Kalsi, located in Uttarakhand consists of some of the finest places near the city. There are lots of places that can attract a tourist in and around Kalsi. Some of the famous places to visit around Kalsi are the following:
Asan Barrage
The Asan Barrage is a wetland that is created by harnessing the water of rivers Yamuna and Asan in the western side of the Doon valley. The Asan Barrage attracts many resident and migratory birds each year. During the winter season the bird population is at its highest. It is an absolute heaven for bird watchers as well as naturalists who can happily look forward to sightings of the great crested grebe, the red crested pochard and even the tufted duck.
During the winter season, the Himalayan birds can be spotted easily like the redshank, shoveller, mallard, greylag geese and widgeon. There is also a tea estate that runs across the lake, where one can easily hear the pigmy woodpecker call, and can even spot many common birds flying around. There are many bird trips, kayaking trips and boating trips that are arranged by the GMVN in the Asan Dam.
Paonta Sahib
The Paonta Sahib Gurudwara is located at the junction of Himachal, Haryana and Uttarakhand, about 27kms from Kalsi. This is the place where the tenth guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh lived for many years after his father Guru Tegh Bahadur was beheaded by Aurangzeb. Then, Guru Gobind Singh was sent away to Paonta Sahib where he started honing his skills in the art of warfare. Paonta Sahib has many gurudwaras that are associated with the tenth guru.
There is also the Gurudwara Bhangani Sahib located here which marks Guru Gobind Singh's first battle against Raja Fateh Shah. Other gurudwaras of importance are the Gurudwara Tirgarh Sahib that was built on the hill from where Guru Gobind Singh shot arrows towards his enemies; while at the Gurudwara Shergarh Sahib, the Guru beheaded a man eating tiger with a single hit of his sword. The Gurudwara also contains the pens and weapons of the Guru.
Chakrata
Chakrata is a beautiful place located not too far away from Kalsi. It is an ideal spot for adventure sports, and even corporate stress-busting training exercises, recreational and team bonding exercises, etc. Various activities are organized around Chakrata for all age group of school kids, with games like obstacle courses, volleyball, basketball and even golf and mountain biking.
One can take a leisurely morning walk around Chakrata or can spend an afternoon picnic with family and friends. For people who are more adventurous, there is river rafting, canal and river crossings, kayaking, Para sailing, bridge building, rappelling and rock climbing. There are even some nature treks and archery too.
Dak Patthar
Another important place to visit is Dak Patthar. This place is considered to be one of the most important tourist spots. The area is surrounded by lush green vegetation all around and tourists can travel and reach Dak Patthar quite easily.
Timli Pass
Another good place to visit around Kalsi is the Timli Pass. While going or coming from Kalsi, a visitor can visit the beautiful and quiet Timli Pass. This is an excellent place and someone visiting Kalsi must make sure that they visit Timli Pass.
