KULLU & MANALI (FROM CHANDIGARH)

At a distance of 2 km from Manali Bus Stand, Hidimbi Devi Temple also known as the Dhungri Temple is an ancient cave temple located in the middle of a dense forest called Dhungri Van Vihar in Manali. It is of the top places to visit in Manali.

Built-in 1553 by Raja Bahadur Singh, the temple is dedicated to Hidimbi Devi, sister of Hidimba and wife of Bhima, one of the Pandavas from the Mahabharata. According to the legend, the Pandavas stayed in Himachal during their exile. One of the brothers Bhima fell in love with Hidimbi, the sister of the ruler Hidimba. Bhima and Hidimbi had a son but when Bhima and the Pandavas returned from exile she stayed back, performed penance, and attained the status of goddess.

The Hidimbi Devi temple is 24 meters tall and consists of three square roofs with timber tiles, surmounted by a cone-shaped fourth roof that is covered in brass. The wooden facade and windows of .....

At a distance of 3 km from Manali Bus Stand, Manu Temple dedicated to the Indian sage Manu is located at old Manali. Manali is named after the sage Manu who was the creator of human race on earth according to mythology and it is believed that he meditated here. This is supposed to be the only temple of Manu in India. Manu Temple is one of the best Manali tourist places.

Travellers can enjoy a beautiful view of the surrounding hills and river Beas from the temple. Lying in the congested locality of old Manali, the temple is often visited by the tourists who arrive from different parts of the world.

Manu Temple was built in pagoda style of architecture. The temple was rebuilt in the year 1992, when the vaulted ceiling and marble floors were added. One can find various artifacts along with the idols of gods and goddesses in different postures in this temple.

To .....

At a distance of 3.5 km from Manali Bus Stand, Vashist Temple in Manali is dedicated to sage Vashisht, the Kula guru of Lord Rama in the village Vashisht across the River Beas. It is among the most famous places to visit in Manali.

The village of Vashisht was named after Rishi Vashisht one of the seven sages of Hindu. According to the legend, Rishi Vashisht was left depressed on finding out that his children had been killed by Vishwamitra. Rishi Vashisht tried to commit suicide by jumping into a river but the river refused to kill him. He then started a new life in the village here. The river which took the rishi to the village was named Vipasha, meaning freedom from bondage. The Vipasha River is now known as the Beas River.

The Vashisht temple is believed to be more than 4000 years old. Inside the temple there is a black stone image of the Rishi wearing dhoti. The Vashist temple is decorated with excellent and beautiful carvings .....

At a distance of 12 km from Manali Bus Stand, Solang Valley locally known as Solang is a beautiful valley situated at Solang village near Manali, Himachal Pradesh. It is one of the most well-known places to visit near Delhi for skiing, mountaineering, and trekking activities.

Among the top tourist attractions in Manali, Solang Valley is situated between Solang village and Beas Kund. It lies at an altitude of 8500 ft and is covered with green dense forests. It offers panoramic views of the surrounding snowcapped mountains and glaciers.

The beauty of Solang Valley is unparalleled and many people visit the valley every year during their Manali trip just to enjoy its pristine, snow-white magnificence, especially in winter, when the entire place is covered by white snow. With the groves of emerald green trees .....

At a distance of 21.5 km from Manali Bus Stand, 8 km from Kothi Village and 13.5 km from Marhi, the village of Gulaba is situated on the way to Rohtang Pass on Leh - Manali Highway. Gulaba is among popular places of sightseeing in Manali.

Gulaba is located at an altitude of 4000 m. It is named after Raja Gulab Singh of Kashmir who camped here while he was invading China through this area. Covered with snow from November to February, it is the next best alternative for skiing when Rohtang Pass is closed because of snowfall in winter. The view of the majestic snow capped mountains, the swirling Beas River and the small grasslands simply add charm to the area.

Gulaba has been famous for skiing and other adventure sports. Besides skiing, one can also get involved in exploring the beauty of the region through Paragliding. Gulaba has numerous high peaks from where one can have a full view of the scenic location. During the end of February or early March, the Manali-Rohtang road .....

At a distance of 29 km from Manali Bus Stand, 23 km from Rohtang Pass and 15.5 km from Kothi Village, Rahala Falls is a waterfall located on the way to Rohtang Pass from Manali. It is one of the best waterfalls in Himachal state.

Rahala Waterfall is a magnificent waterfall located on Leh - Manali Highway. This fall is situated at an altitude of 2501 m. It is generally believed to be the outcome of melting of glaciers and so the water of this fall is extremely cold.

Rahala Waterfalls is situated in a very pristine area surrounded with dense growth of silver birch and deodar. The area around the Rahala Waterfalls is absolutely marvelous and the location also allows a picture perfect view of the snowcapped Himalayas.

The best time to visit this gorgeous fall is from March to October when maximum water gorges down the rocks. Owing to its mesmerizing beauty, this waterfall has emerged as one of the most frequented tourist attractions .....

At a distance of 750 m from Manali Bus Stand, The Van Vihar is a municipal garden situated in front of the Tibetan market on the Mall Road, Manali.

The Van Vihar Park is beautifully adorned by deodar trees and is a perfect place to spend memorable time with loved ones. A number of locals and tourists visit the park to relax and get the fresh breeze of the Deodar trees.

The main attraction of the park is the beautiful man-made lake situated in the middle of the woods. Tourists can enjoy boating in the lake. There are also lot of swings for the children as well as couples in the park. The River Beas runs nearby the park. Visit the park in the evening and you will get a chance to enjoy the stunningly beautiful view of sun setting against the glorious backdrop of the majestic mountains.

Timings: 8 am - 7 pm in summer and 8 am - 5 pm in winter.

Entry Fee: Rs 5 per person, Boating Charge - Rs 30/ Person for 15 mins.

At a distance of 20 km from Manali, and 22 km from the Kullu, the Naggar Castle is a famous castle located in Naggar. It is one of the best heritage places in Himachal, and among the not to miss in during your Manali tour.

Naggar Castle is a magnificent historical structure that overlooks the Kullu valley. The castle was built by Raja Sidhi Singh in 1460 AD. The Castle was used as a Royal residence and state headquarters until the British took over the whole Kangra and Kullu from Sikh's in 1846. Raja Gyan Singh sold it to the first assistant commissioner, Major Hay for a Gun. The northern wing of the castle was later converted to the European way of living by putting in staircase, fire place and chimneys. He later sold it to the Government when it was used as a courthouse. In 1947, with the departure of the British the court-activity ceased.

The castle was built in an impressive .....

At a distance of 10 km from Kullu Bus stand, 12 km from Naggar and 31 km from Manali, Dhakpo Shedrupling Monastery is located in Kais village of Kullu District. It is also known as Kais Monastery.

This monastery was inaugurated during the month of May in the year 2005 by the great Noble laureate and his Holiness Dalai Lama. This Monastery is located near the left bank of Beas River. The picturesque view of the valleys which are surrounding the place make it an appealing destination.

The monastery gives a magical look and it has been strongly dedicated to Dalai Lama. The Dhakpo Monastery systemized with the traditional reasoning and scriptures of the master and disciple, the great pioneers of Buddha Dharma. The monastery serves as a boarding school and university for the study of Buddhist philosophy. This monastery houses several Tibetan monks. This Monastery has a huge prayer hall with a huge Buddha statue.

Every year in the month of August His Highness Dhakpo Rinpochhe .....

At a distance of 0.5 km from Kullu Bus stand, Raghunathji Temple is a Hindu temple situated in Sultanpur. It is one of the famous places of pilgrimage in Himachal, and among the must-include places in Kullu tour packages.

Dedicated to Lord Rama, this temple was built in the 17th century by Raja Jagat Singh of Kullu. Lord Raghunathji is the chief deity of the Kullu region. The idol is said to be the same which was used by Lord Rama himself at the time of Ashwamedha Yagna and was brought from the Tretnath temple of Ayodhya. It is one of the top places to visit in Kullu.
 
According to the folklore, Raja Jagat Singh was held responsible for the death of a Brahmin family residing in the village of Tipri. It is said that the king had ordered his soldiers to go to Brahmin family and fetch their pearls. .....

At a distance of 0.5 km from Kullu Bus stand, Sultanpur Palace is a popular attraction in Kullu located at distance of 100 m from Raghunathji Temple.

The Sultanpur Palace was formerly called the Rupi Palace, which was originally built by Raja Jagat Singh in the year 1660. This beautiful palace was reconstructed near the old palace after it got destroyed by a massive earthquake in 1905. The architecture of the Palace is simple with a mixture of Pahari and colonial styles. Huge wooden logs were used to construct the massive gates that lead to the entrance of the palace. The interior of the palace is remarkable and the palace has some beautiful wall paintings that are well-preserved.

The Sultanpur palace is famous for its attractive miniature paintings in Kullu style. This Palace houses large number of miniature paintings. The style of paintings is based on scenic designs and rural backgrounds without any human element included in them. The Sultanpur palace is the residence of .....