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In the absence of an all-purpose foreign registration office (FRO) at Bhuntar, the HP police and tourism department grope in the dark when it comes to monitoring foreigners in this infamous haven of hashish smuggling.

Regulation under the Foreigners’ Act remains poor as hoteliers do their best to defy mandatory C-form compliance to gulp down 10 per cent luxury tax.

The tourism department coughs up figure painting a rosy picture of tourist arrivals, mainly foreigners. But it turns out to be a “repetition of tourists reporting at different destinations” that mismatches with the C-form compliance, registration and luxury tax collected by the Excise and Taxation Department.

This “mismatch” is proved by what the police and tourism officials say about Kullu district. Manisha Nanda, Special Secretary, tourism, said 15,522 foreigners visited Kullu in June this year.

But KK Indoria, SP, Kullu, said the police had received only 2,955 C-forms in June and 5,797 C-forms in July from guest house owners and hoteliers.

The case of the missing Israeli tourist Amichai Shtainmetz highlights this laxity. He stayed at guest houses at Kasol, Kalga, Kheerganga before he disappeared on July 21 from Kheerganga ashram, but his name neither figures in the mandatory C-form nor at the FRO in SP office, Kullu.

Nanda admitted mismatching but claimed compliance was increasing and was reflected in collection of luxury tax.

Excise and taxation officer, Kullu, Sunil, said Rs 4 crore had been collected as luxury tax from hoteliers, guest houses and tents in Kullu district this year till July.

After cross-checking, state excise and taxation commissioner RD Dhiman said luxury
tax collection for the first quarter was Rs 2.44 crore in Kullu as against last year’s
Rs 2.2 crore.

As part of its efforts to restore the lost glory of the “Queen of Hills”, the Forest Department will revive old walking trails, water bodies and undertake plantation of ornamental species along with landscaping to promote eco-tourism.

Having already launched its “Revival of deodar trees in Shimla” project in association with 11 voluntary organisations on August 8, the Forest Department is now considering expanding its ambit to cover other components as well.

To restore the old-world charm of Shimla, thrust will be on undertaking maximum possible plantation whether it is that of the majestic deodars, colourful hydrangeas or other herbal plants which are fast dwindling.

“We are considering making an action plan where these 11 voluntary organisations will be involved in other tasks such as developing water harvesting structures like ponds and restoring old walking trails,” said Rajesh Sharma, DFO, (Shimal Urban). Many of these trails have been identified and listed by the Tourism Department.

Another area which will be taken up is restoration and developing of walking trails of the British time which are practically lying abandoned.

There are plans to restore these and develop them from eco-tourism point of view by fixing names of plants, especially herbal, and listing its uses and benefits.

Some of these old trails near Tara Devi, Viceregal Lodge, Glen and Jakhu area
were very much in use during the British time as there were very few roads and
hardly any vehicles.

“These old trails are dotted with British time reminiscences and have a history associated with them, which still evokes a lot of interest in foreign tourists, especially those from England,” said officials.

In fact, quite a few foreigners come here looking for places and houses where their forefathers lived during the days of the Raj.

A MUMMY of a Tibetan Buddhist monk, believed to be about 500 years old, has been found in India's northern Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh, the Hindustan Times.com website reported.

It backed up its claim by publishing a picture of a wizened human sitting in a hunched, meditating position draped with a shawl.

The mummy, identified as that of monk Sangha Tenzin, was found inside a tomb at Ghuen village in the cold and remote Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, about 6000 metres above sea level, the report said.

Ghuen villagers have known about the mummy since 1975, when an earthquake struck the region and brought down a part of the tomb, it added.

However due to the remoteness of Ghuen, in a desolate mountainous area close to India's border with China – restricted to the public and under the control of the paramilitary Indo-Tibetan Border Police – the mummy's existence has remained under wraps.

However, a Hindustan Times staffer managed to get access and took photographs of the mummy, it said.

Victor Mair, a consulting scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, was quoted as saying the mummy was at least 500 years old.

According to the report, the mummy is remarkably well preserved for its age. Its skin is unbroken and there is hair on the head.

Mair said this was partly to do with the extreme cold and dry air of the region.

"Slow starvation in the last few months of his life reduced the body fat and shrunk parts of the body that would have been liable to putrefaction."

The report did not say where the mummy is now being kept.

Ghuen village is about 50km from the Tabo monastery, believed to be the oldest surviving Buddhist establishment in the region.

The 13050 foot high Rohtang Pass experienced another spell of snow while about 30 cm of snowfall was reported during the past 24 hours.

More than 400 vehicles, including the army supplies to Kargil, were stuck due to the untimely snow on both sides of the Pass since Tuesday evening. But it was cleared today by 4 pm. The lower region, including Kullu, Bhuntar and Banjar towns, had widespread rains yesterday bringing down the day temperature around 20 degree Celsius.

The rains would prove blessings to the farmers in the region and would allow farmers to sow maize and off-season vegetables.

Recent reports are that 10 casualties had been reported from Mansarovar trek in Tibet. Pilgrimage which turns into nightmare because all these people were not acclimatized. Many websites lure people into high altitude trekking but fails to educate them because this is big money business.

India also operates Mansarovar trek but alhtough expensive- Indian govt. take care of all these factors because whole operation is gov.by army and para-military forces. This is strange that with 10 people died and more than 100 are stranded mid-way- there is still no rescue done. This means with every passing moment more lives are into danger line.

This is famous problem of India that rescue is either paid by teams or some high-placed govt. official has to order it. Now how can govt. move it's craft because some agency created this situation for them. No one thinks about lives- and by the time, RED BUTTON will be pressed more lives will be on gamble table.

A far cry from the relentlessly bustling, grimy streets of India’s cities, and unrecognisable from the verdant green, harmonious calm of Goa and Kerala in the South, Ladakh is a slice of India rarely seen.

Inhospitable for over half the year, the Ladakh region sits in the north-eastern corner of the country’s most northerly state Jammu and Kashmir, which borders China and Tibet to the north-east and Pakistan to the north-west. No surprise then that the region’s borders are heavily guarded, and though Ladakh is relatively safe, the area of Kashmir further north has a history marred with frequent military clashes, and remains volatile, whilst the Siachen glacier region is an active military zone. With less than 300,000 people spread over 33,554 square miles, the area is India’s most sparsely populated region, and is characterised by a distinctly laid-back, Buddhist culture, markedly different from the rest of India. With a rugged landscape and mild summer climate, Ladakh is both a fantastic getaway when the rest of India gets too much, and a unique and interesting destination in its own right.

Getting there

There are frequent flights to Leh from several major Indian cities. By far the most exhilarating way to reach the region, however, is along the Manali-Leh highway, the world’s second highest road. But, be warned: it ain’t for the faint-hearted. From Delhi, we took a 6-hour train to Kalka and then another 6-hour train which winds up through the mountains to Shimla. Another overnight bus-ride takes you to Manali where it’s easy to find a jeep to do the journey to Leh. You can take the bus but, frankly, I wouldn’t recommend it.