Manali - Fast Facts

Manali - Fast Facts

Altitude 2,050, meters above sea level
Location 40km from kullu
STD Code 01902

Manali-Introduction

If you happen to be a naturelovera nd have not yet been to the beautiful hill resort of Manli in Himachal Pradesh, then you are really missing something. Imagine snow-capped mountains in the backdrop, hillsides covered with green pine trees and vast green lawns and fragrant fruit orchards. This is exactly how Manali looks. A perfect hill resort along the Beas river that not only offers such natural beauty to its visitors but also a chance to try out certain adventurous sports and visit many old and culturally rich heritage sites.

Manali-Location

Manali is a beautiful hill resort in the state of Himachal Pradesh. It is 40 kms away from Kullu, another popular hill station of North India.

Manali-Sites to Visit

Kullu-History
A holiday package to Manali would most certainly include a tour of the major tourists spots in Manali. One of them being the Gadhan Thekchhokling Gompa. Gompas are the Tibetan monasteries. This particular Gompa was built in the year 1969. It is a major tourist attraction of Manali because one can also buy woolen shawls and carpets here.

Manali, Himachal Pradesh - Hill Resorts in India

If you are willing to take a walk, then you can visit the Manu Temple. It takes a half hour walk up the hills to reach Manu Temple in the old Manali. It is believed that the first man on earth Manu, landed on this very spot after a great flood.

Another major tourist spot that feature in most tourists lists to manali is the Hadimba devi temple. It is about 1.5 kms from Main Mandi. It is in the midst of woods and is an extremely beautiful temple with a 4-tier pagoda shaped roof ad a doorway that has a lot of intricate carving and sculptures which depict legends and old Indian mythological characters. One can also take a tour to the Vashisht Baths. They are in a little village called Vashisht, on the banks of river Beas. The hot springs here are very popular with the tourists along with a temple dedicated to Lord Rama.

Manali-Shopping

If you are o a holiday to manali, do not forget to get great gifts for friends and family back home. You can get heavily embroidered and exotic looking shawls that are readily available in the local markets in manali. If you are a man and shopping for you spouse or beloved, you can buy a firan, silver jewellery (inlaid with turquoise and coral besides many other semi-precious stones) and pashmina (which is obviously a bit expensive). All these things can easily be bought at the popular shopping center or mall in Manali.

Manali-Adventure Sports

If you are a trekker and looking forward to spending your ext holiday enjoying your favorite outdoor activity, then come to Manali. The hill resort is a treat for the trekkers who can trek through some hard yet really rewarding trek routes. You can also try rock climbing since The western Himalayas mountaineering institute in manali offers rock-climbing courses even for beginners. River-rafting on river Beas can also be tried. If you are planning to take a tour to Manali in winter season then you can enjoy skiing on the slopes. The hill station offers unlimited fun to people who love to be outdoors and truly enjoy the company of nature.
Dhungri Temple - Manali, Himachal Pradesh - Hill Resorts in India

Manali-How to Reach

You can either choose to get to manali by air or road. The closest airport to Manali is at Bhuntar, which is 77km from Manali.

If you rather go by road, enjoying the picturesque beauty along the way, then you can hire a cab from Kullu to cover a stretch of 67 kms.

Manali-Best time to visit

The best time to visit Manali is either between April to June or September to October. In summers you can enjoy rock climbing and river rafting along with a lot of excursions, whereas during winters you can play in the snow and enjoy skiing on the slopes.
Manali, Himachal Pradesh - Hill Resorts in India

Manali-Where to stay

There are lots of good hotels and guesthouses in Manali. Hill Resorts India offers online booking to many of them, which not only have all the modern amenities but are also reasonably priced. Since Manali is a major hill station, it not only provides accommodation for all budgets but also has many restaurants and eateries that offer not only hygienic and delicious Indian food but also Chinese, Continental and regional cuisine.

The hill resort of Manali has such variety and offers so much that it is a perfect holiday spot for people of all ages. You can visit this beautiful place in Himachal Pradesh by making Hill Resorts India your travel partner so you can enjoy a great holiday in the lap of nature, by simply booking a tour package online.

Kullu Fast Facts

Area 6.68 sq km
Altitude 1200 m above sea level
Population 16,000
Languages Hindi and Himachali
Religion Hindu (96.31), Muslim (0.18),
Others (3.53)
Maximum Temperature 20°C
Minimum Temperature 5°C
STD Code 01902

Kullu-Introduction

Kullu is an extremely popular hill station in the state of Himachal Pradesh, which attracts a lot of tourists and honeymooners every year. It is the perfect summer destination for city weary and a feast for the eyes of those, who long to be close to nature. Here tourists come to see the old temples, shop at the local bazaar that offers local handicrafts and be a part of the Dussehra festival that tourists flock to, from all over the world. Hill Resorts in India offers online booking for tour packages and Hotels in the valley so you simply have to pack your bags and come to Kullu, to have the time of your life.

Kullu-Location

Kullu is a hill station in the state of Himachal Pradesh and is situated at an altitude of 1220m. It is bounded by Lahaul-spiti and Kangra districts on the East and by Kinnaur and Shimla District on the South East.
Manikaran Sites Nearby

Kullu-History

The Kullu valley started getting inhabited in the 1st Century AD. By the medieval period, it was ruled by many local rulers. At that time the capital was Jagatsukh, about 5 km south of Manali but in the seventeenth century it was moved to Kullu. Then the boundaries of the kingdom went as far as to the Lahaul-Spiti and river Sutlej in the East. But it was still pretty much a secluded and isolated area till it came under British rule, which connected it to other parts of the country.

Kullu-Sites to Visit

Almost all the tour packages to Kullu feature a tour of The Raghunath temple, which is a famous temple, built in 1660 AD by Raja Jagat Singh. It is believed that the Raja was very remorseful about something and in order to make amends for his sin, he sent a courtier to Ayodhya to get the statue of Lord Ram, which was later enshrined in this temple.

Most Holiday packages also entail a tour of The Jagannathi Devi temple also known as the Bekhli temple, which is in the Bekhli village and is 3kms from Kullu. One has to walk for hour and a half to reach this temple but it is truly a rewarding experience. The temple is not only beautiful in itself, but it also offers a breath-taking view of the valley below.

Kullu-Sites Nearby

Another place that one should take a tour to, is the Bijli Mahadev Temple, which is situated at an altitude of 2,460 meters and is about 11kms from Kullu. It is a very 'striking' temple because inside is a 20-meter high staff which according to the belief attracts blessings from the skies in the form of lightning!

Your Tour package will also take you to Manikaran, which is about 45kms from Kullu and is situated on the right bank of river Parvati. It is quite famous for its hot springs, Shri Ramachandra temple and Shri Guru Nanak Devji Gurdwara. There is an interesting story behind the name 'Manikaran'. According to a belief, Goddess Parvati lost her jewel of the earring that was later found by Sheeshnag in the other world. He sent the jewel back but along with it came the venom of Sheeshnag, which is what made the water hot. These Hot water springs that find a mention in the legend are famous and said to possess healing properties.

About 15kms from Kullu is Bijaura, another favorite place among the tourists. There one can take a tour of the Basheshwar Mahadev Temple, which was supposedly built in the 9th century and is known for the beautiful intricate stone carvings on its walls. A tour to Kullu usually also includes a visit to Naggar, which is about 26kms from Kullu is situated on the left bank of River Beas. It was Kullu's capital for 1460 years and now is a major tourist spot with numerous attractions. There are many places in and around Naggar that are worth paying a visit, such as Jagtipatt temple, Tripura sundari temple, Nicholas Roerich Art Gallery and Gauri Shankar temple.

The tourists on a tour to Kullu can also visit the Vaishno devi Temple, which is more like a small cave that enshrines an image of Godess Durga and Vishnu temple of Dayar.

Kullu-Shopping

It would be a shame if you are on a tour of Kullu and don't shop at the local bazaars. You can buy bright and colorful shawls, grass slippers called pullas, Local tweed, patti and caps along with woodwork, woolen blankets known as Gudmas and wickerwork for yourself and your friends. One can visit Akhara Bazaar area that offers a lot of variety and has the Government Handicrafts Emporium, Himachal Khadi Emporium and Gramodyog Bhawan. These places are a shopper's delight and are perfect places to buy gifts ansd souvenirs for family and friends.

Kullu-Adventure Sports
If it is a peaceful outdoor activity you seek, you can go trout-fishing. There are numerous places, which offer this, such as Katrain, Kasol, Raison and Naggar. If it is excitement you want, you can enjoy white river rafting on river Beas. Of course, Kullu offers great trekking opportunities too.

Kullu-How to Reach
If you wish to reach Kullu by Air. You can fly to Bhuntar Airport, which is 10kms from Kullu. If you rather take a train, the nearest Railhead is Jogindernagar, which is 95kms from Kullu. Traveling by road is another option. Kullu is about 530 km from Delhi, if you travel via Mandi. And from Simla it is 240kms. You can either take luxury buses or hire taxis to get there.

Kullu-Best time to visit
The summers are mild and last from April to June whereas the winter season is quite cold and lasts from November to February. The best time to visit the hill station is between April and June. Though the hill station still attracts a lot of tourism in the month of October because of the Dussehra Festival.

Kullu-Where to stay
There is absolutely no dearth of good hotels in Kullu. The visitors can either stay in hotels, private cottages or tourist bungalows. Many of these are run by HPTDC (Himachal Pradesh Tourism development council). There are many budget hotels that provide good comfortable accommodation without burning a hole in your pocket.

Kullu Fairs and Festivals

Kullu-Fairs and festivals
Many tour operators offer holiday packages to Kullu in the month of October, primarily because of the Dussehra festival celebrations.

The Dussehra celebrations begin on Vijay Dashmi day itself but continues for a whole week. The Rath Yatra of the idol of Lord Raghunath is led by the Kullu Raja and other village deities. After this procession, all the religious ceremonies and festivities begin which easily last up to a week. There is a lot of singing, dancing, people in colorful clothes, Stalls that offer regional delicacies and handicrafts and a whole lot of fun.

Another festival that gives a boost to the tourism in the valley is the Dhoongri fair. It is held in May and is focused around the Goddess Hadimba Devi. Tourists can enjoy a lot of river rafting festivals and water sports related activities.

Hill resorts India offers online booking for hotels in Kullu and also several tour or holiday packages to the Valley. Let Hill resorts India do all your travel planning and enjoy a great holiday in "the valley of Gods" better known as Kullu.

R U PLANNING FOR KULLU MANALI

Kullu-Manali-Rohtang Pass!

So how you are traveling?
How many days are you going to say?
What about accommodation?
Places to visit?
Best season to visit?
Wanna do shopping there?
What are the precautions to be taken?
I have answers for all. Let’s see from the first question-

So how you are traveling?
If you are starting from Delhi, I would suggest you to travel in a cab.
I will bet it will be an exciting journey for you.
If you are traveling as a group just book a MUV-a Scorpio, Innova etc which accommodates up to 8 persons (if you are 6, it will be comfortable to you).
From Delhi to Manali-602 km (what my Scorpio meter showed me) but worth traveling If you have already decided to go by road you will reach Manali after 12 hours-Including stoppages for food & other things.
If you know any travel agency then book your vehicle @ 6/- per km which I can say is the best deal. Start with loads of packaged food-chips, bhujia’s etc & off course music cd’s, woolens if traveling in September to Feb.
Note: Select a driver who has driving experience on Ghat roads because you will travel at least for 6 hours-nearly 200kms will be ghat road.
I will suggest you to start from Delhi in the evening i.e. at 11 pm so that you can have a glimpse of the hills & other beautiful picturesque in the morning.
You will reach manali at 11am or at least 12. Manali is 42 km from Kullu. You can visit some temples & do water rafting stuff in kullu.
Beas river shows you the way all over from kullu to manali.
Have a stoppage at Kullu & click your digi cams-suggested to capture the beautiful locations. If you have less time to spend then book your Air tickets, you will reach there with in an hour.



How many days are you going to stay?
Ah, already I have taken you to manali, so decide how many days you want to see.
Taking about my case, after reaching there, I decided to stay there at least for 5 days, previously I decided to stay for 2 nights.
I have never been to the place in the past, after seeing the snowy hills all around definitely I am not under control, It will be the same scene with you also, if you haven’t visited the place before. Take out some time & plan before starting itself to stay at least 5 days.

“Ok I think you have decided how many days you want to stay there’
What about Accommodation?
If you are a budget traveler, there are lots of budget hotels in manali.
So go & ask the receptionist in the hotel, if they say you 400 rupees per day, say them you can pay 200/- after couple of minute’s discussion you will get the room at your budget. There’s only one main road in manali, all the hotels are located near by that road itself.
Note: Normally the check out time in manali is 12 pm on any given day, so plan accordingly.
So I hope you are set with the accommodation now.
As you reached manali at 12-1 pm first have your lunch.
You will get some good hotels on the same road which I talked before.
Are you from south India don’t bother, there are good number of hotels which provides south Indian food, costs around 60-70/- per thali.
North Indians don’t bother as they get their rotis.
If you want to taste some good Chinese cuisines, you will get that too.
Have your lunch & take rest for at least couple of hours so that you can cover some places in the evening.
Ever thing is set &

What are the places to visit?
Hadimba temple
Manu temple
Famou gurudwara
Buddhist monasteries
Vashist temple etc..
Visit some of the places & start your next day journey to Rohtang pass
Best season to visit
Want to see snow hills then the best season to visit Manali, Rohtang pass (roads will be blocked if heavy snow falls) is September to January.
I visited in October, I celebrated diwali in rohtang pass.
Rohtang pass is 61 km from Manali. It will take 1 ½ hr to reach there.
On the way to rohtang there are lots of shops which gives long woolen coats & rubber shoes on rent, you can try those stuff.
After ½ hr the live moments of the journey comes, as your vehicles passes through the mountains completely covered with snow. Have some snaps on the way for you memories. At last you will reach Rohtang pass where you will find a thick layer of at least 3 foot.
My vehicle was stopped 11 km before rohtang pass because of heavy snow fall, roads are blocked & tourist vehicles are never allowed under that circumstances.
A local jeep river offered me a ride to rohtang pass for 1500/- to & fro-22 kms.
I don’t suggest you to put that much amount for that as mostly it will be the stuff you will find there.
If you are traveling in any other season you can have a look of Rohtang pass.
Forgot to tell you if can arrange a camcorder for you self, it will be a good idea. So that you can record your finest moment of your life.

Have a look at some of the snaps I have taken in that trip.
Really, I cannot forget the trip. I have seen so many places but this one is for a life time remembrance. I was mesmerized as I haven’t seen snow mountains-(have seen in movies).
Spend time till 4 pm & start there for safer return.

Wanna do shopping there?
I haven’t found any special things to buy there- you have a try.
Mostly the things available there are woolens, belts etc.
You can get the best deal in sorojininagar, palika bazaar than in Manali.

Visit the uncovered places-with the help of local tourist guide.
Don’t hesitate to visit temples.
You will see/get some interesting stuff there.

What are the precautions (for your safety) to be taken?
As discussed some of the points above,
Experienced driver-Must
Woolen clothes- depends on your visiting time.
Try to have your vehicle’s back seat in straight-not understood, leave it.
Do not travel when it was raining, land slides, heavy snow fall etc.

Finally, I hope the above things will help you some thing to know about the place.