Manali - "Lover's Paradise - India's Honeymoon capital"

INTRODUCTION

A gift of the Himalayas to the world, Manali is a beautiful township nestled in the picturesque Beas River valley. It is a rustic enclave known for its cool climate and snow-capped mountains, offering respite to tourists escaping scorching heat of the plains. The tourism industry in Manali started booming only in the early 20th century, mainly because of its natural bounties and salubrious climate.

Once a sleepy village, the modern town cocooned in its rich cultural heritage and age-old traditions is now one of the most popular destinations of India. The place is a classic blend of peace and tranquillity which makes it a haven for nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts, who want to get off the main tourist trails and experience nature up close.

The glacial water of River Beas after rushing down the slopes of Rohtang Pass allows adventure sport activities of rowing, white water rafting and river crossing as it meanders through the valley from Manali to Kullu.

The open valley with terraced fields dotted with hotels and resorts has tourists converge on this township in summer from April to July and in autumn to early winter from October to December.

If you have ever imagined of sitting by the gushing water of a snow-fed stream, or waking up to a glorious sunrise with breathtaking views to soak in, Manali is the place to be.

HISTORY

Manali is named after the Sanatani lawgiver Manu (see Manusmriti). The name Manali is regarded as the derivative of Manu-Alaya ('the abode of Manu'). In Hindu cosmology, Manu is believed to have stepped off his ark in Manali to recreate human life after a great flood had deluged the world. The Kullu Valley in which Manali is situated is often referred to as the "Valley of the Gods". An old village in the town has an ancient temple dedicated to the sage Manu.

Language

Hindi, Punjabi, English are understood and spoken by the people engaged in tourism trade. Local usually speak the Kulluvi dialect in their everyday dealings.

Clothing Essentials

With increasing altitude, the temperature falls in the valley and weather can change very abruptly in this region. Thunderstorms and sudden snowfalls do cause a sharp drop in temperature turning an otherwise warm day into a cold one in a matter of minutes. Woolens are essential when visiting Manali. In summers, light woolens with a scarf for the evenings will have you prepared should it get chilly.

BEST TIME TO VISIT MANALI

October to June is the best time to visit Manali. With bright, colourful flowers in full bloom and a pleasant climate with temperatures ranging between 10 degree Celsius and 25 degree Celsius. December to February is the best time to experience snowfall in Manali. With temperatures that hover around subzero, Manali becomes a paradise on earth with its snow-clad surroundings While tourists visit Manali throughout the year, monsoon season (July to August) is a bit low, due to landslides and land-blockages.

Monthly Weather in Manali

Month	High/Low (°C)	Rain
January	3°/ -6°	17 days
February	6°/ -5°	8 days
March	7°/ -3°	18 days
April	12°/ 1°	17 days
May	13°/ 2°	14 days
June	17°/ 7°	12 days
July	19°/ 12°	26 days
August	20°/ 13°	24 days
September	20°/ 10°	8 days
October	14°/ 4°	5 days
November	9°/ -0°	15 days
December	6°/ -5°	8 days

Food of Manali

Manali is a hill station glittering with amazing restaurants, cafes and bars, that an take care of any need, desires or cravings that its visitors may have. You will find countless restaurants with a rich variety and some of the most delicious food on their menus. You can find Italian, Chinese, Korean, Continental, Indian, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese cuisines here along with the popular Tibetan Momos.

The cafes with a parallel culture of their own, cater to younger crowds. These cafes serve pizzas, momos, banana pancakes and apple pies throughout the day and you can also try Yak's cheese here. Along with these do relish the street food there with Samosas, Aloo tikki, Bread Pakoras, Paav Bhaji, Gulab Jamun and more filling the streets with colors and fragrances. Other than these, the city has an equally rich platter of local Himachal food.

DISTANCES

Places to visit	Distances from Manali (Km)
Club House	02
Hidimba Devi Temple	02.5
Jagatsukh Village	06
Kothi	12
Manu Temple	01
Nehru Kund	05
Rahala Waterfalls	16
Rohtang pass	51
Solang valley	13
Vashisht temple	02
Mandi	110
Keylong	120
Trilokinath	152
Kaza	200
Kangra	240
Shimla	260
Kunzum Pass	122
Chandigarh	300
Delhi	530

FESTS & FAIRS

Winter carnival

Manali organizes a winter carnival in the first week of January every year to celebrate a way of life in the valley. The carnival is a great display of folk culture through vocal and folk dance performances by local artists and invitee troupes from other states of the country before a large Indian and foreign audience. Carnival parade, singing, solo dance, group dance, street plays, and a Winter Queen beauty peasant are some of the major attractions of the carnival.

Dhungri fair

Fairs and festivals are celebrated to honor local deities or mark religiously significant days in Himachal and it is no different in Manali. The Dhungri Devi (Hidimba Devi) fair is an important event that is celebrated in spring beside the deodar shaded temple complex. Joining the celebrations and getting glimpses of the rich culture of the region does add to the holiday mood.

PLACES TO VISIT

Rohtang Pass

On a meandering uphill road, 51 km away from Manali, Rohtang Pass is an ace tourist attraction that elevates your travel experience. The pass gives summer access to the land of Lahaul and Spiti. Heavy snow closes the pass in late November which after much effort is again opened six months later by May.

As the summer picks up and snow starts to melt, tourist vehicles start making a beeline to the Pass to experience snow in the months of June to August. The tourists do also enjoy adventure activities of paragliding, trekking and skiing here. Other excursions in the area include a visit to Nehru Kund, Jogini Fall and Kothi.

To preserve the pristine beauty of the Pass, the small streams, alpine pastures and mesmerizing waterfalls, overcrowding of the destination by law stands restricted. The government has enforced regulated access of visitors and vehicles to Rohtang.

A special permit for petrol and diesel vehicles by the designated authority at Manali is required to visit Rohtang Pass for tourism purposes.

Solang Nullah

An open meadow running along a slope surrounded by a deodar rich forest in the midst of high peaks around, Solang Nullah, 13 km from Manali, is one of the most beautiful tourist spots on the outskirts of the resort township.

Solang bustles with tourism activity both in the summer and winters. A variety of adventure sporting activities that include quad-bike rides, zorbing, paragliding and gondola (ropeway) ride, rock climbing, ballooning, camping and mountaineering can be indulged in at Solang. In winters, the slopes packed with snow becomes a winter sports arena for skiing where even state and national level ski championship are regularly conducted.

Solang also serves as a base camp for mountaineering expeditions to Anjani Mahadev, Hanuman Tibba and Patalsu peak.

Hidimba Devi Temple

Known as the Dhungri Temple, this temple with the presiding deity of Manali is in close proximity of the town center Mall Road. Built on a strong stone foundation, the temple shikhar rises as high as deodar trees surrounding it in a four-tier pagoda style wood and stone structure. The temple dates back to the 16th century.

The temples sanctum sanctorum is a cave shrine that is believed to have foot imprints of Hidimba Devi. The Hindu epic Mahabharata has Hidimba as one of the wives of Bhima, one of the five Pandavas princes in the story. Manali is perhaps the only place in India where she is worshipped as a goddess. The temple attracts devotees and architecture lovers from around the world.

Naggar

Overlooking the valley from high up on the left bank side of the Beas River, Naggar, 22 kms from Manali, served as the capital of the principality before it moved to Sultanpur, Kullu in 1660 AD. Many monuments and temples along with a 500 year palace castle scattered around Naggar bear testimony of the importance the place once held.

It has become popular tourist attraction on the periphery of Manali. The small settlement has a lot to offer. The most prominent being the Nicholas Roerich Art Gallery, Vasuki Nag Temple, Tripura Sundari Temple and the Gauri Shankar Temple. The well conserved Naggar Castle exhibits magnificent architecture, wood carvings, stone and metal craft of the times. Once a royal residence built by Raja Sidh Singh, the castle is now a museum and a heritage hotel run by Himachal Tourism. Some masterpieces from the brush of the Russian count and artist Nicholas Roerich are on permanent display at his former residence, now turned into an art gallerycum-museum.

In close proximity to Manali, Naggar is the quickest way to get off the travel grid to find solace. A blend of history and local culture, Naggar manages to maintain the arty environment with a vintage touch.

The Manali Gompa

Close to the Mall, this Buddhist monastery greets you with its bright colours. A large Buddha statue at the entrance, freshly painted facades, mowed lawns and colourful murals on the wall depicting Buddha’s life hand out a deeply spiritual experience. The monastery was built in the early 1960’s.

Manu Temple, Old Manali

At a walking distance from Manali town, Manu Temple in Old Manali is a fine stone and wood monument roofed with slate tiles. The temple is devoted to Rishi Manu, a sage who codified the Hindu laws in the book Manusmriti. A temple of Manu is rare in the country and Manali derives its very name from Manu Alya, sanctified in the temple.

Vashisht Village

Vashisht is a sacred village that can be easily reached by a paved path from Manali market. The village has a temple dedicated to sage Vashisht, who finds mention in the Rig Veda, the oldest religious book of the Hindus. Apart from the temple, a hot water spring bath is what makes this small village worth a visit.

Brighu Lake

At the base of Bhrigu Peak, this small lake (altitude 4,235 meters) attracts a number of trekkers every year. Like a Himalayan jewel, the lake is flanked by snow-clad mountains on all sides. Legend has it that sage Bhrigu meditated at this place. Locals hold it sacred and believe that gods and goddesses from the valley do come here for a holy dip.

Mountaineering Institute, Manali

The Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports is one of the pioneer institutes of the country that has promoted adventure sports in the country. The institute offers basic to advanced level courses in mountaineering, rock climbing, trekking, river rafting, paragliding and other adventure sport disciplines.

Jagat Sukh Village

Jagat Sukh served as the capital of Kullu before it was first moved to Naggar and then to Sultanpur. The Gauri Shankar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and the Gayatri Temple is a testimony of the times when life in the valley centred around this village.

Nehru Kund

On the way to Rohtang Pass, 5 km beyond of Manali, is a little spring fed by the sacred waters from Brighu Lake. Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister during his regular visits to Manali would only drink water from this spring. With time it has acquired the name Nehru Kund.

Manali Wildlife Sanctuary

A dense forest of deodar, kail, walnut and maple trees that shelters a lot of shy Himalayan wildlife is a great getaway for nature lovers. The sanctuary starts about 2 km from Manali. A bridle path darkened by the dense forest cover takes you past Dhungri temple to Gallant thatch. The alpine grassland and glaciers beyond Gallant thatch is a great camping site to observe the wildlife around. The birds and animals and birds that can be sighted include the Monal, Musk deer and Brown bear. Venturing further up to the snowline during summers, one can even sight Blue Sheep, Ibex and the evasive Snow leopard.

HOW TO REACH

By Air

The airport at Bhuntar is 50 km from Manali from where taxis and buses are readily available.

By Rail

Broad gauge trains travel up to Pathankot, from where a narrow gauge train takes you to Joginder Nagar. The distance between Joginder Nagar and Manali has to be covered by road transport.

By Road

Manali is well connected by road with Delhi, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Haridwar, Shimla, Dharamshala and Chamba. Deluxe, semi-deluxe, AC, Volvo buses ply regularly to these places.

Car parkings: Tourists can park their cars at the parking lot near Manali main market. It’s a small

Helicopter taxi service

Pawan Hans, the Government charter agency, provides heli-taxi service connecting Shimla to Chandigarh, Kullu, and Dharamshala.

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