Manali Hill Station-India
 Famous as the
"valley of the Gods", Manali is an important hill station of
northern india. It is the destination of thousands of tourists
every year. Its cool atmosphere provides a perfect haven for the
ones afflicted by the hot Indian summers. Besides offering quite
a few places for sightseeing, Manali is also famous for adventure
sports like skiing, hiking, mountaineering, paragliding, rafting,
trekking, kayaking, and mountain biking. The Hill Resorts of
Manali offers an amazing array of picturesque spots to the
tourists. For the adventure seekers there are sports ranging from
skiing, hiking, mountaineering, paragliding, rafting, trekking,
kayaking, and mountain biking. You may indulge in skiing at
Solang Nullah (January-March) and Rohtang La (during summer). It
is noteworthy that Heli skiing is possible at the deep
snowfields. You may even get trained for Mountaineering and
kayaking at the Mountaineering Institute at Solang Nullah. The
Beas River is excellent for Kayaking. Trekking to the Solang
Valley and Manalsu Nala are terrific. The slopes of Solang Nullah
attract a lot of tourists in the summer season for the
paragliding just like Beas offers excellent adventure activities
in the monsoons for rafting. You nay even visit Larji, Katrain
and Kasol for some unparallel angling experiences. While you are
in the city the Kulluis in brightly patterned puttoos, Tibetan
women wearing ankle-length rainbow-striped pinafores, Nepali
porters, Buddhist monks, and even the odd party of Zanskaris,
swathed in fusty woolen gonchas will not fail to catch your eye.
The hubbub of Manali is so mystical and marvelous that every
summer thousands of tourists from all over India and aboard
throng the streets there.
The hill resort of Manali is well connected with the other
important cities of India through air, road and rail. The airport
at Bhuntar is the nearest. There are other regular flights from
Delhi. Shimla, Chandigarh and Delhi are other cities that offer
easy commuting to Manali.
Places to see
The most visited site in
Manali is the Hidimba or Dhungri Temple. Dated 1533, this temple
is dedicated to the local deity Hidimba, wife of the Pandava
prince, Bhim. The temple is noted for its four-storeyed pagoda
and exquisite wooden carvings. A major festival is held here in
the month of May.
Manali also attracts tourists with its shiny gompas or Buddhist
monasteries. The Gadhan Thekchhokling Gompa, built in 1969, is
most famous. The monastery is maintained by donations from the
local community and through the sale of hand-woven carpets in the
temple workshop. The smaller and more modern Himalayan Nyingamapa
Gompa stands nearer the bazaar, in a garden blooming with
sunflowers. The Museum of Traditional Himachal Culture, near the
Hidimba temple, is worth a visit.
.
How to reach :
By Air : The nearest airport is
Bhuntar, 52 km south of Manali. There are flights to Delhi via
Shimla.
By Rail : The closest narrow-gauge railhead is at
Jogindernagar, 135 km away. The closest broad-gauge railheads are
Chandigarh (310 km) and Ambala (355 km).
By Road : Manali is well connected by road. By road, the
distance from Delhi via Mandi is 585 km, and from Shimla the
distance is 270 km.
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