Vashisht natural hot springs

Vashisht, like many of the surrounding areas in this region, has natural hot springs which flow freely from the mountain. The water is extremely hot. It is rich in sulphur and is very good for medical conditions e.g. arthritis, skin conditions etc. These are the baths in the village square, located just beside the Temple.

This is the entrance to the baths. Although the bathing areas are communal, there are separate areas for men and women. They are not like swimming baths at home where you go to do a few laps of the pool, but are actually used for bathing/washing oneself and there is no charge to use them. When you enter the walled bathing area there are a series of taps from which water continuously flows freely. This is where you soap up, get washed and then rinsed off. Beside it is a small pool about 4 feet deep where you can relax and enjoy the benefits of the hot sulphur water on your skin and the sun on your face (there is no roof on the baths). There is a small ledge surrounding the baths where you get your kit off so you can get a good soaping, keeping on your knickers of course. Most of the local people use it daily for washing as hot water in households is not common, but tourists are also allowed to use it. It's actually a very social time for the women as they are able to sit around with friends chatting and catching up with local gossip. I don't use it that often as I find the water a bit too hot, which is a bit embarrassing as local women bathe their babies and young children in it! But when I do use it my skin is very soft afterwards.

Outside the main Temple baths, just up from the main village square, is an open bathing area. This is for men only, for obvious reasons.

This bathing area is also outside the main Temple baths just up form the main village square and is strictly for ladies who are menstruating. It is a very small room only big enough for one lady.

Just beside the Temple baths are taps that also flow continuously and local people use this area for washing clothes and dishes and anything else that requires very hot water. The barber where Colin gets his weekly cut throat shave from gets buckets of water from here so that his customers get a hot shave!

There are several other places in the village where there are water outlets and all of them are used daily. This one is located at the bottom of the village where the houses are still more traditional wooden houses that have not been replaced by concrete, which has been unfortunately happening over the last 10 years.