Manali—Jewel of North
India
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| Rohtang Pass |
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| Manali Hill View |
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| Rohtang Pass Paragliding Spot |
Nestled amidst the snow covered mountains and high rising chain
of trees, Manali is one of those travel destinations in Himachal Pradesh which
is well known for its aesthetic beauty. Since from the times when mother nature
churned the entire geography of the Earth and gave birth to deserts, mountains,
plateaus, plains and beaches, this destination fortunately got positioned at
the confluence of the Beas and Manalsu in Kullu valley.
Going back to the time wrap of sorts, this mesmerizing hill
resort adopted its name from the famous sage Manu. According to the
mythological texts, Manali is the place where Manu stepped off his ark to
recreate human life after the destruction caused by the flood. The hoary shrine
dedicated to this ancient sage is still reverberating with divine vibrations. Pilgrims
as well as leisure travelers from every nook and cranny of the world can be
seen offering prayers to the much revered idol of sage Manu.The real name of
this place was Manu-Alaya which means "the abode of Manu". From this
ancient name, the word ‘Manali’ was etched and to this century now, a brief
mention of its name amongst the travelers creates a strong urge to explore
different pockets of this place.
Lying at an altitude of 6260 feet, Manali keeping itself in sync
with 21st century has transformed into a bustling market place today. While you
will visit this vivacious hill resort, you will notice wide range of
restaurants, hotels, mobile phone and garments shops sharing similar faculties
of shopping hubs found in metropolitan cities. In fact, this perfect blend of
natural beauty and modernity bestows this place with unique identity which
along with captivating the attention of shoppers also provides an option to
relish the lush green tapestry of the vast expanses.
Attractions
Vashisht Springs and
Temple
Located 3 km from Manali, a dip in this hot sulphur springs can
be a recuperating experience for you. Vashisht also boasts a pair of old stone temples
facing each other above the main square. Dedicated to the local sage Vashisht,
a few steps walk within the precincts of the temple will take you to the
courtyard adorned with traditional wooden carvings. While the very next moment you trail ahead inside
the temple, the interiors of this temple will leave you spell bound for some
time. The fragrance of smoke emanating out of the incense sticks, chant of
Sanskrit mantras in chorus and oil lamps burning continuously from many years
will do the much needed healing to your exhausted senses. All together, a visit
to this venerated shrine will steer your senses in the state of hypnotic
trance. Your mind and heart and mind will get so much absorbed in the ethereal
ambience of this shrine that you may not feel like digressing away from this
divine experience.
Hadimba Temple
Consecrated to Hidimbi
Devi,sister of Hadimba, who was also a character in Mahabharata, this temple
came into existence in the 16th century AD. Situated deep within the
virgin forests of Dungiri Van Vihar, the pagoda style structure of this hoary
shrine will never fail to impress you. The wooden doors, coned shaped roof at
the top and the 24 meter long tower ‘Shikhar’ reflect the cultural legacy and
imprints of the architectural brilliance
left behind by the ancient craftsmen of the region. Inside the
temple,(7.5cm) 3 inch long brass image of Hidimbi is augmented at a well
defined rock cut space. Majorly the interiors of this temple are whitewashed
and made of one piece hard rock which all together accords cave like structure
to this shrine.
Rohtang Pass
The 51- km climb up to the 3,980 meter high pass is formidable.
Moreover, for the elated picnickers, it will be a shocking fact to know that ‘Rohtang’s’
meaning in Tibetan philosophy means ‘Pile of corpses’. Many of these corpses
belonged to those crossing over to the Lahaul valley, connected to the Manali
and the rest of India by the pass. If you want to travel to Rohtang Pass then
you have to first book bus or taxi from the Himachal Tourism Office in Manali.
In case, if you observe that due to the immense rush, you are unable to get
reservation in the bus then hiring a taxi can be the best option for you.
Ranging from the minimum rent of Rs 1300 to Rs 2000, the four wheeler vehicle
can be hired by you depending on the size of your family you are accompanied
by.
Arjun Gufa
Arjun Gufa is another pilgrimage spot which is still obscure and
not many people are aware about its presence. This old stone cave standing
still in the backdrop of verdant mountains, speaks much about the ancient times
when characters from Mahabharata gave birth to various events and those events
led to the creation of edifices holding historical as well as religious
importance. Arjun Gufa is also amongst those sacred places in Manali where
Arjun-one of the Pandava brother, performed stringent austerities and penance
to get blessings of Lord Indra. After the years of meditation Lord Indra got so
much influenced by his true devotion that he appeared in front of Arjun and
blessed him with ‘Pashupata Astra.
Him Valley Amusement
Park
Him Valley Amusement
Park is an amazing spot where you can spend your leisure time by
trying your hands on various adventure activities. Located 3 kms away from the main
mall road, you can reach to this place either by boarding shared autos or taxi.
At this amusement park, you can enjoy various rides, can do river crossing
& bungee jumping. Furthermore, GO-Karting apparently can leave you with the
unforgettable memoirs and fulfill your much coveted wish of spending a precious
time with your family members.
Naggar
Naggar is 28 km away from Manali. This destination houses the
Roerich Art Gallery which used to be the home of Russian artist Nicholas
Roerich and his wife DevikaRani. There’s also the 12th century Gauri
Shankar Temple and the Chatar Bhuj temple dedicated to Vishnu. In case, if you
don’t feel like leaving this and plan to stay at Naggar only, then the 500 year
old heritage hotel- Hotel Naggar Castle can surely be the suitable option. This
heritage hotel is an architectural master piece. The wooden courtyard
overlooking the picturesque landscapes, wrap around Verandahs, an art museum
and not to be missed the peaceful ambience will complement your delightful stay
at this age old heritage property(Tel-01902-248316)(Tariff-Rs500 to Rs3000)
Eateries
The gourmands at Manali will get so many scrumptious delicacies
to gorge upon that later on, they will definitely appreciate their decision of
visiting this place. The food lovers can never get gastronomically bored in
Manali. Amongst the best restaurants, Johnson’s Café on Circuit House road can
offer you pastas, salads and its in house specialty—grilled trout. Shere-Punjab
restaurant in this list is also amongst the most visited eatery located just
opposite to Nestle Coffee House on Mall road. If you have a strong penchant for
North Indian and Marwari cuisines then without even looking for any option
further, this restaurant can prove to be an unmatched choice for you. Mount
View Restaurant is another hash house in this league where you can relish authentic-momos
and apple cider exclusively. Apart from
all , if you feel that your quench for
different food flavors has not doused yet then a visit to German Bakery
opposite Nehru Park, Chop sticks, Swami ji’s Madras Café and Himalayan Dhabha
all of them on mall road can surely satiate your gastronomic desires.
How to Reach
By Air: Nearest
airport to Manali is Bhuntar airport. It is 50 km away from this hill resort
and it takes 2 hours of journey by road to reach this airport. A taxi driver
will charge Rs 1000 to Rs 2000 approx to drop you here. Indian airlines and
Jagson airlines make regular flights to this airport.
By Rail: Kiratpur
Railway Station is the only nearest
railway station to Manali. Manali is 4 hour away from this railway station.
By Road: HPTDC runs an
overnight luxury bus service from Delhi to Manali. Manali is 570 km away from
Delhi and it takes 9 hours 20 minutes of journey to reach this marvelous hill
station.(Tariff by bus-Rs 560 to Rs 800).
STD Code: 01902
By Travel Writer Hitesh Chandna
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