Weekend Getaways from Kullu at the Southern Edge of the Kullu

Weekend Getaways From Kullu by newsdesk At the southern edge of the Kullu valley on the west bank of the Beas River is the old town of Mandi established in the 16th century by Rajput rulers. Though now visitors just pass through the town on their way to more exotic destinations in the valley, the town is sacred for both Hindus and Buddhists and has some interesting sights to stop for, including several ancient temples, the 17th century palace and the bustling marketplace. Amongst the major temples are the Trilokinath temple built in the Naggar style with slanting tiled roof and the idol of a three-faced Shiva riding a bull; the Panchavaktra temple with a five-faced Shiva; the Bhutnath temple next to the river where Shivratri celebrations are held, and the Ardhanarishvara temple with the composite male-female image of Shiva and Shakti. The Mata Kuan Rani temple, up from the main market, is dedicated to a princess of Mandi and her consort Padmasambhava (Buddha’s disciple, who introduced Buddhism to Tibet). It is said that the King of Mandi condemned the couple to die in a fire and when the embers died down, a lake with a lotus appeared at the spot. Known as Rewalsar or Tso Pema Lake, it is 24 kms south-east of the main town. At the lake is a 14th century Buddhist monastery with a golden statue of Padmasambhava and a Gurudwara (holy shrine of Sikhs) marking the visit of the tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh. Kaisdhar at a distance of 15 kms, is a meadow nestled among tall deodar trees. It is a quiet spot, ideal for picnics. The Kullu valley is an ideal location for trout fishing, white water rafting and hiking. Raison at 1,433 metres (16 kms) has a camp sight with log cabins of Himachal tourism. A place for solitude in the midst of apple orchards.. Katrain, 20 kms down the road to Manali has a trout farm and hatchery and a Himachal Tourism hotel to stay in. The Kullu valley has numerous places for trout fishing. Along the Tirthan river are Larji (34 kms) and Banjar (58 kms), excellent locations for trout fishing. Shoja, 69 kms away at 2,692 metres is a good place to view the Kullu valley from. All around lie swift flowing rivers, dense forests and meadows with majestic peaks at the back. Naggar, 23 kms north of Kullu was the ancient capital of the kingdom before it was shifted to Kullu in the mid-18th century. The 16th century castle built in the traditional Pahari style with alternating stone and timber withstood a severe earthquake in 1905. After the capital was shifted, the castle served as the summer residence of the rulers uptil the time it was sold to a British officer in 1846. The building surrounds a central courtyard, with the first floor verandahs providing magnificent views of the valley. The Jagti Pat temple within the castle has a triangular stone slab icon. It is believed that the slab was brought from the summit of Deo Tibba, the celestial seat of all the deities. A small museum within the fort displays traditional dresses, costumes of folk dancers and musical instruments. Himachal Tourism now runs a hotel in the castle. A short climb up from the Naggar castle is the Nicholas Roerich Museum, displaying paintings and photographs of the famous Russian painter, philosopher and writer. Born in 1874, Roerich travelled extensively through the Himalayas and is famed for his paintings of the majestic mountains. In 1929, Roerich returned to settle in Naggar where his family established the Uruswati Himalayan Folk Art Museum. The painter died in 1947, but the Institute continues with a display of local folk art, costumes, Roerich’s paintings and even Russian folk art. There is a library of rare books, an herb garden and a counter selling postcards and books. Amongst the holy shrines in Naggar, the most significant ones are the temples of Tripura Sundari, the Murlidhar Mandir and the Gaurishankar Mandir. The pagoda-style wooden temple of Tripura Sundari dedicated to the mother goddess, has a three-tiered roof and animal carvings. Every year in mid-May there is a fair at the temple when deities from surrounding villages are brought here in procession. The stone-carved Murlidhar Mandir is believed to be one of the oldest shrines in the area and is strictly out of bounds for non-Hindus. It sits on a stone base with magnificent views of the surrounding valley and snow peaks. The temple was destroyed in the earthquake of 1905, but has since been restored. The Gaurishankar Mandir, near the bus stand, has carved stone shikharas (spires) and a paved courtyard. This is also a very old temple. The Kullu Valley is the transit point for trekking routes over the Chanderkhani pass to Malana, the Jalori Pass and Bashleo Pass to Shimla and the Pin Parvati pass to Sarahan. The Parvati River, the longest tributary of Beas, veers off to the north-east 8 kms from Kullu. It is one of the ideal areas for trekking and mountaineering. Several parts of the Parvati valley remain untouched by modern civilisation and preserve the magic of the mystic mountains. Many areas here are frequented by tourists seeking easy access to wild cannabis, which grows in abundance here. One of the most popular destinations in the Parvati valley is the village of Manikaran, famed for its hot sulphur springs. According to folklore, Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva lost one of her earrings or Manikarna while bathing in the river. The earring was recovered by Sheshnaga, the divine serpent. When Shiva confronted Sheshnaga, he spat it out in rage, thus giving rise to the foaming springs. The springs are reputed to be the hottest in the world and men and women bathe in separate areas to experience the springs’ healing powers. Sitting at the bottom of a dark gorge, the village has two shrines devoted to the Hindu gods Rama and Shiva. The Gurudwara (Sikh shrine) with an onion-shaped dome has an underground pool where Sikhs bathe before listening to recitals of the holy Guru Granth Sahib. Manikaran is also on the way for trek routes to Pulga, Khirganga and Mantalai. At Khirganga, there are more hot springs with open bathing spaces for men and an enclosure for women. Here, Shiva is said to have meditated for 2,000 years at a stretch. Of great natural beauty, this route finally reaches the Pin Parvati Pass to open into the Sutlej valley in Lahaul-Spiti. A short distance from Manikaran is the tiny resort of Kasol. An open space that goes down to clear white sands by the Parvati river, Kasol is also popular for trout fishing. Trekking down 7 kms after the Chanderkhani Pass (3,660 metres) you will reach the remote village of Malana. The people of this village are governed by rigid rules and are dictated by the orders of their village deity, Jamlu. The village is believed to be the oldest practising democracy in the world, where all decisions are taken jointly, under the watchful presence of Jamlu. The local people are distinct from others in the area and speak a Tibetan-based language. They believe that they are descendants of soldiers from Alexander’s lost army. Any interaction of the villagers with outsiders is frowned upon, though the rigid caste-based rules have relaxed quite a bit. Even the presiding deity Jamlu maintains his separate identity in the cluster of village deities in the region. At the Dussehra festival in Kullu, Jamlu is the only god who does not pay obeisance to Raghunathji, and remains on the opposite bank of the Beas river. Considered remote and inhospitable till recent times, Malana’s curious customs and legends have attracted many visiors to the village, thus giving rise to some basic tourist accommodation in the area. Weekend Getaways From Kullu by newsdesk.

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