Barot, Himachal Pradesh
Barot | |
|---|---|
Town Valley | |
View of Barot Valley in June 2019 | |
| Coordinates: 32°2′11″N 76°50′51″E / 32.03639°N 76.84750°E | |
| Country | India |
| State | Himachal Pradesh |
| District | Mandi |
| Elevation | 1,829 m (6,001 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 3,500 (app.) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Hindi |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 175013 |
| Telephone code | 1908 (Joginder Nagar) |
| Vehicle registration | HP- HP 29 (Joginder Nagar) HP 76 (Padhar) |
| Nearest city | Joginder Nagar |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Mandi |
| Vidhan Sabha constituency | Drang-30 |
| Climate | Cold (Köppen) |
| Avg. annual temperature | 13 °C (55 °F) |
| Avg. summer temperature | 17 °C (63 °F) |
| Avg. winter temperature | 5 °C (41 °F) |
Barot, a village originally developed in the 1920s for Shanan Hydel Project, is now a tourist location in Mandi district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Barot was difficult to access until 1975, when a road was opened. It is situated 40 km from Jogindernagar and 65 km from Mandi, the district headquarter. The road to Barot branches off at Jogindernagar-Mandi Highway and from Jogindernagar the distance is 40 km. It is sometimes possible to use the funicular trolley from Jogindernagar which reduces the distance to 12 km. The road route includes terraced fields and thick cedar forests, rising to Jhatingri at the hilltop. The remains of the summer palace of the former rulers of Mandi are located here. Through the small village of Tikkan, the road carries on to Barot. The town has a range of outdoor activities, including a trout breeding centre, from where fish are released into the Uhl river. A 30 km section of the river is used for angling.
Barot also forms the gateway to the Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary which lies across the Uhl. The sanctuary is home to the monal, black bear and ghoral. Within it are forest rest houses at Thaltuckhod and Silbandhwari. Through woods of cedar and pine a trek route cuts across the sanctuary to Kullu.