Kullu - Beyond Horizons

From the Foreword: Kullu was once known as Kulanthpitha the end of the habitable world. Beyond it role the forbidding heights of the Greater Himalaya. The Chinese pilgrim monk, Xuanzang visited this famous valley in 635 BC and described it as a fertile valley completely surrounded by mountains. Buddha is believed to have preached here and made conversions. Later on, the world came to see the images of Kullu through the lens of Samuel Bourne who came to India in 1863 and took photographs during expeditions to Kashmir and the Himalayas. He combined his technical skill and artistic vision in a very harmonious manner. His views of Kooloo (as the British liked to spell it) are truly remarkable. Its seclusion over centuries has helped to retain its traditional charm and ethos. Today it is the capital of Kullu district and a flourishing one at that.