Manali: Himachal Roadways after a gap of 8 months has re-started the daily bus service on the Delhi – Manali – Leh route. The journey passes through the scenic Kullu valley with the popular township of Manali being a special attraction for tourists.
The 1,050 km bus journey linking Delhi to Leh via Manali restarted on Sunday, an official said. The Sub-Divisional Officer of Keylong, Priya Nagta, flagged off the bus.
The Delhi-Leh bus route takes two days to cover the journey, which includes a night’s stay at Keylong — the district headquarters in Lahaul-Spiti.
“After stopping overnight at Keylong, it will reach Leh the next evening,” a Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) official told Hill Post.
The Delhi-Leh bus service via Manali normally operates for four months as the 475 km Manali-Leh highway remains shut for the rest of the year because of the high passes being snowbound.
The arduous route crosses four high mountain passes in the cold deserts of Himachal and Jammu and Kashmir which are the Rohtang Pass (13,050 feet), Baralacha Pass (16,020 feet), Lachungla Pass (16,620 feet) and Tanglangla Pass (17,480 feet.
Sanjay Dutta, an engineer by qualification but is a journalist by choice.
He has worked for the premier new agency Press Trust of India and leading English daily Indian Express.
With more than a decade of experience, he has been highlighting issues related to environment, tourism and other aspects affecting mountain ecology.
Sanjay Dutta lives in a village close to Manali in Kullu valley of Himachal.
