'Forget Being Alive...’: Kiren Rijiju Stunned By Dangerous Cliff Road In Himachal | Watch

Last Updated:June 27, 2025, 12:47 IST

The road from Chaura Gate to Taranda Dhank in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur is among the world’s most dangerous, with a deep gorge on one side and a towering rock face on the other

The construction of the road to Taranda Dhank was spearheaded by PWD engineer Raj Bahadur. (News18 Hindi)

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, currently on a tour of Himachal Pradesh, was left awestruck on Thursday as his convoy navigated the treacherous Taranda Dhank stretch in Kinnaur — a route often dubbed the ‘Cliffhanger’ for its narrow, winding path carved into sheer rock faces. The minister had spent Wednesday in Shimla before continuing his itinerary to Kinnaur, with visits to Lahaul-Spiti also planned.

Rijiju shared a video of this dangerous stretch, expressing his disbelief to a fellow passenger in his car by stating that if a vehicle were to fall off the road, even its bones would not be found. The other person in the car concurred, adding that a vehicle falling into the ditch would be irrecoverable.

On Thursday, Rijiju was taken aback by the steep and treacherous slopes of National Highway-05 extending from Jhakhri in Rampur, Shimla, to Kinnaur. He posted a video of this experience on his Facebook account, which has rapidly gone viral on social media.

In the video, Rijiju is heard saying, “If you slip and fall from here, forget about being alive, they won’t even find your bones."

Watch The Video Here

The footage captures the segment of the road beyond Jhakri towards Kinnaur, where the highway has been constructed by carving through 80 to 90-degree steep mountain slopes. The hazardous conditions of these roads have led to numerous accidents over the years.

Rijiju’s visit to Kinnaur aims to launch various development projects. His three-day tour commenced on Thursday afternoon when he left Shimla and arrived in Kinnaur late that evening, receiving a warm welcome from BJP leader Surat Negi.

Who Carved The Daring Route Through Taranda Dhank?

The construction of the road to Taranda Dhank was spearheaded by PWD engineer Raj Bahadur, who hails from Jhanda Mohalla in Dehradun. Born to Kedar Singh and Hemvati Devi, Bahadur had two siblings and ties to Chamba in Himachal Pradesh, where he married in Bakloh Cantt.

Bahadur has three sons: Ajay Thakur, a retired manager from State Bank of India; Subedar Bhuvaneshwar Singh Thakur, retired from the Army and residing in Chamba; and Sanjay Thakur, who also served in the Army but has since passed away. Bahadur’s maternal home is in Nahan, Sirmaur.

The World’s Most Dangerous Road?

The road from Chaura Gate to Taranda Dhank in Kinnaur is considered one of the most dangerous roads globally, with a ditch on one side and a rock wall on the other. This perilous stretch was featured in actor Aamir Khan’s movie “Lal Singh Chaddha" and frequently goes viral on social media due to its extreme conditions.

Location :

Himachal Pradesh, India, India

First Published:

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