Chitkul or Chittkul is a small village in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. This place has the location favourable for adventure tourism and leisure tourism.
Location of Chitkul
Chitkul or Chittkul is a hill station, located in Kinnaur District. This is the last inhabited village near Indo- China border. The Indian road ends here.
Climate of Chitkul
During winter months (November to February) Chitkul or Chittkul mostly remains covered with the snow and the inhabitants move to lower regions of Himachal Pradesh. The potatoes grown at Chittkul are one of the best potatoes in the world and are very costly.
Economy of Chitkul
Chitkul is situated on the banks of Baspa River. And it is the first village of the Baspa Valley and the last village on the old Hindustan-Tibet trade route. It is also the last point in India one can travel India to without a permit. The economy of Chitkul is dependent on potato.
Settlement of Chitkul
Chitkul or Chittkul houses with slate or wooden plank roofs, a Buddhist temple and a small tower. The settlement in Chitkul is worth visiting.
Tourism in Chitkul
The tourist spots in Chitkul or Chittkul are the temple of Gautama Buddha, Palace in Chitkul and many others. In Chitkul Temple there is a highly valued old image of the Shakyamuni Buddha, a Wheel of Life mandala and four Directional Kings on either side of the door. Chitkul is practically the last point of the famous Kinner Kailash Parikrama as one can hitch a hike from here onwards. Other tourist spot in Chitkul are Charang Pass, Gangotri, Sangla Valley and Raksham.
Visiting Information
Chitkul is around 569 km from the National capital Delhi and 28 km from Sangla. This is the last Indian village on border with China. The road does not take one till the actual border, it closes around 90 km before it and then rest of the area is under the control of Indian Paramilitary force ITBP. There are wooden houses turned into hotels that can be found in Chhitkul, these hotels are a bit expensive and most of the tourists prefer to stay at Sangla and make a day trip to this place. Sangla is close to Chhitkul and hotels and camps provide very good arrangement for living and are comparatively cheaper. There are HRTC buses from Sangla to Chitkul on regular interval. Those buses will back to Sangla after 30 minutes halt at Chitkul.
