Nirmand temples — Ambika Devi and Parashurama Kothi
temple · 7.0 km away
town1 h 19 min from Sarahan
Rampur Bushahr
Rampur Bushahr, on the Satluj, was the winter capital of the Bushahr state and a trading town on the Tibet routes, known for the Lavi fair each November.
What it is
Rampur Bushahr is a town on the left bank of the Satluj in Shimla district, about 128 km from Shimla on the highway that runs through Theog, Narkanda and Kumarsain. It was the winter capital of the Bushahr state, whose summer capital was Sarahan, and it sat on the trading routes that joined the Indian markets with Central Asia and Tibet. After Bushahr joined the Indian Union in 1947 and then Himachal Pradesh, the town stayed a market for the valley.
Photos: Frostbound Raven (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Vishvakk94 (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Getting there
About 39 km and 79 minutes by car from Sarahan, down towards the river. It is on the Shimla–Narkanda highway, so it is also a natural stop for anyone driving on to Kinnaur. The temples of Nirmand are 17 km further up the valley.
The visit
The town is a working market on a steep bank, with the Satluj below and mountains behind, and the thing to see is the trading town itself. The Padam Palace, set in a lawn with a pavilion, is the building people photograph; little is published about it, so this guide says no more than that it is there. The Shraikoti Temple, on a hilltop near the town, is one of the nearby sights.
The Lavi fair is held each November. By the usual account it began about three hundred years ago, when Raja Kehar Singh of Bushahr and Tibet signed a trade treaty and swapped Tibetan horses for Bushahr swords. Wikipedia describes it as the largest trading event in the north Himalayas, drawing traders from Kashmir, Ladakh, Yarkant and the plains. The dates change each year and we have no verified programme, so check locally if you want to be there for it.
When to go
Rampur sits far below Sarahan on the river, which fits its old role as the winter capital. November is the Lavi fair. See when to visit Sarahan.
Around it
Bhimakali Temple is back up the hill at Sarahan, and Nirmand lies on up the valley. The one-day plan and the two-day plan both stop here, and things to do in Sarahan has the rest.
Plans that include this
All 2 plans that stop here →
Day plan · First visitTemples & heritage
One day from Sarahan — the Bhimakali Temple and Rampur Bushahr
A one-day Sarahan plan: the Bhimakali Temple with its three courtyards, then the drive down to Rampur Bushahr, the old winter capital. Free, copyable itinerary.
Best Apr–Jun · Sep–Nov
See the plan →
1 night · 2 days · First visitTemples & heritage
Two days around Sarahan — Bhimakali, Rampur and the temples of Nirmand
A two-day Sarahan plan: the Bhimakali Temple, a night in Rampur Bushahr, then the old wooden temples of Nirmand on day two. Free, copyable itinerary.
Best Apr–Jun · Sep–Nov
See the plan →Nearby places
Questions people ask
What is Rampur Bushahr known for?
It was the winter capital of the Bushahr state, with Sarahan the summer one, and it grew as a trading town on the routes to Tibet. It is known for the Lavi fair held each November, which Wikipedia calls the largest trading event in the north Himalayas.
Where does the Lavi fair come from?
The usual account is that about three hundred years ago Raja Kehar Singh of Bushahr signed a trade treaty with Tibet, and horses from Tibet and swords from Bushahr were exchanged as a sign of friendship. Trade grew from that and the fair followed. Dates change each year, so check locally.
How far is Rampur Bushahr from Sarahan?
About 39 km, roughly 79 minutes by car on our routing, down towards the Satluj. It is a half-day out from Sarahan and back, and it is the natural stop on the way on to Nirmand, which is 17 km further up the valley.