Manali Travel

State: Himachal Pradesh
Location: Northern end of Kullu valley .
Area : 7.12 sq km
Language: Pahari, Hindi, English
Introduction:
Manali, one of the spectacular hill resort of Himachal Pradesh, is positioned at the northern end of Kullu valley. Manali which is named after saint Manu, is located on the national highway that leads to Leh. This picture perfect town is also popular as gateway to the remote and forlorn valleys of Lahual and Spiti.

Its for sure that 'Mother Nature' has taken special care to create Manali. This popular north Indian town has scenic beauty that would charm anyone. Manali provides a panoramic view of snow-capped peaks, the Baes river that flows through the town, vast canopy of deodhar and pine trees, tiny green fields and fruit orchards.

Places To Visit:
Embellished with numerous alluring tourist spots, Manali is one of the favourite holiday destination of North India. Some of the famed tourist spots of Manali are

Hadimba Temple: One of the oldest shrine of Manali, Hadimba temple is dedicated to Hadimba(or Harima devi), wife of Bhima. Hadima temple which has massive triple tiered wooden pagoda crowned by crimson pennants and a brass ball, is located at a distance of 15 minutes towards the northwest of the main bazaar of Manali town. Also known as Dhoongri temple, it is adorned trident (Shiva temple) that dated back to the 1553 A.D. Another famous attraction of this temple is a hollow which is positioned at the middle of the temple. It is believed to be the footprint of Lord Vishnu.

Manu Temple: Dedicated to saint Manu, this ancient temple is 3 km (1.9 miles) from the main bazaar in Old Manali town. This temple is the sole temple of Manu in India, who has created Manu smriti in Sanskrit language.

Tibetan Market and Mall: Another prime attraction of Manali is its Tibetan market. This market has cluster of shops that are overflowed with local handicrafts and other stuffs. Situated on the Mall road, Tibetan market has some good restaurants that serves multi-cuisines.

Tibetan Monasteries: Manali has great number of Buddhist people and their monasteries. There are three newly constructed monasteries from where you can purchase some finely designed carpets and other Tibetan handicrafts. Out of these three, two are located within the town and one at Aleo on the left bank of Baes river.

Apart from these, you can also visit some more interesting tourist spots like Mountaineering Institute, Vashist hot water sulphur spring, Nehru kund, Solang Valley, Rahala Falls, Kothi, Rohtang Pass etc.

Adventure Activities To Do:
Apart from being a picturesque hill resort, Manali is also a hot adventure destination of India. Adventure enthusiasts from various corners of world, comes to Manali to experience some of the exciting forms of adventure sports such as

Trekking: Kullu-Manali region is one of the popular region for trekking in India. The trekking routes in this region varies from the best soft, medium and hard trekking routes. Some of the famous popular treks in the Kullu-Manali valley are Raison-Manala-Chandra Khani-Raison, Manali-Bhrigu-Rohtang Pass-Manali, Manali-Chhika-Hamta Pass-Manali, Raison-Padri-Khauli, Pass-Garsa-Raison, Manali-Chandratal-Manali.

Skiing: Solang valley, just 13 km(8.08 miles) north-west of Manali is an excellent place for winter sports like Skiing. This splendid valley is located amidst Manali and Kothi and provides a scenic view of glaciers and snow-capped mountain peaks. For almost three months, January to March, Solang valley brim with tourists.

White-water rafting: White-water rafting is another adventurous sports for which Manali is famous among the adventure buffs. Beas river that meander through Manali is an excellent site for white-water rafting. The stretch between from Manali to Aut, beckons the rafter to experience the thrill of rafting in the untamed Baes river. Raison and Mohal are the points from where rafting trip starts. The time period from May to mid June is best for white water rafting.

Beside these three, adventure lovers can also indulges themselves in Jeep safari, para-gliding, angling and fishing.

Best Time To Visit: The ideal time to visit this salubrious hill station in summer season from April to June to get rid of scorching summer season. If you are an adventure seeker than visit Manali in winter season from September to December.

How to Reach:
By Road: Manali is well connected to many nearby Indian cities like Delhi, Ambala, Chandigrah, Dehradun, Haridwar, Shimla, Dharmshala and Chamba/ Dalhousie by road. Regular private and state run buses operates from these places.

By Rail: The nearest broad gauge railheads to Manali are at Chandigarh, Pathankot and Kalka. But the nearest narrow gauge rail head is at Joginder Nagar.

By Air: The nearest airport to Manali is at Bhuntar, which is 52 km (32.31 miles) from it. Both Kingfisher Airlines and Indian Airlines operates daily and twice in a week respectively from Delhi to Manali.