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PRIME ATTRACTIONS
(Sightseeing) of Manali
The Mall Road
The Mall, or main road of Manali is the hub of activity
in this tourist town, lined with hotels, restaurants,
shops, the bus station and many travel agencies. Though
it carries the same British epithet as its counterpart
in Shimla, the Mall of Manali has an entirely different
character from the colonial flavour of the former. It
is more of a busy commercial street with modern concrete
blocks of hotels that spill over with tourists in the
peak season. Most of the hotels overlooking the foaming
Beas River, however, do offer pleasant views of the
valley, green terraced fields and the surrounding orchards.
Manalsu Nala
To get a more authentic flavour of the area, take a
half-hour walk from the Mall across the Manalsu nala
to reach the village of old Manali. Also known as Manaligarh,
the village has a ruined fort and a cluster of houses
built in the Pahari style - with heavy stone roofs and
wooden balconies projecting out of the first floor.
According to popular belief it is here that Manu, the
lawmaker lived around the 2nd century BC. His treatise,
the 'Manusmriti' is the foundations of Hindu law and
of the rigid caste system based on varna or profession.
Considered one of the most orthodox Hindu texts with
strict role definitions based on gender and class, the
Manusmriti continues to be followed by many devout Hindus
even today. In the centre of the village is the Manu
Maharishi temple, a relatively new shrine dedicated
to Manu. The village itself is an idyllic break from
the rush of main Manali, surrounded by terraced maize
fields and apple orchards. There are several guesthouses
and cafes lining the path to the village.
Hadimba Devi Temple
 Hadimba or Dhungiri temple in Manali is one of the most
important temples in the region. This four story wooden
temple is located in the middle of a forest called the
Dhungiri Van Vihar a 2 km walk from the Tourist office
in Manali. Maharaja Bahadur Singh built the present
wooden pagoda-like temple in 1553 after earlier structures
were burnt down by forest fires. Standing on a stone
platform surrounded by old deodar trees, the three-tiered
temple is crowned with pennants, brass bells and a trident.
Carvings of animals, plants and folk deities adorn the
temple, while hunting trophies hang over its entrance.
Inside the shrine is the brass icon of the goddess,
surprisingly tiny compared to the huge temple structure
and the legendary prowess associated with her. The shrine
is within a natural cave formation dominated by huge
rock. A set of enlarged footprints on the rocks is believed
to be of Hadimba, herself. In mid-July the idol from
old Manali is brought to this temple for a major festival.
As part of the frenzied celebrations, several animals
including a buffalo and a goat are sacrificed to the
goddess. The blood falling on the stones is channeled
to the mouth of goddess Hadimba. Not for the faint-hearted,
this ancient ritual draws large crowds, along with some
pickpockets who take advantage of the spellbound mobs.
Gadhan Thekchoking Gompa
This Gompa dominates the Tibetan area around the bottom
of the Mall in Manali. The Tibetan refugees built the
Gompa in the late 1960's. The Gompa is covered with
brightly coloured frescoes and a mid size Buddhist statute.
It also carries a list of the martyrs killed in occupation
of Tibet of 1987 to 1989. Inside the brightly painted
prayer hall is a statue of Shakyamuni (form of Buddha).
The monastery is maintained through donations and the
sale of carpets woven by the lamas within the temple
workshop. A smaller gompha near the market has a large
gold-faced image of Buddha, which is best viewed from
its first floor verandah. Monks can be seen printing
prayer flags in the open terrace.
Temple Of Manu
Slippery stones paths lead through the old village houses
up to the temple of Manu. Manali is named after the
sage Manu who meditated when he came in this area.
Tibetan Temple
Tibetans have a base in Manali too. There is a large
modern Tibetan temple to the South of the bus stand
and also a small handicrafts centre.
Mountaineering Institute
The Mountaineering Institute located at Manali provides
training facilities for basic and advance climbing both
for Indian nationals and foreigners. This institute
also conducts other adventurous sports activities like
high altitude trekking, minor mountaineering, rock-climbing,
skiing, and high altitude rescue and relief courses.
The institute has sufficient lodging and boarding arrangements
and equipment can be hired for trekking purposes.
EXCURSIONS FROM MANALI
 Vashisth Hot Sulphur Springs
This small village near Manali is famous for its
scenic beauty. The village has a temple dedicated to
Lord Rama and Vashisth Muni. The village has some hot
water springs, which are said to carry medicinal properties.
It is a picturesque little place, 3-km out of Manali
but on foot the distance is a bit shorter.
Rohtang Pass (50Km.)
Rohtang Pass is the highest point, 4,112m, on the Manali-Keylong
road, 51-km from Manali town. It provides a wide panoramic
view of mountains rising far above clouds, which is
a sight truly breath-taking.
Arjun Gufa (5Km.)
On the left bank of the Beas, 5-km from Manali near
the village of Prini, is the 'Arjun Gufa' or the cave
of Arjuna. In here Arjuna practised austerities to get
Pashupata Ashtra or weapon from Lord Indra.
Beas Kund (50Km.)
It is the source of river Beas, at the Rohtang Pass
and is easily accessible. The great sage, Vyas performed
`Tapa' here during the Mahabharat times. The place is
still hallowed by the celestial light. It was because
of this that the river got the present name of Beas.
Jagatsukh Temple (6Km.)
It is one of the biggest villages in Kullu district.
About 6-km from Manali, Jagatsukh is famous for its
Shiva temple that is built in "shikhara" style and nearby
is the old and interesting Devi Sharvati temple.
Kothi (12Km.)
It is a pretty little village, 12-km from Manali
on the Keylong road at the foot of Rohtang Pass. There
are very fine views from Kothi, and the Beas River flows
through a very deep and narrow gorge at this point.
The well-situated Public Works Department (PWD) Resthouse
is a popular place for overnight stays. Close to the
rest house is an awe-inspiring gorge where Beas enters
a chasm about 61m deep and just few metres broad.
Old Manali (3Km.)
The old Manali area is located some 3-km from the
present day Manali. The old Manali is covered with guesthouses,
which look ancient now, and orchards where the livestock
move at will.
Rahalla Falls (16Km.)
About 16-km from Manali and 4-km away from Kothi,
at the start of the climb to the Rohtang Pass, are the
beautiful Rahalla Falls at an altitude of 2,501m.
Solang Nullah (14Km.)
14-km northwest of Manali in the Solang Valley,
this place offers Himachal Pradesh's best ski slopes.
The Mountaineering and Allied Sports Institute operates
a 300m high ski lift and the month of February is the
best month to ski over here. HPTDC runs seven-day package
for ski courses with accommodation in the Hotel Rohtang
Manaslu in Manali. Courses are also offered by the Mountaineering
and Allied Sports Institute and the North Face Ski School.
ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES
Rafting
The Beas River flowing through Kullu valley is suitable
for not only white water rafting but is ideal for canoeing
and kayaking too. Open between May to September.
Skiing
Near Manali there are some slopes, which have been rated
the best for skiing in the world. The Solang Nullah,
Patalsu, Kothi, Marhi and Rohtang slopes are very good
for skiing in the winters as well as in summers.
 Heli Skiing
For high mountain thrills perhaps nothing can surpass
the magic of heli-skiing. The sport is available in
the area abound by the Hanuman Tibba, Rohtang Pass,
Deo Tibba and Chanderkhani Pass near Manali.
Mountaineering
The Mountaineering Institute located at Manali provides
training facilities for basic and advance climbing both
for Indian nationals and foreigners.
Trekking
The main trekking areas in Himachal are the Dhauladhar
and Pir Panjal ranges easily accesible from Kullu valley.
Several treks lead over from Kullu valley to Lahaul
& Spiti, Zanskar, Kinnaur and Kangra.
Most treks pass through rugged and unspoiled terrain,
deep forests and beautiful streams. Many old temples
lie along the way.
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