Manali
Encyclopedia
Manali (alt. 1,950 m or 6,398 ft), in the Beas River
valley
, is an important hill station in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh
, India
, near the northern end of the Kullu
Valley. It is located about 250 kilometres (155 mi) north of state capital, Shimla
.
Manali is administratively a part of the Kullu district
, with population of approx. 30,000. The small town was the beginning of an ancient trade route
to Ladakh
and, from there, over the Karakoram Pass
on to Yarkand and Khotan
in the Tarim Basin
.
Manali and the surrounding area is of great significance to Indian culture and heritage as it is said to be the home of the Saptarshi
, or Seven Sages.
India census
, Manali had a population of 6265. Males constitute 64% of the population and females 36%. Manali has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 80%, and female literacy is 63%. In Manali, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Monthly precipitation varies between 31 mm (1.2 in) in November to 217 mm (8.5 in) in July. In average, some 45 mm (1.8 in) of precipitation is received during winter and spring months, increasing to some 115 mm (4.5 in) in summer as the monsoon approaches. The average total annual precipitation is 1363 mm (53.7 in). Snowfall in the region, which usually took place in the month of December, has been delayed over the last fifteen years to January or early February.
lawgiver Manu
. The word Manali is regarded as the changed name of "Manu-Alaya" which literally means "the abode of Manu". Legend has it that sage Manu stepped off his ark in Manali to recreate human life after a great flood had deluged the world. Manali is also often referred to as the "Valley of the Gods". The Old Manali village has an ancient temple dedicated to sage Manu.
and settled to take up agriculture. Some of the earliest inhabitants of the region are the 'naur' or 'nar', which is a caste unique to the Kullu valley. Only a few naur families are known to exist now. A naur family in the village Soyal near Haripur on the west bank of Manali was famous for the vast land they owned and their practice of having 'rakshas' as their labourers.
The British introduced apple trees and trout, which were not native to Manali flora and fauna. It is said that when apple trees were first planted the fruits were so plentiful that often branches, unable to bear the weight, would collapse. To this day, apple—along with plum and pear—remains the best source of income for the majority of its inhabitants.
Tourism in Manali received a boost after the rise of militancy in Kashmir
in the late 1980s. This once quiet village was transformed into a bustling town with many hotels and restaurants.
are the towns of Panipat
and Ambala
in Haryana
, Chandigarh
(Union Territory
), Ropar in Punjab, and Bilaspur
, Sundernagar, and Mandi in Himachal.
Manali is not easily approachable by rail. The nearest broad gauge
railheads are at Chandigarh
(315 km (195.7 mi)), Pathankot
(325 km (201.9 mi)) and Kalka
(310 km (192.6 mi)). The nearest narrow gauge railhead is at Joginder Nagar (135 kilometres (83.9 mi))
The nearest airport is at Bhuntar
, which is about 50 km (31.1 mi) from Manali. Currently, Kingfisher Red operates daily nonstop services from Delhi, Air India
provides twice a week nonstop services and MDLR Airlines
provides services to Delhi six days in a week.
MANU TEMPLE (2 km) : This is dedicated to the sage Manu situated at old Manali.
VASHISTH (3 km) : Well known for its hot springs. There are old temples dedicated to the sage Vashisth and to Lord Rama.
MONASTERIES : There are three recently built Tibetan monasteries at Manali.
JAGATSUKH (6 km) : The one time capital of Kullu. Here are old temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and to Sandhya Gayatri. The Arjun caves are just ahead.
SOLANG VALLEY(14 km) : In a picturesque setting this has good ski slopes and picnic spots.
TOWARDS THE ROHTANG PASS : On the road to Keylong is the Nehru Kund (6km) which is a clear water spring scenic spot named after the Late Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. Kothi (12km) is a picturesque village and has a thrilling view of the deep gorge through which the Beas swiftly races. The beautiful Rahalla falls (16km) are at at altitude of 2500m. A crucial link on the old trade route and still the gateway to trans Himalayan Lahaul, the Rohtang Pass is at height of 3978 m.
CLUB HOUSE : The Club House with its comprehensive facilities that include a roller skating rink, an auditorium, billiards rooms, a library, a bar and restaurant makes wonderful outing for the day.Bungee jumping is also provided.
CAFE JUNIPAR : Himachal Tourism also runs the Juniper cafe and Chandratal restaurants at Manali.
Nagar : This is also very beautiful place in manali.
ROHTANG : This is beautiful Snow covered area near by manali, Just 52 Km. from manali.
http://www.filmapia.com/published/places/rohtang-pass
Beas River
The Beas River is a river in the northern part of India. The river rises in the Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh, India, and flows for some 470 km to the Sutlej River in the Indian state of Punjab....
valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
, is an important hill station in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, near the northern end of the Kullu
Kullu
Kullu, once known as Kul-anti-peetha - "the end of the habitable world", is the capital town of the Kullu District, in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is located on the banks of the Beas River in the Kullu Valley about ten kilometres north of the airport at Bhuntar.Kullu is a broad open...
Valley. It is located about 250 kilometres (155 mi) north of state capital, Shimla
Shimla
Shimla , formerly known as Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British...
.
Manali is administratively a part of the Kullu district
Kullu district
Kullu is a district in Himachal Pradesh, India. The district stretches from the village of Rampur in the south to the Rohtang Pass in the North....
, with population of approx. 30,000. The small town was the beginning of an ancient trade route
Trade route
A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. Allowing goods to reach distant markets, a single trade route contains long distance arteries which may further be connected to several smaller networks of commercial...
to Ladakh
Ladakh
Ladakh is a region of Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of the Republic of India. It lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent...
and, from there, over the Karakoram Pass
Karakoram Pass
The Karakoram Pass is a mountain pass between India and China in the Karakoram Range. It is the highest pass on the ancient caravan route between Leh in Ladakh and Yarkand in the Tarim Basin...
on to Yarkand and Khotan
Khotan
Hotan , or Hetian , also spelled Khotan, is the seat of the Hotan Prefecture in Xinjiang, China. It was previously known in Chinese as 于窴/於窴 and to 19th-century European explorers as Ilchi....
in the Tarim Basin
Tarim Basin
The Tarim Basin is a large endorheic basin occupying an area of about . It is located in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China's far west. Its northern boundary is the Tian Shan mountain range and its southern is the Kunlun Mountains on the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. The...
.
Manali and the surrounding area is of great significance to Indian culture and heritage as it is said to be the home of the Saptarshi
Saptarshi
The Saptarishi are the seven rishis who are extolled at many places in the Vedas and Hindu literature. The Vedic Samhitas never actually enumerate these rishis by name, though later Vedic texts such as the Brahmanas and Upanisads do so. They are regarded in the Vedas as the patriarchs of the...
, or Seven Sages.
Geography
Manali is located at 32.239633 N,77.188715 E The town ranges in elevation from 1800 m (5,905.5 ft) to, in the uppermost "Old Manali" section, 2000 m (6,561.7 ft).Demographics
Manali is a cosmopolitan town. People from different parts of India have settled here.India census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Manali had a population of 6265. Males constitute 64% of the population and females 36%. Manali has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 80%, and female literacy is 63%. In Manali, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Climate
The climate in Manali is predominantly cold during winters, and moderately cool during summers. The temperatures range from 4 °C (39.2 °F) to 30 °C (86 °F) over the year. The average temperature during summer is between 14 °C (57.2 °F) and 20 °C (68 °F), and between -7 C and 10 °C (50 °F) in the winter.Monthly precipitation varies between 31 mm (1.2 in) in November to 217 mm (8.5 in) in July. In average, some 45 mm (1.8 in) of precipitation is received during winter and spring months, increasing to some 115 mm (4.5 in) in summer as the monsoon approaches. The average total annual precipitation is 1363 mm (53.7 in). Snowfall in the region, which usually took place in the month of December, has been delayed over the last fifteen years to January or early February.
Etymology
Manali is named after the HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
lawgiver Manu
Manu Smriti
' , also known as Mānava-Dharmaśāstra , is the most important and earliest metrical work of the Dharmaśāstra textual tradition of Hinduism...
. The word Manali is regarded as the changed name of "Manu-Alaya" which literally means "the abode of Manu". Legend has it that sage Manu stepped off his ark in Manali to recreate human life after a great flood had deluged the world. Manali is also often referred to as the "Valley of the Gods". The Old Manali village has an ancient temple dedicated to sage Manu.
History
In ancient times, the valley was sparsely populated by nomadic hunters known as 'rakshas'. The next arrivals were the shepherds who arrived from the Kangra ValleyKangra Valley
Kangra Valley is situated in Himachal Pradesh, India. It is a popular tourist destination, with the peak season around March and April.Dharamsala, the headquarters of Kangra district, lies on the southern spur of Dhauladhar in the valley .-Geography:...
and settled to take up agriculture. Some of the earliest inhabitants of the region are the 'naur' or 'nar', which is a caste unique to the Kullu valley. Only a few naur families are known to exist now. A naur family in the village Soyal near Haripur on the west bank of Manali was famous for the vast land they owned and their practice of having 'rakshas' as their labourers.
The British introduced apple trees and trout, which were not native to Manali flora and fauna. It is said that when apple trees were first planted the fruits were so plentiful that often branches, unable to bear the weight, would collapse. To this day, apple—along with plum and pear—remains the best source of income for the majority of its inhabitants.
Tourism in Manali received a boost after the rise of militancy in Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
in the late 1980s. This once quiet village was transformed into a bustling town with many hotels and restaurants.
Transport
Manali is well connected by road to Delhi through NH-21 and NH 1, which goes on to Leh and is claimed to be world's highest motorable road. Leading up to Manali from New DelhiNew Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
are the towns of Panipat
Panipat
Panipat بَنِبَت is an ancient and historic city in Panipat district, Haryana state, India. It is 90 km north from Delhi and 169 km south of Chandigarh on NH-1. The three battles fought at the city were turning points in Indian history. The city is famous in India by the name of "City of...
and Ambala
Ambala
Ambala is a city and a municipal corporation in Ambala district in the state of Haryana, India, located on the border of the states of Haryana and Punjab in India. Politically; Ambala has two sub-areas: Ambala Cantt and Ambala City, approximately 3 kilometers apart from each other...
in Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, Chandigarh
Chandigarh
Chandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...
(Union Territory
Union Territory
A Union Territory is a sub-national administrative division of India, in the federal framework of governance. Unlike the states of India, which have their own elected governments, union territories are ruled directly by the federal government; the President of India appoints an Administrator or...
), Ropar in Punjab, and Bilaspur
Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh
Bilaspur is a city and a municipal council in Bilaspur district in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India.-Geography:Bilaspur is located at . It has an average elevation of 673 metres . It is hot in summer and cold in winters. It rains mostly in July to august .It lies near the reservoir of...
, Sundernagar, and Mandi in Himachal.
Manali is not easily approachable by rail. The nearest broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
railheads are at Chandigarh
Chandigarh
Chandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...
(315 km (195.7 mi)), Pathankot
Pathankot
Pathankot became 22nd district on 28th July 2011 and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Punjab. It was a part of the Nurpur princely state ruled by the Rajputs prior to 1849 AD. It is a meeting point of the three northern states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir...
(325 km (201.9 mi)) and Kalka
Kalka
Kalka is a town in the Panchkula district of Haryana, India. The name of the town is derived from the goddess Kali. The town is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas and is a gateway to the neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh. It is on the National Highway 22 between Chandigarh and Shimla,...
(310 km (192.6 mi)). The nearest narrow gauge railhead is at Joginder Nagar (135 kilometres (83.9 mi))
The nearest airport is at Bhuntar
Bhuntar
Bhuntar is a town and a nagar panchayat in Kullu district in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India.-Demographics: India census, Bhuntar had a population of 5260. Males constitute 55% of the population and females 45%. Bhuntar has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher than the national average of...
, which is about 50 km (31.1 mi) from Manali. Currently, Kingfisher Red operates daily nonstop services from Delhi, Air India
Air India
Air India is the flag carrier airline of India. It is part of the government of India owned Air India Limited . The airline operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft serving Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. Its corporate office is located at the Air India Building at Nariman...
provides twice a week nonstop services and MDLR Airlines
MDLR Airlines
MDLR Airlines was an airline based in Gurgaon, Haryana, India. It operated scheduled domestic services. It suspended its operations from 5 November 2009.-History:...
provides services to Delhi six days in a week.
Places of interest
HADIMBA TEMPLE (1 km) : Built in 1533 A.D. with a superbly crafted four tiered pagoda roof, it is famous for its exquisitely carved doorway.MANU TEMPLE (2 km) : This is dedicated to the sage Manu situated at old Manali.
VASHISTH (3 km) : Well known for its hot springs. There are old temples dedicated to the sage Vashisth and to Lord Rama.
MONASTERIES : There are three recently built Tibetan monasteries at Manali.
JAGATSUKH (6 km) : The one time capital of Kullu. Here are old temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and to Sandhya Gayatri. The Arjun caves are just ahead.
SOLANG VALLEY(14 km) : In a picturesque setting this has good ski slopes and picnic spots.
TOWARDS THE ROHTANG PASS : On the road to Keylong is the Nehru Kund (6km) which is a clear water spring scenic spot named after the Late Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. Kothi (12km) is a picturesque village and has a thrilling view of the deep gorge through which the Beas swiftly races. The beautiful Rahalla falls (16km) are at at altitude of 2500m. A crucial link on the old trade route and still the gateway to trans Himalayan Lahaul, the Rohtang Pass is at height of 3978 m.
CLUB HOUSE : The Club House with its comprehensive facilities that include a roller skating rink, an auditorium, billiards rooms, a library, a bar and restaurant makes wonderful outing for the day.Bungee jumping is also provided.
CAFE JUNIPAR : Himachal Tourism also runs the Juniper cafe and Chandratal restaurants at Manali.
Nagar : This is also very beautiful place in manali.
ROHTANG : This is beautiful Snow covered area near by manali, Just 52 Km. from manali.
http://www.filmapia.com/published/places/rohtang-pass
Further reading
- Verma, V. 1996. Gaddis of Dhauladhar: A Transhumant Tribe of the Himalayas. Indus Publishing Co., New Delhi.
- Handa, O. C. 1987. Buddhist Monasteries in Himachel Pradesh. Indus Publishing Co., New Delhi. ISBN 81-85182-03-5.