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If one can get past the initial shock and irritation, there is nothing as wonderful as having an eccentric for a guide. And if that eccentric seems to be related to half the population and is on ‘best friend’ terms with the other half, you get to hear stories that you never otherwise would. Hailed through the open window, ‘real daughters’, ‘real classmates’ and ‘real uncles’ get in and out of the car and number well over three dozen who take short and long lifts through the course of a day. Bits of their lives, their families, their villages fill the back seat between breakfast and dinner. You cannot but eavesdrop. Of course you want to and it is a help to know that it would be rude if you didn’t.

Driving just under Bhima’s rock, where a smaller stone rests atop a large boulder and is regarded to have been set here by that mountain of a man, Bhima of the epic Mahabharata, I learnt that the little girl with a stomach ache had not been taken to a doctor, but to a faith healer. That the apple crop this year may not be as good as the last, but the orchard owners expected a better rate. That the pruning done by Het Ram was all wrong and that the organic spray used by Chet Ram worked wonders. That a push to the big rock makes the little one wobble.

The view with the morning tea includes the only waiter of the hotel doing his push-ups near the dining room. Green jacket back on, and he sweeps in with breakfast, a smile of silver-capped peaks and fresh twirl to his moustaches. An hour later, my waving friend and I, are again travelling up and down the roads of Karsog valley and its surrounding hills. Surprisingly accessible from the state capital Shimla, the tracts around Karsog and Chindi are among the most picturesque areas of Himachal Pradesh.

There are wide valleys criss-crossed by streams and carpeted with fields of assorted vegetables and grain. From fertile floors, orchards and thick forests rise to touch snow covered peaks. The small villages and their age-old architecture give expression to the phrase ‘picture perfect’. Legends and folklore abound, and every one of the temples is a repository of local culture and an example of remarkable building skills.

Named after the local deity, Chandika (Chindi) Mata, the tiny village of Chindi rests along a highway that services Shimla, Karsog and Mandi. A little further ahead, at the village of Bakhrote, is the bifurcation to Kullu and Manali along a less travelled but thoroughly delightful route. In some ways, the area harks back to old ‘hill stations’ before they became over-built messes – a few scattered houses, the little bazaar or two, patches of forests and wide open views.

From the hotel at Chindi, the rise of Kunhoo Dhar is accessed through the Karsog bazaar. This large flat hilltop presents a 360 degrees view of the area. The Karsog valley lies below, to the north is the peak of Shikari Devi. Some of the other well known ranges and mountains visible from Kunhoo Dhar are the Pir Panjal, the Hanuman Tibba, the rises around the Jalori Pass, the bare Chawasi Tibba, Narkanda’s Hattu Peak and the Shali Tibba. The villages of Churag, Chindi and Mahunag form a part of the foreground and the other sightseeing places of Dhamoon and Sairi Bangla ( Bungalow ) are also visible. Kunhoo Dhar has a large pond while a low rise holds the small temple dedicated to both Kamakshya ( Kamakhya ) Devi and Nag Dhamooni. Local tradition has it that this was the site of the original palace of the former princely state of Suket – in whose territories these tracts once were.

The village of Karsog is surrounded by wide steps of fields and holds the main bazaar of the valley. Agriculture is the mainstay of the area and it is well known for its wheat, corn, rice and a variety of lentils and beans. The valley is criss-crossed by several brooks and the ‘twin’ Amla ( Imla ) and Bimla streams. From the Karsog bazaar, the village of Mamel is a bare couple of kilometres and has the temple of Mamleshwara Mahadev. Local belief has it that the temple dates back to the times of the epic Mahabharata when it founded by the Pandava brothers. And drawing on India’s other great epic, the Ramayana, it is regarded that after King Ravana of Lanka was killed by Bhagwan Rama, his soul could not be free till an image of Bhagwan Shiva was installed here – which was done by Rama with the use of supernatural powers. The sages Parshurama and Brighu are also regarded to have meditated at the spot.

Using sleepers of considerable girth, the temple is an attractive wood and slate structure and it is believed that the sacred fire in the temple has been kept burning from times immemorial - and that the level of the ashes never increases. There is an unusually large drum in the temple with rhinoceros hide. Also shown on request, is a large grain of wheat supposedly dating back to the mythological times of the Satyuga. Some recently excavated shivalingas have been installed by the side of the temple.

A little further down lies the village of Kau and the temple of Kamakshya Mata. The goddess in this temple is regarded to be manifest at the spot due to the meditations and sacrifices of Lord Parshurama. Today, the remarkable expression and the intensity of the eyes of the principal image cast in ‘ashtadhatu’, the eight primary metals, has to be seen to be believed. The deity is depicted as the ‘Mahishasuramardini’ – the slayer of the demon Mahisha, who had stalked the world in the shape of a buffalo. Rebuilt in the original genre, the temple is a splendid example of local woodworking skills. Small chambers hold other images and the ‘bedchamber’ of the goddess. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple is said to be an underground chamber that is not accessible to worshippers. The original stone image of the deity is regarded to be in this room. A large drum, similar to the one at Mamel is one of the noteworthy objects in the temple.

A local story has it that the ruler of the erstwhile princely state of Suket, in whose territories the area fell, was pressuring the local people to join the British forces during the Second World War. The people were reluctant to do so and they feel that it was the intervention of the goddess that brought the War to an end and saved her people from being slain. A fair still celebrates the event. Dushera is another major celebration in the temple and several buffaloes are sacrificed at the time.

The hill of Shikari Devi ( 3359m ) stands as a divider between the Karsog and Janjheli valleys. From both, a steep and enjoyable hike can be done to the top. The route is through thick woods that have trees of deodar ( Himalayan cedar), spruce, fir and walnut – and several rare herbs. From Chindi, the trail rises just after the village of Bakrote and guides and ponies can be hired for the trail. From Bakhrote, you can drive along the initial couple of kilometres. Almost needless to add, the top has a spectacular view of the entire area.

The area is a wildlife sanctuary that hosts the musk deer, ghoral, bears and a variety of pheasants and other birds. Small huts of the migrant Gaddi and Gujjar people lie along the trail and in spring and again in late autumn you can see them moving with their flocks of cattle.

As in practically every other part of Himachal, temples abound in the Chindi-Karsog area. There are several dedicated to the deity Nag Dhamooni who is especially worshipped by childless couples – some of the more attractive structures are at Sairi Bangla ( Bungalow ) and at Saranda. Again near Chindi and accessed by an attractive drive through pine woods that gradually give way to deodars, the temple of Mahunag is regarded as one of the most important in the area. This is considered to be core temple of the deity Mahunag - who is regarded as the embodiment of Karna of the epic Mahabharata.

A little off the drive to Mandi lies the village of Pangana which was the original seat of the rulers of Suket till they shifted the capital to Sundernagar. The centuries-old Devi Kot temple is one of the most remarkable examples of traditional architectural skills. Its wood - mesh packed with dressed-stone, rises six stories to a height of approximately fifty feet. The deity Mahamaya and the deified princess of Suket, Chandravati are enshrined in the compound. Past Pangana, and through thick forests and little villages the road winds down to Chail Chowk and the road to Manali. En route and accessible from the vaillage Chowki – and after an uphill hike of half a dozen kilometres through thick woods, lies the temple of Kamrunag. For centuries, this temple has been held in high veneration. Interestingly, through all this time the offerings of gold, silver, ornaments and coins have been dropped in the small lake that lies in front of the temple.

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