Pangi Valley

The Pangi Valley is situated along the Chandrabhaga in the Chamba District of Himachal Pradesh. It lies between the Pir Panjals and the Great Himalayan Range itself. It is spread over an area of 1600 sq kms and most of it is rugged Mountain country inhabited sparsely by equally rugged people. Its bounded by Padar in Kishtwar on one side, Lahaul on the other side and Ladakh on the top and as such it has varied Cultural influences and at the same time it shares a strong bond with the Padar Valley in Kishtwar.

The Pangi Valley has always been quite remote and access to it is along the Chandrabhaga Gorge or through the treacherous Sach Pass. It is also home to a number of Sub Valleys which can be accessed through the main Village in Pangi, Killar. The main Sub Valleys are the Saichu, Hudan Bhatori and Sural Bhatori and are dotted with Villages called Bhatoris as they are inhabited by a people called “Bhots” who originally migrated to this region from Zanskar and Ladakh. 

The main inhabitants of Pangi are called the Pangwals and they have their own unique Culture. Alongwith the Panwals the other inhabitants of Pangi are the aforementioned Bhots who follow their own Buddhist traditions.

The Pangi Valley was described by Dr. J Hutchison (in 1904) as follows:

"Pangi is unique in its grandeur and beauty: in this respect far surpassing any other portion of Chamba District. The scenery is sublime and imposing, and nature appears in her wildest and grandest moods. Everything is on a stupendous scale. The great river rolls along In a deep and narrow gorge, lashing itself into fury against the adamantine cliffs that confine it. Precipices spring from the brink, in places almost perpendicular, to a height of one or two thousand feet: on the lower ranges are grassy slopes of rich pasture with dense forests of pine and cedar, while high over all, the stern and majestic mountains, piled on one another, attain in altitude of 18,000 to 21,000 feet rising far beyond the line of eternal snow. But all is not sublimity and grandeur. Every few miles the traveller reaches fairly open nooks of surpassing beauties, which may have been small lakes in some bygone age, while the river was cutting its way through a rocky barrier in front. There the villages are chiefly to be found. These are few in number, and of small size, for the region is sparsely inhabited.

How to Reach Pangi

By Road - Bhaderwah is connected with the rest of the country with Batote Doda Road adjacent to NH 244. All weather roads are constructed in the entire Distt. Daily Bus/Tempo services and shared Taxis are plying from Jammu & Other cities to Bhaderwah.

Bhaderwah – Chamba road (90 Kms). It is a road that takes you past many panoramic beautiful vistas of unspool countryside. Bhaderwah - Bani – Basholi road (166 kms) takes off on the 8th kms on Bhaderwah- Chamba road.

By Flight:-The nearest airport is situated in Jammu (185 kms) 

 By Rail:-The nearest Railhead is situated in Udhampur (150 kms) & Jammu (185 kms)