The Hill Station Bakloh:
A hill station of beautiful Himachal Pradesh, Bakloh is a beautiful place to be. Being a small cantonment located in the serene surroundings of tall pine trees of Himalayas, one can find greenery and peace here. Bakloh is as beautiful as any other hill station of India. The places to be seen at Bakloh, though are few, but are a life time memoir for people who visit Bakloh.
The unleashed
An unheard song is more soothing to the ears, so is the case with an unseen place. Bakloh is a place which has been at the backgrounds of some dominating hill stations. Dalhousie , Khajjiyar and Chamba itself are the well known hill stations of India. They are the main locations to be visited by any tourist visiting Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. But our place Bakloh is equally beautiful. The most fascinating part of Bakloh is the unleashed and purely natural beauty and beautiful locations around it. It is a peaceful place with no crowd and serenity all around. A hill station only 20 kilometers away from Dalhousie and 60 kilometers away from Pathankot railway station is a place which can always provide the tourists, the nature that they desire at Himachal.
‘Beauty lies always in the eyes of the beholder’, It is a universal truth. But it is also true that the unleashed beauty is the most beautiful one. The unleashed beauty of nature at Bakloh is its strength. One can find one or more things fascinating and charming in every season at Bakloh. The tracking routes which have been used very little, the motorable roads, where very few vehicles run, the forests, the breeze touching your soul, the beautiful weather, the small rivulets , everything can be found at Bakloh.
The Historical
Bakloh is a historical place. it is the place which has it’s mention in some very old books written by British officers during pre- independence era of India. It has remained the home, the regimental center and the depot for 4th Gorkha Regiment for long 82 years from 1866 to 1948. Our place Bakloh hasn’t demolished it’s historical buildings. Though there have been some modifications and renovations. The St. Oswald Church, The Gorkha Sabha Building, The Samrat Hall (Once Mondloy Hall) are all proofs of historical Bakloh. Some old buildings of Bakloh are now homes of some Baklohites. The legacy of history is still visible at 1/4 and 2/4 bazars of Bakloh.
Places to visit
Bakloh, though being a small place has many places to be visited. The tourism department of Himachal Pradesh hasn’t been able to utilise our place Bakloh for Tourism. The St. Oswald Church, The Kalika Mata temple, The Lokeshwar temple, the beautiful Guest houses at Ghatasani, the Chillama Helipad, the old bazars of Bakloh (1/4 and 2/4), the Kakira market can be visited any time. The small rivulets of Obhar and Gadana are perfect places for small picnics. The Triveni Darshika, and War memorial located at parade ground of Bakloh are the places where one can spend his or her evening in harmony with nature. The Gorakhnath Temple, The temple and Gurudwara at Bakloh bazar (1/4) are more such places to be.
Stay facilities
Being a small Cantonment, there are many restrictions for development of buildings at Bakloh. Hence the stay facilities at Bakloh are few. The guest houses at Kakira, Ghatasani have been serving the purpose for Bakloh from a very long time. There are 2 guest houses at Ghatasani, one of Himachal and other of Punjab Forest department. Both are located at a beautiful place in between the Pine forests. Theses places are beautiful for stay. The Guest house at Kakira has had many guests of Bakloh. The beautiful sunset from this place is worth mentioning. At present some of the local people have made some arrangements for the stay of guests and tourists of Bakloh nearby Bakloh. ETU a home stay has been established only 5 kilometers away from Bakloh in between forests. It is a private establishment and has been accommodating the guests of Bakloh and Kakira from the day of its establishment.
Foods and Restaurants
The food facilities at Bakloh are few but sufficient for the Tourists of Bakloh. The development is visible, but not very encouraging in this aspect. The age old Jeeti Dhaba at Bakloh(1/4 bazar) is still functioning and one can have food there. On order you can have breakfast, Lunch or dinner at any day of any month. But pre-order is a per-requisite. Being a small place , Bakloh never had many tourists. For this reason, the food can be had at Bakloh only on pre-order basis. A Pizza hut is also located at Kaluganj, which serves the food too. A Beer bar is also located at Bakloh and functions smoothly through out the year. Many small sweet shops are located for snacks, tea and other beverages.
At marriages and other family functions at Bakloh, food served is of many kinds. Delicious Dham is served at many occasions, which is the identity of Himachal. It is served in Pattals (Green plates made up of leaves). The dham contains many tasty dishes like Madhra, 2 to 4 types of dal, Khatta, Meethadi and meethe Chawal. The Gorkha Community of Bakloh celebrates marriages and functions lavishly and the main ingredients in food served for big occasions is mutton , chicken and paneer. Beverages of all kinds are also served to the guests. One can say that if you are a guest of any Baklohite, you are going to enjoy your stay at our place.
Summing up
A Baklohite from the core of my heart, I can say that you are going to enjoy your stay at Bakloh. Bakloh is a place full of nature, greenery, peace, harmony and humble people. If you are not enjoying, you do have an option to visit Dalhousie, Khajjiyar, Jot, and Chamba, which are very near to Bakloh. Do visit our place and enjoy the nature.