Pir Panjal Range
Many a times you get attracted to a place because of the name or a story behind it’s existence. Diankund or Witches Pond was one of those places.
Diankund is one of the fascinating peaks of Dalhousie perched at an altitude of 2755 meters above the sea level and is one of the highest peak in this valley. From the top it provides you with some breathtaking views of the whole valley. Trekking up this peak is the only way to get to the top.
Story behind it’s name – It is believed that in old days there were witches living in this place who used to trouble the villagers to no end. It is when Goddess Kali arrived on this hill to help villagers and bring an end to their grief because of the daemons around. From my childhood stories I remember there is no escape from Goddess Kali anger. It is believed that he same thing happened there, the Goddess got furious and she killed all the daemons turning the ground to blood-red. A temple was then built by villagers at the same spot to receive blessings from the Goddess. People from the village come up here to get blessings when they get married, or have a baby or anything auspicious. Such is the strong belief of people, and I respect that.
Best Season – June – Sept is the main tourist time. We went in December it was quiet, no hustle bustle and it was like whole Dalhousie was for us .
To start your hike – You can take a bus from Dalhousie Bus Stand and get down at Lakkar Mandi. This junction leads to three different routes,you should take road going uphill to start your trek to Dian Kund. It is 6kms hike in total with some majestic views on the way. It is a doable hike for anyone with fine level of fitness.
This hike was gorgeous in the month of December as the peaks were still in covered in snow and there was a calmness around. We sang songs while trekking, we danced (yes we DID 🙂 ) and the whole 3-4 hours of walking was rewarded by breath-taking views around.
Note- Some parts of the peak are restricted for civilians as there is an Indian Army Base at the top.
Once you reach the other side of the DianKund Peak, there is a temple of Goddess Kali. We worshipped too, sat there for a while to soak ourselves into the nature and the peaks around.
Some pictures from our trek.
My Photographer ❤
Beautiful post, Aanchal…
Great shots and very useful notes, I could see how much you guys would have enjoyed this hike 🙂
Thanks a lot for sharing and have a beautiful day…
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Thank you so much Sreejith, Glad you liked and enjoyed the post.
Have a beautiful week, weekend is just near 🙂
xx
Aanchal
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Nice post.. I am sure you had very good time hiking with Ashu and your brothers / cousins..
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Thank you Shruthi.. Really It was so much fun. You know the whole story in details.
Love
Aanchal
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Looks beautiful! Thanks for sharing!!
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Thank you so much Zach. I guess hiking gets you to some beautiful places, isn’t it. I am glad you enjoyed the post and visit me back.
xx
Aanchal
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D pick where we are jumping is so kool!
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Wow. This is the first time I am getting to know about Diankund trek. Great post as usual
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Thank you so much. Definitely a worth try place with some poised nature around.
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Wonderful pictures! Didn’t know about Diankund trek, it gives ideas for traveling 🙂
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It is a wonderful, must visit place. You will love the scenery and the calmness that prevails around!!
xx
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Great story behind its name. Thank you for introducing this spectacular destination..the view is stunning!
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Thank you so much Indah!! I was also excited to hike this place when I discovered the story. Though Dayans dont exists now, but wanted to get a feel 🙂
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