Himachal
Tirthan & Jibhi valleys
say no to tirthan and jibhi valleys in june
Is it a good idea to visit Tirthan and Jibhi valleys in June? No, if you don’t want to spend hours stuck in traffic jams and then eventually reach an over-crowded place.
This summer has been unprecedented. There is record heat in the plains and even in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh. And everybody seems to be driving up to Himachal Pradesh.
The result? Massive traffic jams in all the top tourist destinations, whether it’s Manali, Kasol or Tirthan and Jibhi valleys. There have even been traffic jams even on the four-lane Chandigarh-Manali highway and inside highway tunnels including the Atal tunnel. Only if it’s your lucky day, you won’t get caught in a traffic jam here.
Here is a brief summary of the traffic situation in summers in the Tirthan and Jibhi valleys.
Aut to Banjar
Hundreds of tourists head for the scenic Tirthan and Jibhi valleys in Banjar sub-division of Kullu district in Himachal Pradesh in the summer months of May and June. You enter these valleys after getting off Chandigarh-Manali highway at Aut and getting on national highway 305. But it’s a national highway in name only. In reality, it’s one of the narrowest potholed roads whose many stretches have caved in.
This highway was badly damaged in last year’s monsoons and is still to be repaired and is the main cause behind massive traffic jams. The NHAI has failed to widen this road in the last 10 years despite repeated demand from locals.
Anyway, the first major traffic jam you encounter is near Banjar as all the traffic from Tirthan, Jibhi valleys and Aut side starts converging here. You may get stuck in a traffic jam from half-an-hour to two hours, depending upon the traffic volume.
Banjar to Tirthan valley
You escape a traffic snarl-up and turn towards the Tirthan valley from near Banjar, only to enter another one. The narrow road of Tirthan valley is no better than the national highway 305 and chances of you getting stuck in traffic jams here are equally high. After reaching your destination, it is difficult to venture out or visit the nearby Jibhi valley due to traffic jams.
Banjar to Jibhi
If you don’t turn towards Tirthan and remain on the NH 305 then again you are doomed. This narrow and congested road with narrower curves ensures frequent traffic jams up to Jibhi. There is no relief and you may spend hours on the road just to reach Jibhi.
Jibhi to Jalori Jot
From Jibhi to Jalori, the traffic situation becomes even worse as the narrow road becomes steeper till it reaches Jalori Jot, the high mountain pass located at 3120 meters. Driving here on such a congested road becomes riskier and a little mistake can cause an accident as has happened many a times.
There are frequent traffic jams at Shoja and Ghiyagi villages etc till you reach the top. But this is not the end of your traffic woes. You know you have to return via the same road.
Hotel occupancy
There are around 250 hotels and guest houses in the Jibhi valley and around 150 in the Tirthan valley. However, according to a rough estimate around 10,000 tourists are entering these two valleys. So even if you are ready to brave the traffic jams, you may not get accommodation according to your choice until and unless you have done your bookings in advance.
Hopefully, the NHAI will take heed and repair and widen this road and may be by next year the traffic situation may improve. But for the time being, reaching Tirthan or Jibhi can turn out to be quite a bad experience.
I have been to Jibhi in Feb, Oct, and April. It anyway remains jam packed with traffic.