Scared and Religious Sites

 Hadimba Devi Temple - Manali



one of the most popular tourist attraction in manali is the hadimba devi temple an ancient cave temple . The story of this devi, bhim's wife takes us back to the days of Mahabharata where she was born as a demoness or raksashi. But after her rigorous tapasya she was eventually was blessed with supernatural power and turned into a devi. However its the history but the devi temple that was built over centuries, has always left me mesmerised with its beauty. Its a pagoda style architecture installed in the serene forest of dungri and the people of dungri and old manali comprise to be her care taker. The temple is all wooden and ancient stone establishment, its calm atmosphere can easily touch ones soul.

I have visited this temple many times and always get excited to visit again, now people come from all around the world to take a peek at this conical structure that beholds so much just in its atmosphere. It has also became a source of income for the locals as we can see many local stalls ,people also have yaks also rabbits for the tourists so they can ride or click pictures with them. There is no place to worry about taxi's or rental vehicles as its every where to be found. You can book taxi from the mall road or take a trip by foot to the temple it will take maximum 40- 45 minutes depending on your speed and local traffic. All and all its a great place to visit if you come to manali.

 



Bijli Mahadev Temple - Kullu



Bijli Mahadev temple is a Hindu temple in Kullu Himachal Pradesh this temple is dedicated to lord Shiva whom we call Mahadev. The temple is located as a distance of 14 km from main Kullu at 2460m elevation. After reaching the point where the road ends by bus or car we have to do a trek of 3km to reach the top on foot which is a path lined with pine trees it will hardly takes 2-3 hours to reach the top. After reaching the top one can have a panoramic views of the Kullu and Parvati valleys.


The temple is all wooden story with a beautiful shiv lingam installed at the center of the temple which is said to be made of makhan and satto. Its a belief amongst the people that every 12 years, the shiv lingam is struck by lighting and breaks into pieces and is repaired again by the temple priest. There is also a saying that Mahadev killed the demon named jalandar and stuck the trishul in his head on which the temple resides, known as the village named mathan (head of the demon).

Families and friends come and visit this temple to show devotion towards the deity and have his blessing. There are plenty of food stalls to eat so we do not need to worry about bringing our own food. I have been to this temple many times and would say its a must, to visit once. There are two routes to reach, one route is the one that i mentioned above but there is an another route which is totally offroad and if you wish to come from their please come in a 4x4 vehicle as its dangerous and the driver should also be experienced, this road will connect direct to the top no trekking is needed and if i say from my experience its one of a heck experience if you wish to choose.


Manikaran Sahib - Parvati Valley


Manikaran is a village located in the parvati valley it is 4 km from kasol and 45 km from kullu. We can go to this place by a bus or by our own private vehicle. Its a pilgrimage centre for hindus and sikhs. The area is well known for its hindu temples and gurudwara and also how can we forget about the hot springs. 



There is a story of shiva-parvati among the locals behind the hot water in the manikaran and also the visiting of guru nanak left a presence of sikhism here. The place has now became a tourist attraction. The main reason of hot water is said to be the presence of deep fissures or cracks in the Parvati Valley region. Manikaran sahib is known for its spiritual ambiance, healing hot springs, picturesque surroundings and much more, there is facilities like langar where everyone can eat. I would say this place is a worth visiting as its a fusion of both tourists and pilgrims.

 


While coming from kullu towards this place you will come across the most scenic views and curves. People should come and visit the cafes and live the night life of this valley. Also there are some of the most famous hikes like Kheerganga trek which i have also done, its about 12-13 km long and takes 5-6 hours including decent numbers of breaks. It will cost you between 1000-2000 rs including guide, camping and food. For me it cost nothing, there are some perks of being local i mean!!





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