Kanwar Sanctuary: Kullu
Kanawar
Sanctuary lies in Kullu district, 2km from Manikaran, the
nearest village. Access is via Kullu to Kasol, and onward by
foot.
Uphill walk along Garahan Nala from Kasol through dense
majestic Deodar and Fir forests is enjoyable. The area under
Kanawar Sanctuary is 6,157ha using digitized maps with an
altitude ranges from 1,800m to 4,833m. To the south-east,
the area is connected by a forest corridor to Great
Himalayan National Park. Kanawar is a high-altitude
sanctuary, the terrain being mostly precipitous, with rocky
cliffs and narrow valleys. There are lakes and natural
springs of religious and historical importance at Khirganga
and Mantalai on the outskirts of the sanctuary. There is
also a temple and a gurudwara at Manikaran, adjacent to the
sanctuary Two villages are located within the sanctuary
(with an estimated population of 460 people), four temporary
settlements, and 14 villages are located in the adjacent
area. Many visitors come to climb the peaks in and around
the sanctuary. Four rest houses are situated on the
outskirts of the sanctuary. This sanctuary
has large population of Himalayan Thar in Himalayas and
seeing this big goat on high mountain cliffs is dream
fulfillment of any wildlife lover.
Some
of the other forms of wildlife found in the sanctuary
include musk deer, brown bear, barking deer, snow leopard
and pheasants like western tragopan and cheer.
The best time to visit Kanwar Sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh is during the summer months of May and June. The animals come out of their warm habitat out in the comfortable weather. This helps the tourists get a glimpse of the animals.
Temperature and rainfall
Temperatures range from -10 C to 25 C. Mean annual rainfall is 1000mm and mean annual snowfall 321mm
How to reach
By Rail
The closest railway station to Kanwar sanctuary in Kullu Valley is at Jogindernagar, which is situated at a distance of 95 km from Kullu.
By Roadways
The Kanwar sanctuary in Kullu is well served by road network. Kullu can be accessed from Manali at a distance of 40 kms or alternatively from Shimla at a distance of 240 kms. Both Shimla and Manali are well-connected to other cities of India by regular service.
By Air
Bhuntar, at a distance of 10 kms from Kullu, houses the nearest airport to Kanwar Sanctuary.
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