18th Oct, 2020, Sunday………Day (5) Bir-Ahju-Lad Bharol-Simsa Mata temple-Triveni Mahadev temple-Base of Chaturbhuja temple at Bashohidhar (107 km)
Bir has changed a lot during the last few years.
Remember having visited the place sometime in 2000. It was a sleepy little gaddi village where only a handful of paragliding professionals and Buddhist monks were the only outsiders.
Besides the humungous rush for paragliding, the village has become a haunting ground for backpackers and weekend picnickers. Despite this morning in Bir was as serene as ever.
Sipping glass of tea near monastery right in the middle of bir colony bazaar from shop run by a Tibetan refugee lady and the early morning walk through the paraglider’s landing site was so heavenly.
It was Sunday and the crowd had swelled by 10 am. The road along the landing site, at the beginning and at the end got choked and I knew my time was up.
Like Dharamkot, which once used to be my favorite, Bir was fast on its way and for once felt I might not be coming to the place so often in future and left with a heavy heart.
Had heard a lot about Lad Bharol and the river Beas flowing nearby, yet was not very sure whether the area was good from a travelers point of view. I had not been to the place so far and its mystery was yet to be revealed to me. So following my gut feeling decided to drive to Lad Bharol to unfold its mystery.
Following google map and confirming with locals put my car on Ahju-Basahidhar Road (SH-56).
To begin with the road climbed sharply and because turbo of my car was not working found little tough on steep inclines. The road was narrow but tar quality was good enough though.
Lad Bharol was just 18 kilometers from Ahju yet the drive on Basahidhar running almost parallel to the Bir-Billing ridge was so mesmerizing, I could see the entire Jogindernagar valley down belo, bir-billing area and dhauladhar mountain range from many points on the road itself.
Visited Tara Tarmeshwari temple enroute, crossed over a small pass to the other side of Basahidhar to the valley on the other side, towards Lad Bharol. Passed few quaint little villages, couple of junction of roads coming from Baijnath side, scant traffic but fairly good enough road.
Lad Bharol was a little disappointment though. The market was closed due to Sunday and the bazaar looked so deserted. Had cup of tea and an advise from a local to visit Simsa Mata and Triveni Mahadev temples, not far away from Lad Bharol.
Both the temples were around 8 km from Lad Bharol but on different directions. Since Triveni Mahadev temple lay on the sangam, the confluence of three rivers, decided to visit the place in the evening.
Road to Simsa Mata temple was in fact the main road leading to the Jogindernagar-Sarkaghat highway. After few kilometers the road bifurcated at village Gaggal from where the drive became even more beautiful.
The atmosphere at the temple was so familiar, shops selling parsad, and the things to be offered at the temple and the pujaris offering their services for puja and guide.
Simsa Mata temple is popular with the ladies who are desirous of having childern and are unable to conceive even after years of marriage, visit the temple to seek blessings of Maa Simsa.
There was no rush due to Covid, so I was able to visit the temple at ease with a pujari explaining me everything in detail.
For Triveni Mahadev temple had to drive back to Lad Bharol and then turn left on a rough road along the Beas River through a thick jungle and some beautiful villages for about 16 kilometers right down to the bed of the river.
There was no one at the temple except a lone pujari who was helped me understand so many things. He told me that the temple was built near the confluence of three rivers…..Beas, Binwa and Gupt Ganga.
While the River Beas flows down from Beas Kund, and the River Binwa from village Binwa…the River Gupt Ganga flows from under the temple during monsoons only and thus was not visible at that time.
There was a shamshan ghat on all the three sides of the sangam belonging to different villages on the other side of the river. The govt runs a cable trolley to ferry people across the river.
The atmosphere at the place was so serene and eerie as well.
For once felt like staying at the place for the night. The Pujari told me that he stays at the place alone without fear and that he would not mind me sleeping inside the car parked at the entrance of the temple.
The place was too lonely and inside the jungle though.
No network and light as well.
Pujari ji told me that the people of surrounding areas perform last rites of their dead one’s near the river. He sleeps alone and never fears despite some times the fire burning the bodies remain active during the night.
It fell dark so quickly.
I had not decided on the stay for the night as yet. Turbo of the car was not working, so I was not very confidant about the performance of the car especially on the sharp inclines.
Drive back to the main road to Lad Bharol was little scary. Drove through a dark lonely road and when finally hit the main road, could heave a sigh of relief.
A dhaba and a filling station was open.
Asked the man at the filling station whether I could park the car and sleep inside their premises. Usually the people at filling station don’t mind but surprisingly this man refused and I had to think otherwise.
The filling station man told me that the main Jogindrnagar-Sarkghat Road was just 25 kilometers away, the road was good and it won’t take much time before I would reach the main highway.
He told me the dhaba and the filling station would close in a short while any way and it was best to drive to the main road. His advise made sense and I decided to drive to the main road.
The dark and lonely road passed through some bad patches and eerie jungle with almost no villages for quite sometime. Still loved the drive listening to the songs and anticipating good things to happen.
Reached a village that looked good, few shops were open, even a dhaba was also there, but since the main highway was nearby, continued driving hoping to find a better place.
The main highway arrived and the first village that I saw was fully asleep, no lights, no shops, no nothing.
Since I wanted to visit Chaturbhuja Mata temple the next day, turned the car left (back) towards Jogindernagar on the Jogindernagar-Sarkaghat highway.
Lo and behold, continued driving for many kilometers, even reached the bend for Chaturbhuja Mata temple yet there was no sign of a dhaba or a filling station. Even google map was working properly. There was no soul awake to seek directions as well.
Luckily saw a theka near the bend to Chaturbhuja Mata temple closing down.
Hurriedly ran up to the theka man and asked for directions to Chaturbhuja Maata temple.
The man told me that the base from where the stairs lead to the temple, was just 500 meters from the place and that there was ample parking, drinking water and toilets…good place to park the car and sleep inside.
Usually I don’t share my sleeping plans with any one, but keeping in view the situation I had to.
Drove through the bend towards the base of the temple but some how missed the road at a bifurcation.
Only after driving for 2-3 kilometers and that too on a kutcha road to a dead end that I realized that I had missed the right road. Turned back and finally found the right road and reached the base to the temple.
The base of the temple had ample, pukka parking, clean and well lit. Took a round of the place and found it good enough for sleeping inside the car.
The only problem was there no soul around, not even a village or anything close to it. It was 10 pm night, parked the car on a side and slipped inside.
After about half an hour saw a car come into the premises and began taking rounds of the parking ever so slowly. It was strange and felt a little scary, especially thinking that the theka man was aware of my plans.
The sleep was miles away and I began watching every move of the car with baited breath. My mind began working overtime preparing for a variety of responses in case of any eventuality.
Luckily nothing happened.
A boy and a girl were engrossed intensely while passing me by.
Heaved a sigh of relief and it took me a while in coming to terms and almost midnight when drowsiness overpowered and had one of the most eventful, eerie and memorable nights sleeping inside my HOME ON WHEELs.….!!!
Here is link to the video story of the day…..
Joy Club 
Excellent .
Thanks Sir