About Bir Billing and its Paragliding
Bir Billing is a village in Himachal Pradesh. Although these are two different villages in the same valley, visiting Bir without giving Billing would be quite arid. They both are doubleton destinations. Located in the Joginder Nagar Valley. Bir Billing is influenced by Tibetan culture to a great extent due to the Tibetan community settlement in the town. Here in this little village, you will come across various pretty dotting cafés serving delicious food in their chic style. Apart from that, it offers numerous monasteries, various hiking trails, waterfalls, and camping spots. Bir has an interesting history of its own. The town of Bir was ruled by the Pal dynasty which belonged to the Chandravanshi lineage. However, these original rulers were cheated out of their kingdom after the murder of their king Raizada Prithi Pal.
King Raizada Prithi Pal was the last descendent of the Rajas of Bangahal. It is said that the king was killed by his father-in-law, Raja Sidh Sen, who was from the Mandi kingdom. Later despite the repeated efforts even with the aid of the Mughals, they were unable to win back the town of Bir. Years after, the 1960s was the turning point for this town with the establishment of the Tibetan monasteries and the arrival of Neten Chokling, who was a lama of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Further, his later incarnations contributed to the building of the famous Tibetan monastery, which to date is a landmark of Bir with high importance.
Bir Billing
This village is small and quaint yet quite popular for paragliding. This adventure sport is the main reason behind scores of tourists visiting Bir. What makes paragliding in Bir special is that not only do you get an exciting experience, but it is also very secure with high safety standards both naturally as well as mechanically. Unofficially known as the “paragliding capital of India”, Bir and Billing co-hosted the 1st official paragliding world championship in October 201.
During this championship around 150 trained paragliders competed for the ultimate glory while 500+ free flying paragliders enjoyed their day. Some other natural factors that contribute to making Bir Billing one of the best places for paragliding are the best climatic conditions, suitable air currents, and better thermals which provide the perfect uplift which can take the flyer even up to the height of 5000 m.
Further, this article is going to tell you about how Bir Billing is more than just a paragliding paradise. Apart from this thrilling sport, this destination has a lot more to unwrap for a tourist. Some places that you should visit in Bir Billing are discussed below.
Tsering Jong Monastery
Tsering Jong Monastery is located right behind the tea gardens of Chaugan. It is totally a cool place to learn architecture and meditation. It is not just a centre for worship for Buddhists but is also the homely adobe of various Tibetan refugees which has been inhabited by them for years now. Here, various Tibetan artefacts are sold in the crafts emporium. Further, the complex has a college for freshers and a restaurant beside the main shrine. This place is a must-visit for those who travel to Palampur.
Bir Tibetan colony
This lane is the life of the town as it is full of bustling shops which sell various memos and souvenirs. Apart from that, there is a hoard of monasteries and uptown cafés on this side of the town. Established in the year 1960 in Chowgan near Bir, this lane is the perfect place where you can get an insight into the Tibetan lifestyle and traditions. Here you will come across various Tibetan handicrafts, astronomical institutes, and several monasteries representing the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Sakya traditions.
Dzongsar Khyentse Chokyi Lodro Institute
This institute is a monastic college located in Chauntra. It has been serving the public and the environment by providing free medical treatment to locals. It also enlightens them about the importance, needs, and ways of saving the environment. Being home to more than 600 Tibetan monks, this institute will give a vivid peak into their life. Here you can have a stroll through the peaceful serene.
Some other places worth visiting here are Deer Park Institute, Sherabling Monastery, and Chokling Monastery.
Additional activities to experience in Bir Billing
Experience the Bir 360 trek which is one of the best experiences of Bir and will take you to the Rajgundha Valley. Apart from this you can go camping in Bir, have a hike to the hidden waterfall, hike to the Gunehar river pool, hike to the Keori village, hang gliding, and paraglide.
