Places to see in Manali-

Manali the land where once sage Manu dwelled has many temples and religious places that are centre of attraction among the tourists. But by far the most important thing that people like is its sheer natural beauty. When you are in Manali you will feel like you are in heaven with nature sprinkled every spells to beautify it.For this reason Manali is somtimes reffered as 'Switzerland of India'.Here in this post I have given a brief but enjoyable account of places of interest in Manali.

Hidimba Temple-

Famous for its exquisitely carved doorway this temple was built in 1553. The temple has four tiered pagoda style roof and it is the most important structure in Manali both archaelogically as well as religiously. The temple is dedicated to Hidimba or Hadimba who was wife of Bhim one of the Pandavs in the epic of Mahabharat.
The temple is situated about 1 km away from main Manali amidst a forest called as Dhungiri Van Vihar.Due to this the temple is sometimes called as Dhungiri temple. The temple has some intricate wooden carvings which depicts mythological characters and motifs of animals and cosmic dancers. Every year in May a major festival is organized here. This place is a popular picnic spot among the tourists.

Manu Temple-

The temple lies about 3 kms from old Manali bazaar (Market) and is the only temple dedicated to rishi Manu , the creator of human race on earth. The temple lies across the Manalsu river which flows beside the Hadimba temple and meets the river Beas shortly after.

Vashisth-

Just three Kms from the Manali lies the village of Vashisth which is famous for its hot sulphur springs. Some temples also lies in this village which is dedicated to Rishi Vashisth and Lord Rama. Thge sulphur springs are said to have miraculous power and patients specially of skin diseases take a bath in the spring to get rid off their diseases.

Jagatsukh-

The village lies 6 kms away from Manali on the left bank of river Beas on the Manali- Naggar road. Th place houses very old temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Shandhya Gayatri.The temple has been built in Shikhara style and is worth visiting.

Arjun Gufa-

Arjun Gufa lies just ahead of Jagatsukh about 4kms from Manali near the village of Prini and on the road towrds Naggar. It is said that Arjun one of the Pandavs has meditated and performed his penance here. The place gives an excellent view of mountains and panormic view of Manali.

Rohtang Pass-

Situated at a height of about 3700 mts , Rohtang pass is situated on the highway to Keylong or Leh about 51 kms from Manali. The site offers an excellent view of mountains and panorma and one of the most important excursions from Manali. The pass is open from june to October each year It is a gateway to Lahaul Spiti, Pangi and Leh valley.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.Just beyond the Pass is the Sonapani Glacier and the twin peak of Gaypan.

Rahalla falls-

Rahalla falls are located about 16 kms away from Manali just before the start of the Rohtang pass and at an altitude of about 2500 mts.If one goes to Marhi on foot from Kothi from the old road, the sight of the falls is fascinating. It is a good picnic spot for tourists and locales alike.

Nehru Kund-

This place is located about 5 kms from Manali on Manali- Leh highway and is named after the first prime minister of India Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru. It is said that Pt. Nehru used to drink the water of this spring during his stay in Manali.This spring is believed to originate from the Bhrigu lake situated high-up in the mountains. The water of this lake is cold and clear and the view of the spring is spectacular.

Kothi-

The village lies about 15 kms from Manali and is situated on the bottom of Rohtang Pass. The village provides a spectacular view of the gorge through which Byas river flows. The village is pictursque and is known for its idyllic view.A PWD rest house is situated on a ridge overlooking a narrow valley with a very good view of mountains and valleys. Shooting of many films has been done here and it is the finest place for peace lovers and solitude lovers.

Solang Valley-

The valley is about 13 kms from Manali and lies between the Solang village and Byas Kund (the source of the water of river Byas).Solang valley offers the view of glaciers and snow capped mountains and peaks.Apart from this the place has some nice ski slopes making it a finest place for people loving ice games.Located here is a hut and guest house of the Mountaineering and Allied sports Institute, Manali. Now a few hotels have also come up. The winter skiing festival is organised here. Training in skiing is imparted at this place.In recent times some hotels has also been erected at this place.

Mountaineering Institue-

This Institute organises basic and advance training courses, in trekking, mountaineering, skiing and water sports and is located about 3kms from Manali towards the kullu.Skiing and trekking equipments can be hired from here by booking in advance. Tourists can visit an interesting showroom here.

Tibetan Monasteries-

Apart from the view of mountains that Manali offers, it is also famous for its Gompas or Buddhist monasteries. These Gompas are maintained by donations or offerings or through sale of hand woven carpets.There are 3 newly constructed colorful monasteries, where visitors can buy carpets and other Tibetan handicrafts. Two are located in the town and one at Aleo on the left bank of Beas river.

Manali ,India : General Information-

Manali located about 40 kms from kullu is named after Manu. There is a beautiful mythological story asociated with Manu and the place Manali.The story has been best described on HPTDC (Government official tourism website of Himachal Pradesh)-

One day, Varvasvata, the seventh incarnation of Manu found a tiny fish in his bathing water. The fish told him to look after it with devotion as one day it would do him a great service. The seventh Manu cared for the fish till the day it grew so huge that he released it into the sea. Before departing, the fish warned Manu of an impending deluge when the entire world would be submerged and bade him to build a sea worthy ark. When the flood came, Varvasvata and seven sages were towed to safety by Matsya, the fish which is regarded as first avatar of Lord Vishnu. As the water subsided the seventh Manu's ark came to the rest on a hill side and the place was named Manali (2050 m) after him.

Manali is a place of breathtaing and mesmerizing natural beauty. Administratively a part of kullu district, Manali is an important and famous hill station in the northern state of Himachal pradesh of India.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.

How to reach Manali-

Unfortunately there are limited options to reach this exotic hill station. Travelling by bus to reach this place is the best option. Manali doesn't have a railway head and airport so reaching here by these media is somewhat inconvenient.

Reaching Manali by Air-
Nearest airport from Manali is Bhuntar which is about 60 kms away from Manali.Furthermore Very limited number of flights operate from here most of them run to and from Delhi.So reaching Manali by air is somewhat inconvenient as you don't have many options available and to add to it you may have to break your journey several times in order to reach here.

Reaching Manali by train-
Jogindernagar is the nearest rail head to Manali but it is a on narrow gauge line and not too many trains arrive and reach here.Most of the trains reaching here are from adjoining areas. The nearest broad gauge rail head is Chandigarh which is some 354 kms from here.From Chandigarh you have to journey by bus to reach Manali.

Reaching Manali by road-
The most convenient option to reach this place is by road.You can hire cars and taxis or you may travel by bus which operate from many parts of the country on a regular basis.The cities like Delhi, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Shimla, Dehradun, Ambala etc. are well connected to Manali via road.Perhaps the road to Manali is the highest motorable road in the country.

Where to stay in Manali-

Manali boasts of having many hotels ,resorts and guest houses.In fact it is said that Manali has more number of hotels than Delhi.Furthermore ,huts and tents on hire are also available which can certainly be a nice experience.But even with so many options available to stay it is sometimes difficult to find a place of accommodation during summer months (May and June). So, you should make arrangements for accomodation even before starting your journey or atleast before reaching here.

Numerous HPTDC run and recognised accomodation options are available which can be booed via internet. For booing a hotel through HPTDC click here. It would be advisable to boo your accomodation places through HPTDC which is the government official tourism website and thus more reliable.If you are not able to find a place through HPTDC then you can go for some other travel websites.You can search for these websites through google with search term " Manali Hotels".

Eating out in Manali-

There are plenty of places to eat in Manali. Most of the eating places are located in the centre of the city and there are many options to choose from.Right from chat to Indian (veg/nonveg) to international cuisine like Italian/Chinese are available in the main market which is just opposite the Manali Bus stand. The mall road has a variety of eating options ranging from stalls and dhabas to fancy restaurants. Deeper into the lanes of the town, one can find more local eating places, catering to special tastes and habits ranging from Tibetan food, to Vaishnavi Dhabhas. You are sure to find something without hunting around too much.