Manali

The tourist visiting Kullu Manali relax and have a good time and their stay turns out to be a precious vacation with long lasting experiences.

Kullu
The most charming and beautiful Kulu valley spreads out its charm on either side of river Beas. It entices with its awe inspiring glens and mossy meadows encircled by the rushing streams and meandering brooks, flung east & west, a fairly wide area is open to the tourists, the trekkers, the mountaineers, the artists and to anyone who wishes to escape the heat & dust of the plains to breathe the exhilarating air of the Himalaya and enjoy the spectacle of the variegated mountain scenery. The valley is also famous for its exquisitely woven colorful hand made shawls and kullu caps. The town of Kullu is famous for its colorful Dussehra festival. A mela springs up during the festival which is celebrated with a great deal of singing, dancing and festivity.

Manali
40 kms. away from Kulu to the north, Manali is situated near the end of the valley on the National Highway leading to Leh. The landscape here is breath taking. One sees well-defined snow capped peaks, the Beas river with its clear water meanders through the town. On the other side are deodar and pine trees, tiny fields and fruit orchards. It is an excellent place for a holiday, a favorite resort for trekkers to Lahaul, Spiti, Kinnaur, Leh and Zanskar regions in Kashmir valley. The Manali market is crowded with myriads of interesting shops selling Tibetan carpets and crafts and the appetizing aroma of steaming noodles hangs about the little restaurants. Interesting routes into the surrounding valleys, over the high passes, are provided with tourist huts and rest houses for trekking enthusiasts.

Major Adventure Sports Sites
Skiing
The Manali skiing expeditions involve helicopters, which are going to drop keen skiers onto peaks as high as 6,500m. The high peaks reduce the wind speed at lower levels where one skis, resulting in consistent, light and powdery snow. Powder skiing is easier to learn with the new thick kind of skis, especially if you are new to skiing.

Mountaineering
Manali has spectacular views of snowcapped peaks and is surrounded by towering peaks from all around. Manali's major asset is its proximity to the snowline. It has a flourishing orchard industry, a popular honeymoon destination and trailhead for numerous treks as well as a great countryside ideal for adventure sport lovers.

River Rafting
An angelers paradise, Kullu has several spots for both trout and mahaseer as well as other fish. Acclaimed as the best sport fish in the world, both brown and Raibow trout are found in Kullus Stream. The upper reaches of the river Beas in Kullu valley, and its streams like the Sarvari, Parbati, Saint, Hurla are excellent for the sport.

Important Temples in and around Manali
Vashist Springs
At about half an hour's brisk walking distance from town, there are sulphur springs-gush, hot and medicinal - emerging out of the mountains at Vashisht.

Jagatsukh
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.

Places of Interest in Kullu
Raghunathji Temple
In the 17th century, Raja Jagat Singh of Kulu committed a great wrong. To atone for the sin he sent a senior courtier to Ayodhya for a statue of Lord Raghunath - Lord Ram. This temple was built by Raja Jagat Singh to house the image and even today, is greatly revered. The shrine houses an image of Shri Raghunath in his chariot.

Bijli Mahadev Temple
Set on a spur that offers some spectacular views, this temple is famous for its 20m high rod that periodically draws lightning, which shatters the 'Shivalinga' and scorches the building. Using only butter as adhesive, the 'linga' is then carefully pieced together by the temple pundit.