Bir is a small village in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh that is situated to the west of the Joginder Nagar Valley. The Bir Tibetan Colony, established in the early 1960s as a camp for Tibetan refugees following the 1959 Tibetan rebellion, is located there and serves as the national paragliding centre of India.
Bir is well-known for its numerous Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and Nyingma, Karma Kagyu, and Sakya support centres, all of which can be found in or close to Bir. Visitors are drawn by ecotourism, spiritual studies, and meditation.
Bir, A Tibetan colony
The Nyingma lineage’s third incarnate lama, Neten Chokling (1928–1973), visited Bir in 1966 with his family and a small group of followers. 300 Tibetan households were granted land to build homes in a Tibetan hamlet that Neten Chokling established with the aid of foreign aid on more than 200 acres of land. In Bir, Chokling Rinpoche also began construction of a new Neten monastery at this time and the first sangha was established by followers who had accompanied him to India. Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche (born 1951), the third Chokling Rinpoche’s eldest son, took over the task of realising his father’s vision after the third Chokling Rinpoche passed away in 1973. Born in Bhutan in 1973, the fourth Neten Chokling incarnation was brought to Bir at an early age, where the third Chokling’s family adopted him. The fourth Neten Chokling received complete authority over the Pema Ewam Chögar Gyurme Ling Monastery in Bir in 2004. The most well-known location in Billing is the second-highest paragliding take-off point in the world, rising at 8,000 feet and providing expansive views of the valley below. The landing area is in Bir’s western Chowgan fields.
Location-based Billing
The Bir Tibetan Colony is situated in the Kangra district of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, in the Tehsil (administrative subdivision) of Baijnath, in the western half of the village of Chowgan, on the southern fringe of the town of Bir. The Bir Tibetan Colony is three hours away by bus and is situated east-southeast of Dharamshala. It is located 6 kilometres south of Billing, a well-known paragliding location, on the route to the Thamsar Pass that leads to Bara Bhangal. Bir is geographically located in the Dhauladhar Range in the Indian Himalayan foothills. On the narrow-gauge line between Pathankot and Jogindernagar via Kangra, Ahju is the closest railroad station. The Bir Road turnoff (signposted) on NH20, roughly halfway between Baijnath and Jogindernagar, provides access to the Bir Tibetan Colony by road.
Populace Base
In Bir Tibetan Colony, the majority of the residents are Tibetan refugees, although there are also a few Indian families, a tiny community of foreign expatriates, and some long-term tourists. Keep in mind that Indians make up practically the entire population of Bir itself, with Tibetan refugees settling mostly in the Bir Tibetan Colony. The majority of the Tibetan refugees located in Bir initially originated from the Kham region of southeast Tibet, but the community is still changing and now includes many refugees who were born in India.
Paragliding
Paragliding in Bir Billing enthusiasts from all over the world and Indians. With some flying in November, the flying season is in September and October. International tournaments and activities are held in the village.The landing area and most of the tourist lodgings are in the settlement of Chowgan (sometimes spelled Chaugan), which is located on the southern edge of Bir. The paragliding launch location is in the meadow at Billing (14 km north of Bir), at an elevation of 2400 metres.
How can I access Bir billing?
The closest airport to Bir Biling is the Gaggal airport, which is around 68 kilometres away in the town of Palampur. Flights are regular between this airport and Delhi. By train, Baijnath has a station called Baijnath Paprola Railway Station that connects to the main Kangra cities. It is linked to cities such as Pathankot, Kangra, and Palampur, and it is situated at the narrow gauge rail head between Pathankot and Jogindernagar.
Bir Billing is 50 kilometres from Gaggal, 180 kilometres from Dharamshala, 200 kilometres from Manali, 280 kilometres from Shimla, 500 kilometres from Delhi via government HRTC buses or private services.
All guests are warmly welcomed to Bir-Billing by “The Sky Village”. We want to wish you a very pleasant holiday season, and we hope that this visit to Bir-Billing will pave the way for many future visits.