Beas River:
The Beas River is also known as the Byas or Bias, (Sanskrit, Vipasa; Greek, Hyphasis),is a river in north India. The river rises in the Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh, India, and flows for some 470 kilometres (290 mi) to the Sutlej River in the Indian state of Punjab.
Rohtang Pass, is a high mountain pass on the eastern Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas around 51 km from Manali. It connects the Kullu Valley with the Lahaul and Spiti Valleys of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is one of the highest passes in India and one of the very beautiful place near Manali is on the way to Leh.
Watch the Rohtang Pass Video taken during July end.
Solang Valley:
Solang Nala (Valley) derives its name from combination of words Solang (Nearby village) and Nullah (water stream). It is a side valley at the top of the Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh, India 14 km northwest of the resort town Manali on the way to Rohtang Pass, and is known for its summer and winter sport conditions. The sports most commonly offered are parachuting, paragliding, skating and zorbing.
Giant slopes of lawn comprise Solang Valley and provide its reputation as a popular ski resort. A few ski agencies offering courses and equipment reside here and operate only during winters. Snow melts during the summer months starting May and skiing is then replaced by zorbing (a giant ball with room for 2 people which is rolled down a 200 metre hill), paragliding, parachuting and horse riding. A ropeway was recently opened. Going to the summit can be possible by ATVs, Ropeway or Climbing (Trekking)
Hidimba Devi Temple:
Hidimbi Devi Temple, also known variously as the Hadimba Temple, is located in Manali, a hill station in the State of Himachal Pradesh in north India. It is an ancient cave temple dedicated to Hidmba Devi, wife of Bhima, a figure in the Indian epic Mahabharta. The temple is surrounded by a cedar forest at the foot of the Himalayas. 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 1553.
Manikaran Gurudwara:
Manikaran is located in the Parvati Valley on river Parvati, northeast of Bhuntar in the Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh. It is at an altitude of 1760 m and is located about 35 km from Kullu.
This small town attracts tourists visiting Manali and Kullu to its hot springs and pilgrim centers. An experimental geothermal energy plant has also been set up here.
Ghatotkach Temple
Ghatotkacha temple:
Ghatotkach temple is situated very close to Hadimba temple. Ghatotkacha is a character in the Mahabharata which is one of the major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. Ghatotkacha is the son of Bhima and the giantess Hidimbi (sister of Hidimba). His maternal parentage made him half-rakshasa and gave him many magical powers such as the ability to fly that made him an important fighter in the Kurukshetra war, the climax of the epic
Jogini waterfall:
Jogini Falls is a waterfall with a stream running down to join the river Beas in the Kullu Valley below. It is sacred to the the village goddess Jogini & is therefore a place of female power, known as a shakti peeth.
Jogini Falls are on the Northern edge of Vashisht Village & mark the village boundary. Land on the other side of the falls belongs to the village of Goshal. Sacred to the Vashisht Village protective goddess, who is said to reside inside the rushing waters of the beautiful falls.
Below the falls there is a small shrine, almost unnoticeable but important. Below that is a Main Shrine (small temple) said to be more recent. Villagers go to Jogini Devi to make offerings & to ask for her intercession. As it is such a peaceful, even soporific, sacred place, villagers also go there occasionally to sleep. Special occasions are marked by the cooking of food & the performance of rituals.
Gulaba:
Gulaba is a village in the State of Himachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh Police has set up a barrier and post.It is re-designed and manned properly as per the guidelines of National Green Tribunal Act. Gulaba barrior has all the relevant equipment and computerized system to ensure proper managements of the tourists pressure during the season.
Gulaba has mobile toilets units and other places are properly managed and it has effective waste disposal system. Traffic is not allowed to go Rohtang Pass because of heavy snowfall during November to March and high risk of life. Himachal Pradesh Police has setup barriers to guide traffic. This place is considered to be a starting point to Brighu lake trekking. The area is filled with beautiful flowers and very calm and pleasant. Gulaba is 20 km from Manali.
As per the order of National Green Tribunal Act (NGT), 800 petrol vehicles and 400 diesel vehicles are allowed to visit Rohtang Pass, with a permit.
Naggar Castle:
Naggar Castle is a magnificent historical edifice. Made of stone and wood, this palace served as the residence of Raja Sidh Singh of Kullu. It was built in AD 1460 in an impressive amalgamation of European and Himalayan architecture. Fireplaces, fitting staircases, and magnificent stone and wood works grace the castle's interiors. There are three small shrines within the premises, each holding immense religious importance. For art lovers, Naggar Castle has incredible art pieces on display. Worth-mentioning are the paintings of Nicholas Roerich- the famous Russian painter. As souvenirs, you can take home traditional items like wall hangings, coasters and artefacts bearing imprints of Roerich's paintings from here.
In the year 1978, the castle was converted into a rest house, and more recently into a heritage hotel that is run by Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC). The holy Beas River flows close to the castle, adding beauty and sanctity to it. No trip to Manali is actually complete if you don't pay a visit to this attraction
Van Vihar National Park:
Van Vihar is densed with tall deodar trees, lots of swings for kids n couples, small pool with boating facilities. the park has many wooden n cemented chairs to sit relax n may be talking to nature while touching it.its just so silent n u will find lovely newly weds hand in hand just drowning in the beauty of nature. the most romantic part of it is, the sound of humming birds breaking the silence of woods. one more heavenly thing about this beautiful place is the soothing sound of river BEAS running quietly besides it. u can walk down to river bed from this park n u will feel like being closer to god.
Manu Temple:
Manu Temple is located in old Manali, at a distance of three kilometers from the main market. The temple is dedicated to the Indian sage Manu, who is said to be the creator of the world and the writer of Manusmriti. Though temple is situated in a congested place, visitors from across the globe come to visit it. The charming location of Manu Temple, on the bank side of river Beas, adds to its attraction. The temple was rebuilt in the year 1992, when the vaulted ceiling and marble floors were added.
Vashishti Baths:
This temple is dedicated to the great sage Vashisht in the village of Vashisht located at 3 km from Manali.
Hampta Pass:
Hamta Pass lies at an altitude of 4270 m (14009 ft) on the Pir Panjal range in the Himalayas. It is a small corridor between Lahaul and Kullu valley of Himachal Pradesh, India. Hamta village is located below Sethan village and from there it got its name Hamta Pass. This pass is frequently used by shepherds of lower Himalayan region, seeking for high altitude grassland in the dry cold desert of Lahaul during summer time. Numbers of wild flowers and herbs grow at the altitude between 3000 to 3800 m. Vertical rock walls, water falls, hanging glaciers, tiny lakes, peaks rising above 6000 m are main characteristics of this trek. People need a proper guide to cross certain glaciers. From Hamta pass one can extend their journey towards the beautiful Chandrataal.
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.
Gauri Shankar Temple at DASHAL village(700m 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 there
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.
Beas Kund:
The pristine blue lake of Beas Kund is hidden to the outer eye but suddenly reveals itself and it is this lake where it is believed that Rishi (sage) Vyas, the author of Mahabharata took his daily bath. The term Beas Kund seems to have been derived from Vyas, the sage; and Kund, a lake. Dip your feet in the icy cold glacial waters of the lake and feel the fatigue slowly desert you!
Pandoh Dam:
The Pandoh Dam is an embankment dam on the Bear River in Mandi District of Himachal Pradesh, India. Under the Beas Project, the dam was completed in 1977 and its primary purpose is hydroelectric power generation. Part of a run-of-the-river power scheme, it diverts the waters of the Beas to the southwest through a 38 km (24 mi) long system of tunnels and channels. The water is used for power generation at the Dehar Power House before being discharged into the Sutlej River, connecting both rivers. The power house has an installed capacity of 990 MW. The system diverts 256 cumecs (9000 cusecs) of Beas waters to the Satluj River. The project was completed in 1977.
Bhrigu Lake:
Bhrigu Lake is a lake located at an elevation of around 4,300 metres (14,100 ft) in Kullu Distrit, Manali, Himachal Pradesh. It is located to the east of Rohtang Pass and is around 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from Gulaba village. It can be reached by trekking either from the Vashist temple, which is famous for its hot water springs, which is close to the town of Manali or from Gulaba village. Actually there is no settlement in Gulaba and is actually an area of the Pir Panjal mountain range. It is named after Maharishi Bhrigu. Legend has it that the sage used to mediate near the lake and hence it has been rendered sacred; the locals believe that due to this the lake never freezes completely.
Museum of Himachal Culture & Folk Art:
The museum of Himachal Culture and Folk Art was established in Utopia Complex, Near Hadimba Devi Temple, Manali in the year 1998. Traditional dresses, utensils, musical and ritual instruments, wood carvings and all other traditional articles used by the people of HP in their day to day functioning, which are at the verge of extinction now, are present and exhibited in the museum. All these above mentioned items are basically handwork of the people of Himachal Pradesh representing the rich handicraft era of the state. The presence of a museum in the complex itself makes it very attractive to the visitors.
The Museum is a unique and extraordinary collection of unknown and rare antiques of the state. It demonstrates the almost extinct articles that clearly display the forgotten culture, art and handicraft of Himachal Pradesh. In the process of the preservation of the culture the museum has earned itself fame and place in the field of Art, Culture and Tourism of Himachal Pradesh. The museum has not only helped in the preservation of the culture, but it has greatly influenced the public and has created awareness in their minds about the importance of their culture and handicraft. The museum is not just simply a collection of ancient antiquities but is the result of J. R. Sood’s (founder of the museum) research, intensive travel in the state, searching for several years for preserving the antiques and their history, use and importance in the olden days. The museum reveals a lot about the early human activities, their day-to-day life and their living style. It displays a variety of cultures under a single roof allowing the tourist or visitor to know more about the ancient Himachal. It reveals to the tourist and the young generation about the tradition, art and culture of the state. It also shows how rich our state was in the production of handicrafts in hand-looms, wood carvings, stone vessels, utensils, house construction, and other day to day work of life.
The Museum displays models of temples, old houses and forts, traditional dresses, utensils, musical and ritual instruments, wood carvings and various other articles. This rare collection helps in knowing more and exploring as well as analyzing the history, tradition, art and culture of our ancestors. It provides a vast knowledge about the old days and is an excellent mirror that reflects the culture and handicraft of the state. The museum has many interesting aspects, which are curious and unexplained, requiring more discussion and research. It offers an unrivaled opportunity for the research scholars in the field.
Zana Falls:
15km from Naggar and 35km 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 falls which are not much explored by tourists and are amazing. Moreover Traditional Himachali food is available here at small hut like shops.
Rahala Falls:
The Rehala Falls (also Rahala, Rahalla or Rahla) is a Cascade and Punchbowl type of a waterfall located 16 km. from Manali on the way to Rohtang Pass. The waterfall is a tourist attraction on the Leh-Manali-Highway in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India.
Jagatsukh:
Jagatsukh, the former capital of Manali, has a few nice temples done in Shikhara style. You can visit them while travelling to Naggar
Arjun Gufa:
Arjun Gufa (Cave of Arjuna) is named after Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers. He came to this cave and meditated a stringent meditation called austerities, a sort of penance. He received the Pashupata Astra, a strong mythical weapon, from Lord Indra. At least that is the story told in the Mahabharata, one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India.
So far we could not find any description of the cave or its exact location. The remote valley is in this area more than 2,000m asl, and the valley is visited primarly by guided tours. The cave is most likely not developed except for probably some footpaths. It remoteness and quietness is praised, which means it is sparsely visited. The tour to the cave might include some walking and some time for meditation in the cave, a minimum of half a day is given, a whole day is recommended.
Rozy Waterfall:
It is situated en -route Rohtang from Manali is the beautiful Rozy Waterfall. Rozy waterfall near Manali is one of the most popular tourist attractions. With the picturesque surrounding of tall deodar trees, forested mountains and green valleys, the place is considered as a paradise for nature lovers. Soothing your mind and soul, these falls create a thrilling and magical ambience. It is also popular as a picnic spot.
Anjani Mahadev:
Icy Shiva Lingam forms from October to March. This manifestation of Shiva is attributed to the penance of Anjani, Mother of Hanuman (the monkey god of Hindu mythology) who was conceived here.
The location was discovered by Guru Baba Prakash Puri Ji Maharaj after a divine vision. Today a beautiful temple adorns the site and is inhabited by holy hermits (sadhus) that welcome any visitor and are happy to serve refreshments and exchange ideas. Anjani Mahadev is accessible on foot through a 40 minute walk from Solang Nullah. A trail marked with orange flags outline the route.
