gushaini, Jalori Pass and Serolsar lake, the left-bank road through Naggar, then Solang, Vashisht and Hadimba.

Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Nov

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2 nights · 3 days · CouplesSnow

Jibhi in winter — snow on the pass road, a frozen-edged waterfall, Shoja by the fire, and Chehni Kothi in the cold

Jibhi and Shoja in December to February: the waterfall with ice on its edges, the pass road as far as the plough has been, Chehni Kothi in the cold, what shuts.

Best Jan–Feb · Dec

See the plan →