Manali,
at the northern end of the Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh, is a hill station
situated at a height of 2050 M (6398 ft) in the Himalayas. Situated on the Beas
river (Vyaas in Hindi) and near its source, it is a popular tourist spot for
Indians in summer and a magical, snow-covered place in winter. A staging point
for a number of treks (Beas Kund, Chandrakhani Pass) and sports such as
white-water rafting, Manali is also on the road to Ladakh via the valley of Lahaul and Spiti and rohtang
pass which is main attraction near manali.Set in a picturesque landscape of
ravines, ridges, peaks, glaciers and twisting trails, the hill town of Manali
is an oversubscribed tourist destination of Himachal Pradesh. The town owes its
name to a Hindu sage Manu, the Indian Noah, who saved all the species on earth after a devastating deluge.
A fish that had been looked after by Manu admonished him of this impending
peril. Manu accordingly carried a pair of all the species in his ark and first
landed at this place, which is now known as Manali after him.
Although
the tourist traffic to this Eden of nature buffs, honeymooners, solitude seeker
and adventure junkies has witnessed a sharp increase in the recent years, but
still it has somehow managed to remain unspoiled. Adventure savants will revel
in discovering the variety of adventure sports that can be enjoyed here.
Whether you choose to go skiing, rafting or trekking Manali will get your pulse
thumping and take your breath clean away.
There is no dearth of accommodation at this place. The entire stretch of
40 km between Kullu and Manali is strewn with luxury resorts. Manali is well
equipped to satiate your palate as well. You can get authentic bakery items and
specialized food from Italy, Israel and Germany. Tibetan delicacies especially
thukpa and momos, are worth trying. For a change try some of the most friendly
and colorful service at tiny nondescript roadside stalls called 'dhabas'.
Weather:
Minimum
temp could be below -05 C from Oct till March. Dec Jan and Feb are coldest
months. Rest of the year the minimum temperature would be between 15 to 20 C.
By bus:
Manali is about 540 km from Delhi, the capital
of India, and there are buses connecting the town with Delhi, Shimla,
Dharamsala and Leh. For service from Delhi to Manali and back, tickets and reservations
can be made at the Inter State Bus
Terminus or the Himachal Tourism office on Safdar Hashmi Marg near Mandi House
in New Delhi. You can book tickets online too. The approximate travel time from
Delhi to Manali is 14 hours; from Ambala
to Manali is 10 hours; and from Kulu to Manali is 1.5 to 3 hours. Volvo
buses—which depart at around 06 PM and reach at 09-10 AM next day—are available
from Delhi and is the best option in terms of comfort and value for money to
reach Manali but you need to book these in advance. Some Hotels will book your
volvo along with their hotel package. A new operator named Harison Travels has
LCD displays mounted on every seat viewer
can choose movie from the selection provided (Delhi to Manali Rs. 900
only), fares may change due to demand.
By train:
The nearest Broad Gauge Rail Head is Ambala
Cantt(200 km) or Chandigarh (250 km)from Indian Capital New Delhi. Ambala Cantt
is on the Delhi - Amritsar and Delhi - Jammu main lines and is well served by
rail, but you will need to travel to
Ambala to get a bus for the 10 hour ride to Manali. Jogindernagar and Kalka are
other, less preferable, rail heads for Manali. The nearest Broad gauge station
is Kiratpur Sahib in punjab near the
city of Nangal. It lies in Ropar district of Punjab. The station lies on
the Ambala Cantt - Una route of Indian.
Railways. From here you can easily get buses for Manali.
Rohtang Pass:
At
an altitude of 3979 m (13,050 ft) above sea level, is another adventure tourist
site where it can be cold even on a summer day. It is the highest point on the
Manali-Keylong road and provides a wide panoramic view of mountains rising far
above clouds, which is truly breath taking. Close by is a small lake called
Dassaur Lake?
Beas Kund:
The
source of river Beas is also nearby. In winter, the road of Rothang Pass is
closed. Important to note that the road
to Rohtang Pass is closed off at Manali bridge,on all tuesdays between
0900-1800 hrs for carrying out road
widening work & repairs. If you are able to leave early, before 0900, you
can avoid the traffic rush (found on all other days) and have Rohtang Pass to yourself
(well almost!!). Flip side is to be prepared for stoppages (extending upto a
few hours) on the return trip as the road is blocked off where repair works are
progressed. If you are driving up, be prepared for the rough broken roads at
many places, sheer blind turns and tight hairpin bends, which can be
exhilarating depending on the state of your nerves. If you are hiring a vehicle
then better rent a four wheel drive vehicle from Manali. Sometimes the local
people along with police does not allow
the non-four wheel drive vehicles from going beyond Snow-Point(a place 16 kms
before Rohtang Pass) and force to hire their owned 4WD vehicles at exorbitant
prices which can be up to 1500-2000 INR per person.
This
happens in the winter times when there is heavy snow fall. The tours organized
by HPTDC do not go up to Rohtang pass and terminate at Snow-Point. Shared taxis
are also available. Rohtang Pass can
also be accessed on foot, if there are stoppages beyond Snow-Point. However, it
is a strenuous climb and also needs a good guide to show the short cut routes
to the Pass.Beas Kund, an igloo shaped temple, on top has a spring which is the
origin of River Beas.
Hidimba Temple:
It
is an ancient cave temple dedicated to Hidimbi Devi, who was a character in the
Indian epic, Mahābhārata. The temple is surrounded by a beautiful cedar forest
(Dhungri Van Vihar) at the foot of the Himālayas.The sanctuary is built over a
huge rock jutting out of the ground, which was worshiped as an image of the
deity.The structure was built in the year 1553.
Maa Sharvari Temple:
This temple is represented as KULDEVI of
the kings of Kullu in early times and is worshipped as a manifestation of
Durga, and image of the goddess is also enshrined here. The divinity is popularly
worshipped throughout the region during the festivals and the Goddess is
transported to Kullu to visit the Lord Raghunathji during Dussehra festival.
This temple is on the top of above the Shaminallah village, which is around 5 Kms from Manali, accross
the Beas river on the left bank on the way to Naggar Casttle Kalath Hot Water
SpringsAround 6.5 Km downstream from Manali,natural sulfurous water flows from
the bowels of earth. Public bath areas and private bath areas are
available."Asia Sulphur hot water spring" is a small hotel. Where
private bathroom can be hired on per-person basis (appx. Rs. 100/person).these
is simple bathrooms but give all the privacy needed by a couple or family.It
can be easily spotted on your way to Manali just before the "Green Tax
barrier".
Vashist Hot Water Springs and Temple:
Around 3 km from Manali, across the Beas River
is Vashist, a small village with natural sulphur springs. Modern bathhouses,
with Turkish-style showers, have the hot water piped into them for the convenience
of the visitors who come here to benefit from the medicinal properties.
Vaishisht, also boasts a pair of old stone temples, opposite each other above
the main square. Dedicated to the local patron saint Vashista, the smaller of
the two opens on to a partially covered courtyard, and is adorned with
elaborate woodcarvings. Those lining the interior of the shrine, blackened by
years of oil-lamp and incense smoke, are particularly fine. The temple tanks
are underground hot-water/sulfur springs. Be wary of hanging up your trousers
or bags on the hooks provided, pickpocketing is a daily occurrence. Hand over
your wallet to a trusted person for safekeeping before you enter the springs
for a bath. Separate tanks for men and women are provided in the temple.keep in
mind these are open baths and little or no privacy is available for women
except separated areas for bathing.
Jogini Falls:
About 2 km Trek from Vashisth Temple. Going
to the top of the falls would need a guide and quite a bit of trekking, but if
you wish you could just keep asking for directions from Vashishth temple and
reach the first level of the falls.Solang Valley popularly known as Snow Point,
is 13 km northwest of Manali and famous for
its 300-meter ski lift. The Ski Lift ticket is Rs. 500 per head for a
trip both ways. It is a picturesque spot and offers splendid views of glaciers
and the snow-capped mountains. Solang valley also offers attractions like
paragliding, snorkeling etc. Jagatsukh, the former capital of Manali, is also
an important spot.
Jagatsukh:
The former capital of Manali, has a few
nice temples done in Shikhara style. You can visit them while travelling to
Naggar.
Rahala waterfalls:
About 16 km from Manali at the start of the
climb to the Rohtang Pass, are the beautiful Rahalla Falls at an altitude of
2,501 m.
Rozy Falls:
On
the way to Rohtang amazing water fall worth seeing. This water fall looks
amazing between the high hills.
Monasteries:
Manali is known for its shiny gompas or
Buddhist monasteries. It is maintained by donations from the local community
and by sale of hand-woven carpets in the temple workshop.
Old Manali:
At a distance of 3 km northwest of Manali
is Old Manali, famous for its orchards and old guesthouses. Beas River is a very peaceful experience. There
is ruined fort here by the name of Manaligarh. There is also the Manu Maharishi
Temple, dedicated to sage Manu. Gauri Shankar Temple at DASHAL village(700
mtrs. from Sarsai )on the main left bank Kullu Manali Highway.It is a 12th
century protected monument.Also see lush green apple orchards,play with water
stream out thereThere are some
interesting temples of Tibetan Buddhist lineages located between old and
new Manali.
Naggar:
The Castle, Roerich House and Art gallery
are places to see. Moonlight dinner on the balcony of Hotel Castle restaurant
is worth experiencing, with the lovely sight of twinkling lights below in the
Beas valley. Bijli Mahadev temple, about 20 kms from Naggar, is also worth
visiting.
Krishna
Temple at Thava:
Ask for directions to this temple from Naggar Castle and do a small trek
of half an hour through dense pine and deodar forest to reach the beautiful
Krishna Temple. With hardly any tourists around, this place is magical.
Zana Falls:
15
Kms from Naggar and 35 Kms from Manali, at Zana Village, beautiful Water Fall
is worth visiting. The valley provides
amazing views. There is one water fall on the road side and two other water fall
which are not much explored by tourists
and are amazing. Moreover Traditional Himachali food is available here at small
hut like shops.
Beautiful Log Hut Area and Club house:
In
fact both these places especially log hut area have some good hotels to stay.
The Manali Gompa:
Manali Gompa was built in 1960. It is one
of the most important places for Buddhists. Buddhists come to this place from
Ladakh, Tibet, Spiti, Lahul and Kinnaur. Manali Gompa is world famous for a
large statue of Buddha and for its wall paintings.
Kothi:
Kothi is located at the bottom of Rohatang
Pass. It is a beautiful and photographic village where tourists can capture
different thrilling views of the deep gorge through which the Beas swiftly
runs. This is an amazing place to experience the natural beauty of high
altitude mountain.
Nehru Kund:
Nehru Kund is located at the distance of
around 6 km from Manali. It is one of the natural springs of natural water in
India. Nehru Kund is named after the late Prime Minister Jawar Lal Nehru. Nehru
used to drink water from this Kund, while his journey to Manali. Nehru Kund is
on the Manali-Keylong road, about 6 kms from Manali. It is understood that a
landslide has wiped out this spring.
India tour packages.
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Ladakh, a part of Jammu &
Kashmir State in north of India consisting of two districts Leh and Kargil.Leh
is a complete beauty in itself. Leh has quite a few amazing places to offer its
tourists. The most striking sight of Leh is the group of women, traditionally
attired, selling fruits, vegetables and household articles, spinning and
knitting, and exchanging gentle banter between themselves and with passers-by. Leh is one most frequented destinations for the trekkers in India.
Ladhak is the largest province in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The landscape
of Ladhak, a high altitude desert, is defined by craggy, barren cliffs and
plateaus. Ladhak is a favorite among adventure sports enthusiasts, offeringunique adventures in trekking, mountaineering and white water rafting. While
rafting options are available on both Indus and Zanskar rivers, the Zanskar
course is more difficult and exciting. The trekking options range from short,
day-long walks to visit monuments or monastic settlements to long,
trans-mountain treks involving weeks of walking and camping in the wilderness.
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