Introduction
Grahan is among the lesser-known gems of Parvati Valley, and only a few people know about it. While the majority of the crowd from Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana flocks at Kaso. The adjoining regions of Grahan are still untouched from the rush. Grahan is a very small picturesque village located 8 kilometers away from Kasol and takes no more than 4 hours to reach the surreal hamlet of Grahan. The people of Grahan are very friendly and have a great sense of belonging. The villagers lead a very simple life, you could expect the same for yourself in this serene setting. Grahan trek is far from the highly connected world as the mobile signal dies a slow death on the trekking route to Grahan.
Most of the people start their trekking in the Himalayas either with Triund or Kasol Kheerganga as these are the most popular treks among youngsters.
A lot of foreign tourists also come to the village to spend some time away from the ever-bustling Kasol. Grahan is a very slow-paced village, and pretty much like Kalga, it is on a plain with surrounding high peak mountains all around. The lush green farms all around Grahan add to the natural beauty of the place, in wintertime, the surrounding peaks are fully covered with snow and slowly, with the onset of winter Grahan trek also gets its fair share of snowfall.
How to reach Grahan?
1. Bhuntar to Grahan –
To reach from Bhuntar to Grahan, you will have to reach Kasol first. There are multiple ways of reaching Kasol from Bhuntar. Shared cabs are available from Bhuntar to Kasol 24*7, also there is a very robust bus service between Bhuntar and Kasol, and a lot of government, as well as private buses, ply to Barshaini via Kasol. Kasol lies in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, which is famous for its greenery and natural resources, which are relatively more abundant here than any other districts of Himachal.
2. Kasol to Grahan –
Rahan is situated at a distance of 8 km from Kasol and it takes around 3 to 5 hours to reach Grahan, depending on your speed and resting intervals. It is advisable to start the trek to Grahan in the morning, as you have sufficient daylight left when you reach Grahan, and therefore, you can choose where you want to stay and not be in a rush to settle for the first place you see. Grahan falls on the right side of the Parvati River. When you reach Kasol, you will find a bridge constructed near the Kasol bus stand, the nallah(sewer line) on which the bridge is constructed. The Grahan nallah goes all the way to the village.
So if you were to follow the trail in the direction opposite to which the nallah is flowing, you will reach Grahan village. Once you start on the trail to Grahan village, the nallah will be to your left. In some time, you will come across a bridge which you should avoid as the path is more inclined on the other side of the bridge. Within an hour of starting, you should be able to cover a distance of around 2 km. By this time, you will be walking through a dense jungle among the coniferous trees with a cold mountain breeze grazing in your face, and the sunlight peeking through the dense forest canopy.
Kasol to Grahan Itinerary –
First Day : Kasol to Grahan | 4 kilometers | 3-5 hour walk
Second Day : Stay at Grahan and go till Thunja maybe.
Third Day : Back to Kasol | 4 kilometers | 3 hour walk
Exploring Kasol – Mini Israel of India
Kasol is a quite small but very vibrant town having several cafes, clubs, street markets for shopping, and a plethora of treks. Kasol, settled around the gushing Parvati river, has a different vibe as compared to other hill stations. The place has become quite popular among youngsters and due to which it remains too crowded on weekends and holidays. However, one can still feel the original vibe of this place by visiting on any weekday when the crowd is lesser. We did the same and we were just loving the atmosphere there.
After exploring the streets and a few shops, I took the Chalal village trail, which begins after crossing the bridge over the Parvati river. The village is a 2 km walk from there and the entire trail goes along the Parvati river. We had a wonderful time while walking on that trail because of the strong flow of the river and the pleasant weather. It took just half an hour to reach the village.
When I explored and tried some cafes, where we had our lunch, and then returned to Kasol. Now we took a shared taxi to visit the famous Gurudwara, Manikaran Sahib, which was situated just 5 km from Kasol. Later in the evening, we came back and tried several new cuisines at cafes like Moon dance, Bhoj, and Rainbow. After satisfying our tummies, we came back to our hotel and packed our bags for the next day’s plan of Grahan trek.