Banjar, Himachal Pradesh: the market town at the fork below Jibhi

Searching for Banjar, Himachal Pradesh? We host guests in Chhet, a few minutes past Jibhi, and every guest who comes by road passes through Banjar. It is the small market town at the bottom of our road: the place for the bus stand, everyday shopping, the tehsil office and the hospital. Here is where it is, its PIN code and height, what is there, distances from Banjar, the weather by month and how it fits a Jibhi trip.

Banjar is a small town in Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh, on NH-305 in the Tirthan valley. It gives its name to the Banjar sub-division of the district, created in 1963, which has one tehsil, one block and one town, and to the 24-Banjar assembly constituency (District Kullu: Banjar Sub-Division). The tehsil office is in the town (District Kullu: tehsils), and the town itself is run by Nagar Panchayat Banjar (District Kullu: Nagar Panchayat Banjar). Jibhi, Chhet, Bahu and Shoja all fall in the Banjar area, which is why maps and addresses often read "Jibhi, Banjar, Kullu".

Banjar sits at a fork. NH-305 climbs from the town to Jibhi, Shoja and Jalori Pass, while the Banjar–Bathad road follows the Tirthan up to Sairopa, Gushaini and Bathad (OpenStreetMap). The stream that comes down from Jibhi (marked Jibhi Gad on OpenStreetMap, and the Pushpabhadra on our where is Jibhi page) joins the Tirthan just below the town. The whole area is often called the Banjar valley; the national park spells it Banjaar (GHNP: Banjaar Valley).

One thing to watch for: "Banjar" is also a place name in other states, and search results for "Banjar valley sanctuary" or "Banjar valley national park" are usually about Madhya Pradesh. This page is about Banjar in Kullu.

Banjar's PIN code is 175123. The India Post directory lists Banjar sub post office under that PIN in Kullu district, along with the branch offices at Jibhi, Gushaini, Bathad and Bahu (India Post pincode directory (data.gov.in)). So 175123 alone does not tell a courier which village you mean; add the village name.

There is no official height figure for the town that we could find. Elevation models put it at about 1,440–1,450 m (Copernicus GLO-90 gives 1,440 m and SRTM 1,448 m at the town centre), or roughly 4,750 ft. That is about 350 m lower than Jibhi, which is why Banjar feels a little warmer by day and why snow is less common in town than up the road.

• Everyday market: Banjar has a wider range of everyday shops than the small strip in Jibhi; see our Jibhi market guide for what Jibhi itself has.
• Bus stand: local buses run between Banjar and Jibhi (see how to reach Jibhi). Timings change, so ask at the stand on the day rather than trusting an old schedule online.
• Government hospital: Civil Hospital Banjar is the area's government hospital. The state cabinet decided in 2022 to upgrade it to a 100-bed hospital (HP Government cabinet decisions, 13 Aug 2022), and the national park lists it, along with the Banjar police station, on its emergency contacts page (GHNP: emergency contacts). The district's Regional Hospital is in Kullu (District Kullu: hospitals).
• Police station: Police Station Banjar covers the area. In an emergency anywhere in Himachal, dial 112 (our safety planning guide lists the official helplines).
• Government offices: the tehsil office for the Banjar area is in the town ({KTH}).

We do not list hotels, cafés or shops by name, because we have not checked them and they change. If you are driving up, Banjar is a sensible place to pick up anything you forgot before the last climb to Jibhi.

Banjar itself is a working town rather than a sightseeing stop, but the national park names three landmarks of the Banjar valley: "the historically important Bala temple of Markanday Rishi and Durgamata", the Shringa Rishi temple at Bagi, and the tall wooden fort at Chehni (GHNP: Banjaar Valley). Most of what people come for is a short drive away:

• Shringa Rishi temple, Bagi: the valley's chief deity, with intricate wood carving. See our Shringa Rishi temple guide.
• Chehni Kothi: the tall kath-kuni tower of stone and deodar wood in Chehni village, reached on foot from near the Shringa Rishi temple. See Chehni Kothi.
• Bala temple: the park's page does not say exactly where it is, so ask locally for the way, and remove your shoes before you step inside, as at every temple here.
• The Tirthan river: the river runs right past the town. Stay off wet rocks, keep children back from the edge, and remember the water is cold and fast. Fishing for trout needs a licence and is closed from 1 November to the end of February (trout fishing rules).
• Up the Tirthan road: Sairopa, Gushaini and the national park treks. See Gushaini village guide and the GHNP guide.
• Down to Larji: where the Sainj and Tirthan meet the Beas. See Larji Dam and the three rivers.
• Up to Jalori Pass: Serolsar Lake and Raghupur Fort. See Jalori Pass guide.
• Bahu village: on the Gadagushaini road side of Banjar. See Bahu village.

Banjar's big fair is the Banjar Mela, held each May in honour of the deity Shringa Rishi. In 2025 it was a district-level fair from 15 to 19 May, with the deity's arrival in Banjar opening five days of devta culture, folk programmes and sports, and the fair is known locally as a "mini Dussehra" (news report: Amar Ujala, 12 May 2025). Dates are set each year, so check closer to the time. Our Shringa Rishi guide has more on the deity's fairs, and Kullu Dussehra from Jibhi covers the bigger autumn festival.

Road distances from Banjar town, worked out on OpenStreetMap and rounded (the same figures we use across this site):

• Banjar to Jibhi is about 8 km, usually 15 to 25 minutes by local bus or car. The road is narrow and winding; drive it in daylight if you are new to hill roads.
• Banjar to Gushaini and the Tirthan valley road: turn off at the fork in town and follow the river; see the Gushaini guide.
• Banjar to Jalori Pass: about 20 km, all up NH-305 through Jibhi and Shoja. In winter the pass often closes after heavy snow; check before you go.
• Coming from Delhi, Chandigarh, Aut, Kullu, Bhuntar airport, Manali or Kasol: the road comes up from Aut past Larji to Banjar. Our route guides have the details: Delhi to Jibhi, Aut to Jibhi, Bhuntar airport to Jibhi, Manali to Jibhi and Kasol to Jibhi.
• Towards Ani, Rampur and Shimla: NH-305 carries on over Jalori Pass when it is open; see our Shimla to Jibhi via Jalori road-trip guide.

Approximate averages for Banjar, worked out from 2016–2025 reanalysis data at the town's height and rounded:

How we worked these out: daily ERA5 reanalysis data from Open-Meteo historical weather (ERA5) for 2016–2025 at about 1,440 m. This is a model of a wide area, not a weather station in the town, and Banjar falls in a different model grid cell from Jibhi, so compare the two loosely. For today's weather, check a live forecast.

• October and November are the driest months in the data, usually clear, with cool mornings and evenings.
• December to February bring frosty nights but often sunny days. The model shows very little snow at Banjar's height; Jibhi gets more, and Jalori Pass far more. For the winter picture, read Jibhi snowfall.
• July and August are the wettest months by far. Check road conditions before travelling (Jibhi in monsoon).
• Banjar is roughly 2 °C warmer than Jibhi by day in the data (winter nights are about the same). For month-by-month planning higher up, see the best time to visit Jibhi.

Banjar is practical: shops, the bus stand, offices and the hospital are all close. Jibhi and Chhet are about 8 km further up, quieter and closer to the walks, the waterfall and Jalori Pass, with Banjar an easy run down when you need it. If you are travelling with parents or small children, it helps to know the town and its hospital are within reach while you sleep somewhere calmer. For how the stays along the valley compare, read riverside or hillside near Jibhi and places near Jibhi within 50 km.

• Morning: drive down to Banjar after breakfast.
• Late morning: pick up what you need in the market, then continue to the Shringa Rishi temple at Bagi, or along the Tirthan road towards Gushaini.
• Lunch: back at the cottage, or in Jibhi on the way up.
• Afternoon: be back before dark; from November to January the light goes early (sunrise and sunset times by month).
• For a full plan, see our Jibhi itinerary and Jibhi family trip guide.

For a couple, the glass house in Jibhi is for up to 2 guests: the bed sits right beside the glass and the cottage has a glass roof, and it has its own private hot tub facing the mountains. Room decoration, a cake and a candlelight dinner are available on request with 1 day's advance notice.

For a family, the mud house cottages in Chhet take up to 3 guests each or 6 with both, side by side with a shared patio and garden, a fire pit and a loft in each. You can drive right up to the door, which helps with parents and small children after the climb from Banjar, and our local chefs cook home-style meals from a menu. For a bigger group, the whole property sleeps 10 comfortably, and when you book all three cottages there are no other guests on site.

All three have a room heater, hot water runs 24x7 and there is power backup. A bonfire can be arranged on request at an extra charge, pets are welcome, and we can help arrange a taxi from Banjar or further down the valley (fares vary). Send your dates on WhatsApp and we will tell you what is free.

Sources: District Kullu: Banjar Sub-Division; District Kullu: tehsils; District Kullu: Nagar Panchayat Banjar; District Kullu: hospitals; India Post pincode directory (data.gov.in); GHNP: emergency contacts; HP Government cabinet decisions, 13 Aug 2022; GHNP: Banjaar Valley; news: Amar Ujala, 12 May 2025; town location, rivers and road distances from OpenStreetMap (OSRM routing, rounded); heights from Copernicus GLO-90 and SRTM elevation data; weather from Open-Meteo historical weather (ERA5). Roads, timings and facilities change, so check locally on the day.

Passing through Banjar on the way up? Peaks N Valley Stays is in Chhet (PIN 175123), a few minutes past Jibhi. Every cottage has a room heater, hot water runs 24x7 and there is power backup if the valley supply drops. You can drive right up to the door and park free, our local chefs cook home-style meals, and pets are welcome.

Couples usually pick the glass house in Jibhi: the bed sits right beside the glass and the cottage has a glass roof, with a private hot tub and the valley beside you, for up to 2 guests. Families and friends take the mud house cottages in Chhet, up to 3 guests each or 6 with both, side by side with a shared patio. Room decoration, a cake and a candlelight dinner are available on request with 1 day's advance notice. A bonfire can be arranged on request at an extra charge.

Check dates on WhatsApp