Best places to visit in Manali, India - A Travel guide
School holidays are about to start and heat is on its tip. If you are planning to go to some beautiful place, where you can enjoy the pleasant atmosphere and magnificent location then Manali is the best option to visit. Here is the details on how to reach, best places to visit in Manali, season time etc.
Beauty of Manali
Manali is the perfect tourist destination to enjoy with family, groups of friends and also for newlywed couples. This is called one of the best romantic destination or honeymoon destination in India. Far away from polluted and earsplitting city life, Manali is blessed with plenty of natural splendor. Surrounded by greenery and mountain ranges this place attracts many tourists from all over India and foreign countries throughout the year. The scenic beauty of Manali is picturesque and this is the reason why Manali is called as the 'Queen of Valleys'.It is one of the best Place to visit in Manali.
Also, it is the best spot for the adventure lovers as they can get ample chance to enjoy adventure sports like 'Para Gliding, Trekking, Rafting, River Rafting and skiing'. The nature lovers can come here just to enjoy the 'Deep silence of valleys and the chillness of the snow points'. The place gives the view of 'The Great Himalayan National Park' for the wildlife lovers. You can also visit a number of temples at Manali like Hadimba Temple and Raghunath Temple etc. Along with all these beautiful places, Manali is famous for its Mall road where you can fulfil your urge of shopping for clothes and accessories. How to reach Manali
The nearest airport to Manali is Bhuntar, nearly 50 kilometres away from Manali. The flights are available from Delhi and Chandigarh to reach Manali. Many tourist destinations like Leh, Simla, Kullu, Dharmashala and New Delhi are connected to Manali buses. Delhi to Manali distance is around 550 km. Apart from all these facilities if you want to enjoy the journey to Manali then drive your own vehicle to this fascinating place. The route between mountains and valleys will give you amazing and memorable experience!Temples in Manali
Hadimba Temple
This is the most famous temple in Manali. The temple is shown in various Indian movies. It is a temple of Hadimba Devi, the wife of Mahabali Bheem of Mahabharata. The temple is created over a huge rock in 1553. It is said that the right hands of the artisans who constructed this temple were cut by the king of that region at that time. The temple of Hadimba Devi attracts a number of tourists every year to enjoy the spiritual experience. The grand celebration takes place at the temple on 14th May, the birth date of the divinity. Gompa temple
The temple is known as 'Gadhan Thekchhokling Gompa' and is built by Tibetan expatriates in 1960. This Buddhist temple attracts a number of visitors to Manali every year. This small temple in Manali is beautifully decorated with Pagoda Style yellow roof and inside the temple, a fascinating huge figure of Buddha and beautiful wall paintings of Buddha's preaching about nonviolence is simply mesmerizing. You can also buy Tibetan handicrafts and carpets in the small shops in the temple area. Vashisht temple
The temple is located just 3 km away from Manali. You can see a duo of temples opposite to each other here. One temple is devoted to Lord Rama and another one is devoted to Sage Vashishta. It is said that this was the place where Maharshi Vashishta used to meditate. Many mythological narrations are connected to this holy place. It is said that the water here carries medicinal properties and can heal many health ailments. Jagatsukh Shiva Temple
This temple is located in a small village just 6 km away from Manali. It is a wonderful place for trekking too. The Jagatsukh Shiva Temple is a very old temple built in the 8th century. The fruit orchards and the yearly Chachohli Jatra are the major attractions of this place. Many tourists from all over India visit this ancient temple throughout the year. Manu temple
This beautiful temple is devoted to the Creator of the world and the Writer of Manusmriti, Sage Manu. The temple is located at old Manali, just three km away from the marketplace. This place is one of the major attractions in Manali, as river Beas flows from this place. This holy temple gives a place a great historical as well as mythological importance. Rahalla falls
Sixteen kilometres away from Manali, the beautiful Rahalla Waterfall is at the height of 8,500ft. This spot is considered as one of the best picnic spots. Rahalla falls are the product of melting glaciers of The Great Himalayas. You can enjoy the breathtaking natural beauty of this splendid place. Rahalla falls area is surrounded with thick deodar forest and the fresh atmosphere gives you mental as well as physical relaxation. Solang Vally
If you are interested in skiing then it is the best place for you. The place has around 300m high ski lift. This place is also called as Snow Point. The visitors who love adventure sports, love to visit this place to enjoy various activities like skiing, horse riding, zorbing and para-gliding. Every year winter skiing festival is held at this place. Naggar Castle
This medieval castle was built by Raja Sidh Singh of Kullu in 1460 A.D and later it is transformed into Heritage Hotel. You can view the scenic Kullu valley from this location. You can enjoy the paintings of Russian Artist Nicholas Roerich here. Also, three old holy places you can visit in Naggar castle. Rohtang Pass
You have to cross 51 km's from Manali to reach Rohtang Pass. It is famous as the 'Highest Jeepable road in the World'. Located at the height of 4111m above the sea level the pass is surrounded by beautiful mountain ranges. If you are interested in courageous activities like paragliding, skiing and mountain biking then Rohtang pass is the best base camp for it. But you need to visit this pass with permission from the state authorities during the months of May to September only. Season and best time to visit Manali
If you wish to enjoy snowfall and the beautiful dazzling white view of the snow-covered mountains then the months of December and January are the best options. This is a very good time for skiing activities. If you visit there during the months of March to June you can enjoy the pleasant weather and scenic beauty of nature. The activities like paragliding, rafting, trekking and other adventures can be enjoyed during this time. The temperature of the place is very low from September to February and during July and August there is heavy rainfall in Manali, so these months are not advisable for tourists.
