Raktisar Glacier: The Enchanting Himalayan Trek In GHNP

In the heart of Great Himalayan National Park lies a point of paradise, where several glaciers meet- Raktisar. Located in Sainj Wildlife Sanctuary area, it is the source of the Sainj River. It is the meeting point of two large glaciers. However, they have retreated due to global warming. Their impressive crevices can be seen in both the converging valleys.

A tributary to Beas, Sainj is one of the four rivers that flows in the Great Himalayan National Park, others being Parbati (Parvati), Tirthan and Jiwanal. Raktisar, the glacier point gives an incredible view of the river as well as other peaks around. Those who have been there, know exactly how enchanting their beauty is. When atop, the lush greenery, sunshine, and lively atmosphere drives away all the stress and fears. A not so difficult trek, this is a must for anyone who loves nature and life.

RAKTISAR literally means,  ‘a head covered with blood’. According to the local myth, centuries ago, a demon named “Raktibeej” used to live here. He was blessed with the power to regenerate from each drop of his blood that fell on ground! Well, this practically made him immortal and, secured in the confidence of his invincibility, he began to rival all the Gods. The Gods, helpless with no trace of defeating him, requested Goddess Mahakali or Shakti to vanquish Raktibeej.
Mahakali caught hold of the demon with two hands, chopped off his head with the third and in the fourth hand held a vessel into which blood from the severed head dropped and was collected. Since no blood dropped on the ground, Raktibeej could not resurrect himself and died. As a proof, locals point to a small stretch of stream which emerges from under a rocky outcrop, red in color!

This epic battle was supposed to have taken place in a rectangular depression, and this is how the little stream gets its name, just one of the incredible myths that this land abounds in, connecting man, nature and God!

Shanghar. from where the trek starts, is a remote and exotic Himalayan hamlet at an altitude of around 2050 mts (6700 feet) ASL situated in Sainj valley in GHNP ECOZONE and is home to a beautiful golf ground-like natural meadow which is said to be the personal belonging of local deity (God) and remains hidden from onslaught of regular party tourists.

Shanghar is about 55 kms while coming from Mandi (Chandigarh side) and 45 kms while coming from Kullu (Manali side). To know more about Shanghar click here

From Shanghar we hike towards Parkachi Meadow and then to Raktisar basecamp near glacier point, through wild trails of GHNP and along the serene Sainj river.
There are several amazing waterfalls along the way with lots of wild bio diversity to observe.
This is a long walk along the river with not much of hiking.

In June 2014, the Great Himalayan National Park was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.The Unesco World Heritage Site Committee granted the status to the park under the criteria of “outstanding significance for biodiversity conservation”. 

Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) is India’s youngest national park located in Kullu district in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India.
The park was established in 1984 and is spread over an area of 1,171 km² at an altitude of between 1500 to 6000 meters above sea level.
The Great Himalayan National Park is habitat to numerous flora and more than 375 fauna species, including approximately 31 mammals, 181 birds, 3 reptiles, 9 amphibians, 11 annelids, 17 mollusks and 127 insects including some very rare species like Western Tragopan (Jijurana)  and of course lots and lots of virgin adventure staying really close to raw nature.

The Raktisar glacier trek is one of the best Himalayan treks. Any mountain lover must sign up for this today! Besides, the best time for the trek is April-June or September to November. The maximum temperature there is 15 to -5 degree Celsius and it is a moderate to tough expedition/trek. So, pull out your warm clothes and those trekking shoes and head out for it today!