 It rained at Dalhousie on our second
night (June 18). But the weather cleared soon and the morning was bright and sunny. We walked through the main streets of the town, literally rubbing shoulders with
ponies. (In Himachal towns, one is never far from an STD booth, a mountain stream or river, and these ubiquitous ponies, not to speak of horse-dung!). We left Dalhousie by taxi at 5 a m on June 20 after a quiet day , Though our destination was the Valley of Glaciers, Manali, we halted at Dharamshala, the seat of the Dalai Lama, and Chamunda, site of an ancient Kali temple, 16 km from Dharamshala. Our progress was slow as we had to negotiate a narrow ghat road with fissures and rockfalls at a few points. We reached Dharamshala around 10 a m, passing on the way school children and women carrying babies or loads on their backs.
Dharamshala, the principal township of Kangra district, is a dual settlement: Lower Dharamshala (1380m), a commercial centre, and Upper Dharamshala (1830m), with the suburbs of McLeodganj and Forsytheganj. This resort, set against the majestic Dhauladhar ranges, is a big draw for tourists for another reason: the Church of St John in the Wilderness and the final resting place of Lord Elgin, British Viceroy, are located here. It is also the home of a large Tibetan community. McLeodganj (1770m), often called Little Lhasa, is the headquarters of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We visited the monastery here with its larger than life images of the Buddha, Padmasambhava and
Avalokteshwara.
 The atmosphere there was that of a "patasala" with young monks in traditional attire moving about or offering prayers. Dharamshala overlooks the shrines of Jwalamukhi, Brijeshwari and Chamunda situated on the plains below. The toy train station is 17 km from here at Kangra while Delhi is 526 km away. A popular picnic spot on the way is Bagsunag, where a temple of that name is located near fresh water springs. The slate quarries are close by. We worshipped at the Chamunda Devi shrine at a height of 1000m. It is on the bank of the Bander (Banganga), a rivulet. Goddess Kali is venerated here as the destroyer of the demons, Chanda and Munda, in a fierce battle.
We checked into our hotel at Manali around
9 pm. The highway had broadened once we reached Mandi and the drive beyond Mandi town was an enchanting experience. The Beas river had been our constant companion, murmuring along its rocky bed most of the time. The course was placid only on the stretch above a dam. |
We stayed for two days in Manali, visiting the places around. Manali takes its name after the seventh Manu, who along with seven sages was saved by Lord Vishnu from the deluge that swallowed up the earth. The Lord towed Manu's ark to safety in his Matsya incarnation. Legend has it that the ark came to rest on a hillside. When the earth slowly dried, there arose a place of breath-taking natural beauty. It was called
Manali, the cradle of humankind.
The nearest airport is Bhunter, 50 km away, and the broadgauge railhead is
Chandigarh, 310 km from Manali. The closest narrow-gauge station is
Jogindernagar, 135 km from here. The first place of interest that comes to mind is the Club House with its roller skating rink, an auditorium, billiard rooms, library and restaurants. The temple dedicated to Maharishi Manu is two kilometres from
Manali. The famed shrine of Hadimba is in the suburban village of
Dhungri. Built in 1553, it houses Bheema's wife Hidimba (or Hadimba), worshipped as
Devi. It is an architectural marvel, built in Pagoda style. Located amidst deodar woods, it is famous for its exquisitely carved doorway. Nearby is a place of homage to
Gatotkach, son of Bheema.
Thirteen kilometres from Manali is the Solang Valley with its snow-capped mountains and fantastic glaciers. Winter games are held here every year. We can never forget our 51-kilometre drive along a narrow, winding road to the Rohtang Pass that separates the Kullu-Manali and Lahaul-Spiti valleys. This can be reached only between June and September. On the way we saw the Nehru Kund (6 km), a clear water spring, and Jawaharlal Nehru Kothi (12 km), a village that offered a thrilling view of the Beas flowing through a gorge. The beautiful Rahalla Falls (16 km) are at an altitude of 2500m.
A visit to Manali would be incomplete without a bath in the Vasisht hot springs, three kilometres away. The place has old temples dedicated to Vasisht and Lord
Rama. Three recently built monasteries are also tourist attractions. Two days are hardly enough to have your fill of
Manali. It is a magnet that continues to draw tourists, mostly from Delhi and Punjab, again and again. On our way back from
Rohtang, we saw a unit of "Kalavum Katru Mara" shooting a sequence for the film of that name, featuring Prabhu Deva and
Roja. It is a small world indeed!
(Concluded)
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