Kullu Manali Hill Station
kulu - manali :-In the Valley of the
Gods The Kulu valley with its pastoral ambience, fruit orchards,
temple and mountain scenery, is one of the beautiful valleys in the
Himalayas. This accessible mountain resort is sandwiched between the inner
ranges of the Himalayas and the River Beas. Manali, 40 km. beyond Kulu, is
reached by a dramatic ascent at the end of which one view the Central
Himalayan ranges. It is a lush green hill resort surrounded by mountains
ranges and gushing streams. For trekkers this region offers great scope for
adventure. Manali is the gateway to the Rohtang Pass and the barren snow
lands of Lahaul and Spiti beyond. Keylong, in the midst of the region, has a
number of Buddhist monasteries. During the Dussehra festival the whole
valley comes alive with music and dance, fairs and festivals.
WHAT
TO SEE KULU -- Tour & Excursions: There
are several shrines in and around Kulu like Raghunathji Temple, Vaishno Devi
(4 km.) and the Bijli Mahadev Shrine (14 km.).
» Raison
(16 km.) where there is a camping site on the banks of the Beas.
»
Katrain (20 km.), en route to Manali, has apple orchards and a trout
hatchery.
» Naggar (27 km.). Located above the River
Beas, it commands an excellent view of the valley. It was the capital of the
Rajas of Kulu for 1400 years.
» Roerich Art Gallery
(housing the paintings and sculpture of the famous artist, Nicholas
Roerich), 1 km. from Naggar.
» Manikaran Hot Spring
(45 km.) are also a place of pilgrimage for Hindus and Sikhs.
MANALI --- Tour & Excursions: »
Vasisht Baths and hot Springs.
» Dhoongri Temple
dedicated to Hadimba Devi (the wife of Bhima of the Mahabharata).
»
Jagatsukh, ancient capital Kulu
» Tibetan Monastery.
Tibetan carpet weaving can be seen here.
» Solang Valley,
for winter sports. There are good skiing slopes with an excellent ski lift.
» Rahtang Pass (51 km.) at an altitude of 4112 meters
(13,700 ft.) on the route to Kaylong is the only access to the Lahaul Valley
(open June to September).
» Lahaul Valley is near the
Indo-Tibetan border and is primitive and rugged, surrounded by high
mountains and massive glaciers.
» Keylong (117 km.)
is reached by a motorable road from Manali. There are several gompass of
Buddhist monasteries which are repositories of Buddhist art.
FESTIVAL OF SPECIAL LOCAL INTEREST Festival at
Hadimba Devi Temple, Manali (May). Nearly every temple in valley has a
festival at some part of the year. Dussehra (September-October) is the
biggest festival at Kulu with festivities going on for a week. The highlight
is the Rath festival on the Dussehra day. About 200 deities of the hill
people are brought to pay homage to Lord Raghunathji, who is taken in
procession in a large rath (chariot). There is great celebration with music,
dance and all manner of festivities.
SHOPPING
Fine Kulu shawls, the most famous being the Pashmina, embroidered scarves
from Chamba, and embroidered footwear are real work of art. Miniature
paintings from Chamba and Kangra are also available. A popular craft is
wood-carving out of the wide range of wood like birch, walnut, black
mulberry etc., made into articles of daily use. Dolls of Himachal, woven
rugs in bright colours (called namdahs), Tibetan carpets, Kulu cape, Tibetan
curios, tankhas (tapestries), metal craft and so much more is available for
the shopper.
ADVENTURE SPORTS Trekking.
Himachal is a trekker's paradise. Skiing on the snow-covered slopes of
Manali and Rohtang are popular winter sports. A winter sport festival is
organised. by the Mountaineering Institute at Solang near Manali every
winter. White river runs, riverside camping, swimming, nature walks, angling
and bird watching have ample scope in this region as do mountaineering and
rock climbing
