Kalpa, Himachal Pradesh

Geography

Kalpa is at . It has an average elevation of 2,960 metres (9,711 feet) and is located 265 kilometres (165 mi) beyond Shimla on the NH-5 in Kinnaur district. It sits at the base of the snow-capped Kinnaur Kailash ranges. The Shivling peaks rise up to 6,000 m (20,000 feet). Kalpa is nestled among apple orchards, pine-nut forests, and the stately deodhars.

Overview

Kalpa was known as a Chini village during the colonial and pre colonial period. It was tehsil headquarter during colonial times and later became district headquarter of Kinnaur before it was shifted to Reckong Peo. The Sutlej River below runs through deep gorges, and the winding mountain road is bordered by chilgoza forests. The serenity of this sleepy hamlet was not often visited by foreigners until recently, but there are still relatively few visitors. There are now more than five places to stay in Kalpa and more below in Reckong Peo where travelers must stop to get their inner line permits to continue upwards to the Spiti Valley, which is a small ancient part of what used to be Tibet. Also visible from here is the sacred Shivling rock on the Kailash mountain that changes its color at different points in the day.

In Episode 5 of Ice Road Truckers#IRT: Deadliest Roads - Season 1: Himalayas Lisa Kelly and Rick Yemm delivered two images (one each) (well packed with sandbags and sand and straw) of the goddess Kali (shown as treading on her husband Shiva) along a frightful mountain road hacked out of cliffsides to a temple at Kalpa.

Demography

Kalpa has an average literacy rate of 83.75%.

Religion

Hinduism is the main religion in the district followed by Tibetan Buddhism. These two religions have undergone religious mixing, along with some indigenous shamanistic practices.

Places of interest

Reckong Peo: Located 260 km from Shimla, 7 km from Powari and 8 km from Kalpa. Reckong Peo is the headquarters of district Kinnaur.

Kothi Temple: 3 km from Reckong Peo. Kothi has a temple dedicated to the goddess Chandika Devi. The temple has an unusual architectural style and fine sculpture. A gold image of the goddess is enshrined in the sanctum.

Education

The first primary school in Kinnaur (also known as Chini tehsil in British colonial times) opened at kalpa in late 19th century.

Agriculture

The region is very famous for its production of high-quality apples and pinus gerardiana, also known as chilghoza. All of tehsil Kalpa is apple growing area, the primary crop for residents of the area. Kalpa is surrounded by Deodar, apple, and pinus gerardiana chilghoza trees.

Climate

Kalpa enjoys a temperate climate (Köppen Cfb) due to its high elevation, with long winters from October to May, and short summers from June to September. In winter, all the villages are covered by about 5 to of snow, and the temperature can drop to as low as −20 °C. Warm clothing may be necessary even in the summer.

| Jan record high C = 16.1 | Feb record high C = 18.1 | Mar record high C = 24.4 | Apr record high C = 25.2 | May record high C = 29.4 | Jun record high C = 30.7 | Jul record high C = 28.4 | Aug record high C = 28.3 | Sep record high C = 28.3 | Oct record high C = 24.6 | Nov record high C = 24.5 | Dec record high C = 19.0 | year record high C = 30.7 | Jan record low C = -15.4 | Feb record low C = -11.0 | Mar record low C = -10.8 | Apr record low C = -3.5 | May record low C = -0.5 | Jun record low C = 2.0 | Jul record low C = 6.0 | Aug record low C = 5.8 | Sep record low C = 1.0 | Oct record low C = -3.6 | Nov record low C = -5.5 | Dec record low C = -8.6 | year record low C = -15.4 | access-date = April 8, 2024

Gallery

File:Kalpa and Kailash.jpg|Kalpa and Kinnaur Kailash during monsoon weather File:Inside of Kalpa Temple,Kinnaur.jpg|Wood work at main Entrance of Hindu Temple at Kalpa File:Hindu Temple at Kalpa, Himachal Pradesh.jpg|Hindu Temple at Kalpa File:Kinnaur Kailash.jpg|Kinnaur Kailash from Kalpa File:Kinner Kailash hotel in Kalpa.jpg|Kinnaur Kailash Resort Kalpa File:View from Kalpa.JPG|[[File:Kila at chini village in kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh.jpg|thumb|245x245px|Kila chini (kalpa)]]Kinnaur Kailash range form Kalpa

References

References

1. "India’s first voter Shyam Saran Negi casts his vote at Kalpa".
2. [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/11/Kalpa.html Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Kalpa]