Kyelang

Kyelang has a subalpine climate (Köppen Dfc), bordering upon an alpine climate (ETH) with frigid, snowy winters and cool summers. As it lies south of the main Himalaya range, snowfall is much heavier than in arid Spiti or Ladakh.{{Cite book |last=Bajpai |first=S. C.|title=Lahaul-Spiti: A Forbidden Land in the Himalayas |year=2002 |publisher=Indus Publishing |isbn=978-81-7387-113-9 |language=en}}{{Cite report|title=Punjab District and State Gazetteers: Part A|year=1918 |publisher=Compiled and published under the authority of the Punjab government |pages=188, 258}}

{{Weather box

|location = Kyelang (1961–Present, rainfall 1951–2000)

| metric first = Yes

| single line = Yes

| Jan record high C = -3.8

| Feb record high C = -4.1

| Mar record high C = 1.7

| Apr record high C = 11.3

| May record high C = 13.8

| Jun record high C = 18.8

| Jul record high C = 24.8

| Aug record high C = 24.6

| Sep record high C = 25.4

| Oct record high C = 19.6

| Nov record high C = 8.4

| Dec record high C = -2.4

| year record high C = 25.4

| Jan high C = -13.9

| Feb high C = -11.6

| Mar high C = -9.7

| Apr high C = -3.8

| May high C = 1.8

| Jun high C = 8.1

| Jul high C = 13.7

| Aug high C = 13.8

| Sep high C = 13.7

| Oct high C = 8.4

| Nov high C = -4.2

| Dec high C = -10.4

| year high C =

|Jan mean C=-18.1

|Feb mean C=-17.2

|Mar mean C=-14.6

|Apr mean C=-7.0

|May mean C=-2.8

|Jun mean C= 4.9

|Jul mean C= 9.9

|Aug mean C= 10.0

|Sep mean C= 10.5

|Oct mean C=3.7

|Nov mean C=-8.8

|Dec mean C=-15.4

| Jan low C = -22.3

| Feb low C = -22.8

| Mar low C = -19.6

| Apr low C = -10.2

| May low C = -7.4

| Jun low C = 1.8

| Jul low C = 6.1

| Aug low C = 6.2

| Sep low C = 7.4

| Oct low C = -1.0

| Nov low C = -13.4

| Dec low C = -20.4

| year low C =

| Jan record low C = -41.6

| Feb record low C = -42.8

| Mar record low C = -36.4

| Apr record low C = -28.9

| May record low C = -18.5

| Jun record low C = -11.2

| Jul record low C = -4.2

| Aug record low C = -2.4

| Sep record low C = 1.4

| Oct record low C = -13.1

| Nov record low C = -31.9

| Dec record low C = -40.5

| year record low C = -42.8

| Jan precipitation mm = 78.0

| Feb precipitation mm = 92.8

| Mar precipitation mm = 141.1

| Apr precipitation mm = 88.2

| May precipitation mm = 71.1

| Jun precipitation mm = 25.8

| Jul precipitation mm = 60.3

| Aug precipitation mm = 42.1

| Sep precipitation mm = 55.5

| Oct precipitation mm = 24.4

| Nov precipitation mm = 25.8

| Dec precipitation mm = 35.3

| year precipitation mm = 740.4

|unit precipitation days = 2.5 mm

| Jan precipitation days = 6.3

| Feb precipitation days = 5.9

| Mar precipitation days = 8.7

| Apr precipitation days = 6.5

| May precipitation days = 5.4

| Jun precipitation days = 2.2

| Jul precipitation days = 5.6

| Aug precipitation days = 4.3

| Sep precipitation days = 3.5

| Oct precipitation days = 2.0

| Nov precipitation days = 1.6

| Dec precipitation days = 3.1

| year precipitation days = 55.1

|time day = 08:30 IST

| Jan humidity = 74

| Feb humidity = 76

| Mar humidity = 75

| Apr humidity = 66

| May humidity = 62

| Jun humidity = 62

| Jul humidity = 74

| Aug humidity = 77

| Sep humidity = 64

| Oct humidity = 52

| Nov humidity = 54

| Dec humidity = 67

|year humidity = 67

|source 1 = India Meteorological Department

{{cite report|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220045131/http://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/Climate%20of%20Himachal%20Pradesh.pdf |archive-date=20 February 2020 |url=https://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/Climate%20of%20Himachal%20Pradesh.pdf |title=Climate of Himachal Pradesh |series=Climatological Summaries of States Series - No. 15 |publisher=India Meteorological Department |date=January 2010 |pages=65–68 |access-date=8 March 2020}}

}}

Kyelang is accessible from Manali via the Manali-Leh Highway, a part of NH21. It is located about {{cvt|71|km}} north of Manali at an altitude of {{cvt|3080|m}} and used to remain cut off from the outside world for six months from late October to mid-May due to heavy snowfall at Rohtang pass until the opening of Atal Tunnel in October 2020. Keylang is now accessible year round, but road blocks can occur in winter lasting several days. The peak travel season is during May–June and October, when a lot of tourists visit Rohtang pass and Atal tunnel. There are many buses in summer from Kulu and Manali.

The Manali to Atal tunnel south portal is 25.6 km via Solang valley road. The length of Atal tunnel up to North portal is 9 km. From the North portal one has to cross bridge on Chandra river and then turn left to go to Sissu {{cvt|7|km}} away, then continue to Tandi {{cvt|22|km}} away, and then turn right to reach Keylong.

{{Main|Atal Tunnel}}

File:View from Shashur Monastery , Keylong.jpg]]

Due to the military significance of the Leh-Manali highway and the need to keep it open for the entire year, the Indian government began building the $320 million {{cvt|9|km|1}} long horseshoe shaped Atal Tunnel project in 2010 to bypass Rohtang pass to create a much safer and faster year-round link to Kyelang.Polgreen, Lydia "[https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/world/asia/01pass.html?ref=asia India Digs Under Top of the World to Match Rival] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809000008/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/world/asia/01pass.html?ref=asia |date=9 August 2017 }}". New York Times. Accessed 31 July 2010. The tunnel is now open for traffic and it has shortened the distance between Manali and Keylang by {{cvt|45|km}}, and the travel time from Manali to Keylang is about 2 hrs now. While it used to take 4 to 6 hours to ascend, negotiate, and descend the Rohtang pass, it will take only about 15 minutes to travel through the Atal tunnel.

Another way to access the area is by via air to Kullu and then travelling on the Leh-Manali highway to Kyelang.

Bilaspur will a station on the under-costruction Bhanupli–Leh line.[https://www.theweek.in/theweek/current/2025/04/05/bilaspur-manali-leh-rail-project-details.html India’s costliest rail line will change how we view travel], theweek.in, 13 Apr 2025. Northern Railway has planned to construct {{cvt|489|km|mi|frac=2}} long Broad Gauge (BG) Railway Line to connect Bhanupli near Anandpur Sahib with Leh. The proposed line will have India's longest Railway tunnel at Kyelang. The length of Keylong Tunnel will be {{cvt|21.15|km|mi ft|frac=2}} long. The Leh railway line will also have India's and the world's highest railway station at Tanglang La, a whopping {{cvt|5359|m|ft|frac=2}} above sea level.

Kyelang faces the famous Kardang Monastery, the largest and most important monastery in Lahaul, of the Drukpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, which is on a slope across the river from Keylong.

Sights near Kyelang include the Kardang, Shasur, and Tayul monasteries, all within a few kilometres of Kyelang. There is also a small temple dedicated to the local deity Kelang Wazir in the house of Shri Nawang Dorje that may be visited upon arrangement.

The annual Lahaul Festival is held here each July with a big, busy market and a number of cultural activities.{{Cite web |url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/himachal-pradesh/keylong |title=Lahaul & Spiti travel |access-date=13 July 2009 |archive-date=25 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240125083744/https://www.lonelyplanet.com/india |url-status=live }}

Kyelang is the district headquarters of Lahaul and Spiti district and is home to most of the government offices and facilities in Lahaul. It hosts a regular bazaar.

There are some tourist facilities including a Circuit House, a Public Works Department (PWD) Rest House, a Sainik (Army) Rest House, a Tourist Bungalow, and a number of small hotels.{{Cite web |url=http://hplahaulspiti.nic.in/TouristPlaces.htm |title=Lahaul & Spiti District, Himachal Pradesh, India |access-date=13 July 2009 |archive-date=20 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090620081647/http://hplahaulspiti.nic.in/TouristPlaces.htm |url-status=dead}}

{{wide image|Keylong West Lahaul Himachal Oct22 A7C 03375 panorama.jpg|600px|alt=Keylang|Keylong and its surroundings, view from Belling (downstream, to the west)}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100613060403/http://educationhp.org/explore_himachal_lahaul.html Explore Himachal Lahaul.html]
• [http://hplahaulspiti.nic.in/TouristPlaces.htm Indian Government information]
• [http://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/himachal-pradesh/keylong Lonely Planet Online Guide]

{{Lahaul and Spiti}}

{{Kullu Manali Circuit}}

{{Leh-Manali Highway}}

Category:Cities and towns in Lahaul and Spiti district