Accommodation
The prices listed below are valid after the season, this should be taken into account, that they are twice as high in the high season.
The best of the cheap hotels is Bijleshwar View (tr2677), right behind the tourist office. Convenient location and low prices make it, that he always has visitors. Rooms with bathrooms and buckets of warm water cost money 75-100 INR, overnight in a dorm 35 INR.
South of the square, near the main road is the HPTDC hotel Sarvari (2471). Well-kept double rooms cost money 400 INR, bed in the sleeping room 45 INR. The same prices are valid all year round. The nearby Roh-tang is a bit cheaper, with rooms behind 185 INR. Going up the road leading from the square, we will come to the Daulat hotel (n2358), offering double rooms with a balcony, in price 200 INR.
On the opposite side of the square, closer to the river, situated modest, cheap and unremarkable Fancy Guest House (2681). A room with a bathroom and a constant supply of hot water costs money 125 INR.
Aadikya Guest House, located on the road connecting the northern and southern parts of the city, right on the bridge over the river, offers double rooms with you bathroom and constant hot water supply 175 INR. You can hear the constant hum of the river here.
Cheap hotels can also be found in the northern part of Kulu. These include, among others. Kulu Valley Lodge i Central Hotel. In both, a single room with shared bathroom costs 35 INR, and a double room with a bathroom 75 INR.
The best hotel in this part of town is the new Siddhartha (4243). The rooms, very clean, with a bathroom and a constant supply of hot water, they cost relatively little, bo 175 INR.
Who doesn't want to stray from the center, let him choose the new Shobla Hotel by the river (2800). Given the conditions offered, prices are too exorbitant though - 385 INR. The second hotel run by HPTDC is the Silver Moon (2488), left of the road to the south of Kulu. On site you can rent six double rooms too 600 INR. Open all year round.
Feast of Dussehr
Dussehr is celebrated in October after the end of the monsoons. Although it is celebrated all over India, main celebrations are held in Kullu. The petroleum festival begins in Vijay Dasmi, that is, on the tenth day after moonrise, and lasts for seven days. The Dussehra is organized in honor of Rama's victory over the demon Ravana. Unlike other Indian cities, the Kullu celebrations, however, do not represent the burning of Ravana and his brothers.
On the occasion of the festival, gods from all nearby temples come to Kullu. There are over two hundred of them; they come to town to worship Raghunathi, rulers of the gods Kullu, residing in the Raghunathpura temple. The holiday can only start then, when the goddess Hadimba comes to the city from Manali, protector of the Rajahs of Kullu. So do the other gods, Hadimba is being carried in a chariot (ratha), and because he likes speed, the chariot must be pulled at great speed. The fact is also interesting, that although the god Jamlu from Malana also comes to Kullu, it, however, only looks at the celebrations from the other side of the river.
Raghunathi's chariot decorated with flowers is the first to arrive in Dalphur Square; then other important gods are set up around him. First, the priests and descendants of the Rajahs of Kullu surround the chariot, and then they transport him to the other side of the square. All participants of the celebration are jostling, to have the honor of drawing a chariot for just a moment.
The chariot procession takes place on the first day of the festival. The other days are filled with dances, music, late-night fun, fairs and festivals. On the penultimate day, the gods meet Raghunathi again, this time because of devta durbaru. On the seventh day of Dussehr, the chariot of Raghunathi goes to the river, where a pile of hay is burned, which is to symbolize the burning of the demon Ravana. After the completion of the Raghunathi rite, the faithful are brought back to his temple.
Gastronomy
For meals, let's go to the diner at the Sarvari hotel. There is a Monal Cafe next to the tourist office, hosted by HPTDC. Mainly snacks are served here. The nearby Hotstuff Fast Food specializes in stuffed buns (foot-longs) for 25-45 INR, and also burgers, ice cream and light snacks.
Tourists who want to eat Tibetan dishes should visit Gaki Restaurant, near the bus station. The choice is limited to momo and thukpa (Tibetan soup); staff do not know english. The advantage for this is the low prices.