Vayu Kutir

Vayu Kutir is located 200m from the Mubarakpur - Dharamshala highway and is well connected by ordinary and luxury buses to Dharamshala and Palampur. We provide free courtesy pickup and drop to the local bus stand. For those arriving by rail or air at Chandigarh / Amritsar we arrange pickups at very competitive prices.

Paragliding at Bir Billing A favorite activity of Vayu Kutir visitors is Paragliding at Bir Billing, which is 100 kms - around 3 hrs by road or Kangra valley heritage railway - from Vayu Kutir. A school along the road short of Palampur The journey is scenic via Kangra, Palampur, & Baijnath - three of the most beautiful Kangra valley towns. There are several scenic spots along the way, including a colorful school short of Palampur (above) and a hydel project past Baijnath (below). A hydel power project past Baijnath Bir, the landing point for gliders, is in Kangra district close to the border with Mandi districts..  Those not up to the thrill of a soaring in the sky like an eagle for 20-30 min can vicariously enjoy the activity watching gliders land at Bir. Bir and the surrounding valley in Mandi and Kangra districts If you are up to the thrill, you can book a glider ride for Rs 2,500/-. A pickup vehicle will drive you to Billing the launch point of the...

The Kangra Fort, 30-km from Vayu Kutir, is the largest fort in the Himalayas and probably the oldest dated fort in India. It was built by Rajput rulers of Katoch dynasty which traces its origins to the ancient Trigarta Kingdom, mentioned in the Mahabharata epic. The Fort is strategically located on rocky high ground at the confluence of the Banganga and Majhi rivers (Beas river tributaries). A narrow road, usually in a shocking state of disrepair, allows access to the fort from the Dharamshala highway. The rivers surround the fort from three sides. The fourth side (left) physically links the fort to Old Kangra town. From its commanding height, the fort overlooks the  Kangra valley with the boulder conglomerate on which it's built serving as natural fortification. The 4-km long wall that rises to 700-ft above the river bed secures the fort. The current entrance to the fort, built during the period when Kangra was ruled by the Sikhs, is known as (Surp...

A 3-km trail that starts from Vayu Kutir in Diyara village and takes you through the adjacent forest down into a shallow valley over a mountain stream and then up a hill side to the next village, Swara, is ideal for morning and evening walks. The forest trail (Left) starting from Vayu Kutir Almost the entire trail runs along two alternating mountain streams. Crossing the first stream To start with, the trail goes along the stream that skirts the high ground on which our village is located. Climbing up after crossing the first stream Through out the trail, the gradients are gentle, but the path is stony mandating rugged footwear. Regaining high ground After crossing the stream, as you climb up to regain height the trail circles the high ground on which Swara is perched and you get to see a much larger stream / khad. The trail along the stream that skirts Swara Along the trail, there is solitude but not silence. Besides the sound of burbling of th...