Churdhar Wildlife Sanctuary

Churdhar Wildlife Sanctuary is a picturesque sanctuary overlooking the Chur Peak, which is the highest outer Himalayan peak in Himachal Pradesh. It lies in the Sirmaur and Shimla districts. Pilgrims visiting the Lord Shiva temple and other temples nearby enjoy stopping over at the Churdhar Sanctuary.

Area and Altitude: The sanctuary is spread across an area of 66 square kilometers and is situated at an elevation of 2,000 to 3,647 meters above sea level.

Forest cover: This west Himalayan ecological zone has three types of forest cover including kharsu oak forest, western mixed coniferous forest and alpine pastures. Cattle, mountain sheep and goats of the nomadic Gujjars are seen grazing in the pastures of the sanctuary.

Climate and visiting season: Since the sanctuary is at a high altitude, it has a temperate climate with temperatures ranging from about 5 to 20 degrees centigrade. You can visit the sanctuary during the summer and autumn seasons.

Flora at the Churdhar Sanctuary: The main trees in the sanctuary are oak and deodar. You will find numerous herbs around the region that have medicinal properties. Some of them are Aloe vera (Dhrit Kumari), Wild Himalayan Cherry and Amaranthus spinosus (Chulai).

Fauna at the Churdhar Sanctuary: Among the various bird species that can be spotted at the sanctuary are Himalayan monal, Indian peafowl, red junglefowl, variegated laughing thrush and koklass pheasant. Musk deer is a vulnerable animal species found in the sanctuary. They are small, without antlers and sandy brown in color and can be found feeding in the alpine pastures. You can also expect to find barking deer, leopard, goral, wild boar, Asiatic black bear and pika.

Trekking to the sanctuary is a pleasurable activity. Do keep the sanctuary clean and do not disturb the natural equilibrium of the sanctuary. Even though the entry to this sanctuary is not regulated, please do not kill any animal or bird or there won't be a wildlife sanctuary to come back to!

You can reach Churdhar by trekking from Dadahu (48 kilometers), Sarain (9 kilometers), Nahura (16 kilometers) and Rajgarh (7 kilometers). The nearest airport and railway station is at Chandigarh (130 kilometers).

Visit Churdhar Sanctuary by booking a tour on indianholiday.com