CHANDIGARH: It was once a place where angels feared to tread and officials being posted to Pangi valley, under the princely state of Chamba, were paid a funeral allowance. Today it is going to be a major tourist destination for the hill state, with the government including it in the "Unforgettable Himachal" campaign. In the hoary past, funeral allowance was a sort of "incentive" to make officials join duty in Pangi Valley that remained cut off from the Chamba state. After over six decades of Independence, it remains one of the remotest areas of the state. Things, though, are set to change, as the valley has been included in the tourism promotion campaign that would highlight its virgin territories to attract tourists. Coffee table book "Unforgettable Himachal", being launched at Shimla on Wednesday, includes some fascinating facts about this remote valley that is sure to raise the curiosity of tourists. The background of the people, according to the book, is shrouded in mystery. One version is that during an invasion, Chamba's nobility sent their women and children to Pangi for safety. As the men could not join them, the women married the soldiers, who had accompanied them and a whole new generation settled here. Another version states that criminals and political offenders of Chamba made the early populace. Sandwiched between Pir- Panjal and Zanskar ranges, the valley can be approached through different routes. The one from Chamba crosses the high passes like Sach (14,478 ft) or Cheni (14,382 ft). The route via Lahaul-Spiti district has a roadhead right up to Killar — the headquarters of Pangi valley. Yet another route dissects the Kishtwar district of J&K. Claiming that the tourism potential of Pangi is yet to be explored, HP tourism director Arun Sharma said: "After going through the pictures being published in the book, tourists would definitely head for the place next summer." Other places like Bara Bangal in Kangra and Raksham in Kinnaur have been made part of the book, he added.
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