Welcome into the land of your dreams.... into the land of lush greens and enchanting mountains, silent valleys and bubbling creeks, songbirds, towering coniferous trees and the sweet scent of apples. Covered with flowering Chestnuts and Deodar groves, and the powerful Manalsu torrent flowing through it, Manali has been attracting adventure and nature lovers from all over the world.Gifted with superb natural beauty, the magnetic Manali, situated in the famous Kullu Valley of Himachal Pradesh, is one of the most famous hill stations in the country. A visit to this beautiful hill town of Himachal gives tourists ample opportunities for amazing tourism and adventure & sport and winter sport activities.
Manali is the ideal place to leave the rest of the world behind and go for long walks, mountain climbing, trekking, river rafting, heli-skiing, para-gliding and trout fishing. Situated at the north end of the Kullu Valley in the Western Himalayas, Manali is located at an altitude of 1929 meters. Bordered by the River Beas on the east and by a great mountain wall topped by a spectacular snow ridge, at the northern end, Manali is a gateway across the 13,050 feet high Rohtang Pass to the beautiful valleys of Lahaul and Spiti. It is the land of Gods and Goddesses, fairs and festivals, religious lakes and ancient temples
Destination Manali
History of Manali: Manali's `history' is really more myth than history. According to Hindu mythology, Manali was the home of the lawgiver Manu (after whom the town is named). Legend has it that when a flood deluged the earth, Manu and the gods were towed to dry ground by a giant fish, which was the seventh `avatar' of the god Vishnu. The area where Manu eventually found refuge was Manali.Whether that's actually how it happened or not, Manali remained a fairly quiet place, more or less unknown to the outside world, till pretty recently. During the 20th century, the British started to frequent the town-its climate and natural beauty were equable enough- and Manali gradually began to acquire the reputation of a tourist destination. This reputation got a bit tarnished during the 1970s and 80s, however, mainly because of the discovery that marijuana grown around the town was particularly good. After two decades or so of happy-go-lucky, joint-smoking hippies, Manali's now turning into a base camp for trekkers and intrepid mountaineers. Honeymooners and families from all across India still descend on the town throughout summer. It’s quite odd though, that there seems to exist a kind of apartheid in high season (spring to summer), with western tourists hanging out mainly in the village, while Indians stick to the town. May and June is the peak season, when certain "stretches" of Old Manali are justifiably nicknamed the West Bank and the Gaza strip; Israelis accounting then for maybe up to 90 % of the foreigners. Later on in the year, especially after monsoon season of July/August there’s a bit more equilibrium in terms of nationalities, when European travellers arrive for the trekking season; and even later in October, when there are conspicuous numbers of Italians, just in time for the charas harvest.
HADIMBA TEMPLE: Manali has many attractions but the chief centre of interest, historically and archeologically, is undoubtedly the DHOONGRI TEMPLE dedicated to goddess Hadimba, the Bhim of Mahabharat fame. It has four-tiered Pagoda shaped roof and the doorway is carved with legendary figures and symbols. This temple located amidst wooden forest of deodar is about 2.5 kms. from the tourist office. It is a pleasant experience to stroll in the temple complex which was built in 1533 A.D. A large festival is held here in May.
MANU TEMPLE: 3 kms. from the main bazar in old Manali lies the temple of MANU RISHI. It is believed that this is the only temple of Manu in India, who was the creator of human race on the earth.
TIBETAN MONASTERIES: 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.
VASHIST HOT WATER SPRINGS AND TEMPLE (3 kms): Vashist, a small village located on the left bank of river Beas towards Rohtang pass is worth a visit. It is renowned for its hot springs and temples. Nearby is the pyramidal stone temple dedicated to Vashist Muni. There is another Temple of Lord Ram here. Natural hot sulphur springs with two separate bathing tanks for gents and ladies are always full of tourists. Turkish style showers fitted baths have also been built nearby. Hot water from the nearby spring is provided for bathing.
NEHRU KUND: 5 kms. on National Highway to Leh,a natural spring of cold clear water named after Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru, who used to drink water from this spring during his stay in Manali. This spring is believed to originate from the Bhrigu lake situated high-up in the mountains.
Manali sanctuary: The Manali sanctuary starts from behind the town square and goes up in the mountains behind Manali. There is a biodiversity trail for the visitors, which showcases all the flora and fauna.
Rohriech Art Gallery: The paintings of the famous Russian artist are exhibited here.
Naggar Castle: The old capital of Kullu, it gives a captivating view of the upper Kullu valleyApart from tourism the second big noticeable thing is the apple trees here. Introduced by the British about a hundred years ago, the apple orchards are now one of the major sources of income in this area. The rest of the agriculture seems to be basically aimed at the cows. Most of the villagers have their own to provide milk (but unfortunately not… sandwiches….) for the family. A disproportionate effort goes into feeding the beast. In summer women collect grass in their kiltas (conical baskets carried like a backpack); corn and wheat is grown to feed it in winter. Not exactly the same as popping quickly into Safeways to buy a pint.
Unfortunately in recent years Manali has become quite infamous because of hard drugs; anything is available now – smack, coke, ecstasy, any kind of pills. And lets not forget another local speciality popular with the Himachal youth: sock sniffing. Just wear your socks in plastic shoes for a few days (preferably in really disgustingly sticky weather), don’t wash your feet and apparently you’ll get a good kick out of sniffing them.Hassle free
It’s always said, that the North is not like the rest of India Tours, and it’s certainly true for this place. Further South you have the huge (overpopulated) plains, everything seems to be constantly loud, chaotic and a lot of hassle. Here, people are quite chilled out, not constantly in your face, in general very friendly, helpful and interesting to talk to. Just normal, nice people. If you get any hassle it’s much more likely to be from Indian tourists, in particular "boisterous" Punjabis, who just die for having a snapshot taken with you, so that they can brag about their western girl-friend once they’re back home.
The face of Old Manali changes dramatically with the seasons. In summer it’s extremely busy with tourists and their "requirements". There must be about 20 to 30 restaurants, over a hundred guest houses, a few bigger hotels, lots and lots of internet cafes, India travel agencies and souvenir shops. All of these are shut in winter, when everything has a deserted look to it. It’s phenomenally peaceful then, with people here following up their winter activities; sitting around the fire, spinning wool, knitting, weaving pattus (local blankets with colourful patterns worn by women as a dress) and (sensibly) sleeping a lot.
When to go:
The best time to visit Manali is really at the beginning or the end of the high season – either April or September/October, when the weather is generally nice (if a bit colder than in summer) and it’s not too hectic and busy with people.
Hotels in Manali:
Ambassador Resort: Ambassador Resort, the Resort-Spa in the divine land of Manali, rests high on the Himalayas, over 7,000 feet. Amidst Tranquility, Peace and Beauty.55 rooms across eight categories. International style architecture and furnishing. Yet retained the local essence. The resort offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding gardens, mountains and forests. Cozy interiors of the cottage, luxurious furnishings, imported laminated wooden flooring, balconies facing the valley and snow-clad mountains. And Tva, the health spa. An abode of Wellness. The power of Ayurveda, flowers, leaves, water, oils, mud, massages.Come experience the divine land. Breathe in the spiritual air. Eat and drink of the blessed geography. Feel the divine stirring in you. Realise the awakening. Recognise yourself. Then go back home to your world, rejuvenated in body and spirit.
