MANALI
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Calculator in India
Location of Manali:
Himachal Pradesh
Important As: Himachal's
famous Tourist Resort
Altitude: 2,050m
Places of Interest:
Vashisth Hot Sulphur Spring, Rohtang Pass, Hadimba Temple
Best Time To Visit
Manali: May To October.
The Kullu valley
has an ancient town in its
lap called Manali.
Surrounded by
towering peaks at
an arm length, Manali's major asset is its proximity to the
snowline. It is
a flourishing orchard industry, a popular honeymoon destination
and trailhead for
numerous treks as well as a great countryside ideal for adventure sport
lovers.
List
of Hotels in Manali
Also popular as
a hill resort destination, Manali presents some excellent and
well-equipped accommodation
choices for the tourists. In the past decade
Manali has turned
out to be one of the best hill resort destination of India,
particularly in
those resorts, which cater Indian domestic tourists and
honeymoon couples.
But the ideal places to stay are the small guesthouses,
providing a tranquil
atmosphere of the Himalayas for those who are looking for solitute.
Leh
Ladakh With Gallery
Manali literally
means the 'Home of Manu'. Manu is the mythological character
who is supposed
to have survived when the world was drowned in Flood.
He then came to
Manali and recreated human life. Thus,
the area of Manali
is sacred and Hindus treat the temples over here as pilgrimage.
PRIME ATTRACTION
IN MANALI
TEMPLES IN MANALI
Hadimba Temple:
Hadimba or Dhungiri temple in Manali is one of the most
important temples
in the region. This four-story wooden temple
is located in the
middle of a forest called the Dhungiri Van Vihar.
Temple Of Manu: Slippery
stones paths lead through the old village
houses up to the
temple of Manu. Manali is named after the sage
Manu who meditated
when he came in this area.
Tibetan Temple: Tibetans
have a base in Manali too. There is a large modern
Tibetan temple to
the South of the bus stand and also a small handicrafts centre.
Arjun Gufa: On the
left bank of the Beas, 5-km from Manali near the village of
Prini, is the 'Arjun
Gufa' or the cave of Arjuna. In here Arjuna practised
austerities to get
Pashupata Ashtra or weapon from Lord Indra.
MONASTERIES IN MANALI
Gadhan Thekchoking
Gompa: This Gompa dominates the
Tibetan area around
the bottom of the Mall in Manali. The Tibetan refugees
built the Gompa
in the late 1960's. The Gompa is covered with brightly
coloured frescoes
and a mid size Buddhist statute. It also carries
a list of the martyrs
killed in occupation of Tibet of 1987 to 1989.
HOW TO GO TO MANALI
Manali - The nearest
airport is Bhuntar, 52 km south of Manali.
There are flights
to Delhi via Shimla. The closest narrow-gauge railhead
is at Jogindernagar,
135 km away. The closest broad-gauge railheads are
Chandigarh (310
km) and Ambala (355 km). By road, the distance from
Delhi via Mandi
is 585 km, and from Shimla the distance is 270 km
NEARBY CITIES
Old Manali: The
old Manali area is located some 3-km from the present day Manali.
The old Manali is
covered with guesthouses, which look ancient now,
and orchards where
the livestock move at will.
Kullu (40 km)
Mandi (112 km)
Shimla (270 km)
Chandigarh (310
km)
Kothi - This is a
quiet but picturesque spot, at the foot of the Rohtang pass,
12 km away Manali
town, situated on the Lahaul-Spiti Leh Highway.
It offers a magnificent
view of the snow-capped peaks and glaciers and an awe
inspiring gorge
where the Beas enters a chasm about
sixty metres deep
and just a few metres broad.
Van Vihar: This
is just off the Mall with pathways between
towering deodhars
and also leads to a boating pond.
Tibetan Market and
Mall: The Tibetan Market is an interesting cluster of shops.
Nice to browse around
for knick knacks, handicrafts and imported goods.
Located on the Mall.
The Mall also has other shops selling local handicrafts
and clothes. It
also has some good restaurants. Buses, taxis and autos
are easily available
from the Mall for local sightseeing or excursions.
Rahalla Falls -
16 km from Manali town at the start of the
climb to the Rohtang
Pass, at an altitude of 2501m.
Rohtang Pass - Situated
at an altitude of 3979 mtrs above sea level and
51 kms outside Manali
is the mighty Rohtang Pass - the gateway to Lahaul-Spiti
valley. Open for
just about four months a year, it affords a wide panoramic view of the
mountains. Here
one sees the majesty of the mountains at its height and splendour.
At the top of the
pass the air seems to glitter against the snow as you look down
over herringboned
ridges into the Lahaul valley. There is the beautiful Dashohar
Lake left of the
pass. A few km away from the pass is the Sonapani glacier and
slightly to the
left are the twin peaks of the Gaypan-jagged
pyramid of rock,
snow streaked and snow crowned.
Solang Valley -
13 kms outside Manali is the Solang Valley, offering spectacular
views of the snow-clad
mountains and the glaciers all around.
Solang is the venue
for paragliding and the annual skiing courses.
Marrhi - 35 km from
Manali, is famous for its natural beauty.
Rani Nala - 46 km
from Manali, it is the glacier point where
snow is available
throughout the year.
Jagatsukh Temple
- About 6 km from Manali is the famous Shiva Temple in
"shikara" style
and nearby is the old and interesting Devi Sharvali Temple.
Naggar Castle -
22 kms from Manali, this is the old capital of Kullu.
The castle was built
by Raja Bhosal.
Roerich Art Gallery
- In Naggar, the museum, houses a collection of the paintings by the
Russian artist.
It is located in a grove of deodhars and has lovely views
all around. Naggar
is very serene and picturesque.
Hadimba Temple -
Also known as the Doongri Temple, this four-tiered pagoda-
like wooden temple
stands in a clearing amid tall and stately deodar trees and has
beautiful carvings
on its ornamental door. Dedicated to Hadimba, the wife of Bhim,
this temple is the
venue for an annual fair held during May.
Vashist Spring -
Across the Beas river, about 3 km away from Manali, at an altitude
of 1,982 meters
(6,200 feet), are the natural sulphur springs.
The village itself
is perched on a steep hillside across the river Beas.
Tibetan Monastery
- This is new and colorful. A pleasant place to visit.
Beas Kund - The
famous Beas Kund, the source of the Beas river, at the
Rohtang Pass is
easily accessible. The great rishi,
Vyas performed "Tapa"
here during the Mahabharat times.
Manikaran: 85 km
from Manali and 45 km from Kullu, lies in the Parvati
Valley, the holy
pilgrimage place of Manikaran. Here icy cold waters of the
Parvati river co-exists
with boiling water side-by-side.
The hot water springs
are reputed for their healing properties.