Situated in the central parts of the northern state of Himachal Pradesh,
Manali is at the head of the Kullu valley. In Manali, one can find high
mountains shrouded by silent snows and deep boulder strewn gorges. There
are thick forests, filled with cool breezes and bird song. There are
fields of wild flowers, small picturesque hamlets and fruit-laden
orchards, especially apples. Manali is also famous for adventure sports
like skiing, hiking, mountaineering, paragliding, rafting, trekking,
kayaking, and mountain biking.
Best Season to Visit : Throughout
the Year.
Sightseeing at Manali -
Vashisht Ashram : It's
a lovely little village, about 4 km by road up the hillside from the
Mall. There are several decaying temples in the village dedicated to the
sage Vashisht Muni and the Lord Rama.
Jagatsukh :
Situated about 6 km from Manali, it was originally known as Nast, which
was capital of Kullu for 10 generations. Famous for a Shiva temple in
shikhara style.
Gayatri Devi and Devi Sharvali Kothi :
About 12 km from Manali, this is a picturesque
spot. Rest house overlooks the narrow valley and offers view of
mountains.
Rohtang Pass :
This is about 51 km from Manali. Rohtang Pass is
the gateway to the Lahaul and Spiti valleys and the second entry point
to the tribal region.
Reaching Manali -
Air : The
closest airport is Bhuntar, 9 kms from Kullu and 49 kms from Manali.
Jagsons and Archana Airlines have regular flights on the Delhi,
Chandigarh and Kullu sector.
Rail : One of
the convenient ways to go to Manali is to travel upto Chandigarh, one of
the Shatabdi points and then travel up by bus. Alternatively one can
travel upto Pathankot in broad gauge lines and then reach Manali by
surface via Mandi and Kullu.
Road : Manali
is connected with Shimla, Chandigarh, Delhi - Pathankot, Dharamshala and
many towns in Himachal, Punjab and Haryana with direct bus services.
During summer months direct buses are also available for Keylong in
Lahaul and Kaza in Spiti valley.
Distances -
Shimla - 280
kms
Chandigarh -
312 kms
Delhi - 828
kms
Pathankot -
326 kms
Dharamsala -
253 kms
ISD/STD Code for Manali -
If dialing from within India-------- ++ 01902 (number)
If dialimg from outside India ---------++91-1902 (number)
Shopping In Manali -
Manali’s specialty are Himalayan handicrafts - such as prayer wheels,
amulets, masks, musical instruments, rosaries and thangkas. Woollen
goods are the town’s forte, particularly the brilliantly patterned
shawls for which Kullu valley is famous. The Tibetan market, spread
around the back of the Hotel Ibex, has many stalls that sell shawls.
Manali’s main street, the ‘Mall’ is a noisy scene of constant activities
fronted by the bus station, several shopping markets, and a line of
hotels, restaurants and travel agents. Gompas or Buddhist Monasteries
are seen at the southern edge of the town.
Banjara Needle Crafts ||
Bidri Craft, Hyderabad ||
Bronze Castings
|| Budithi Brassware
Dokra metal Crafts, Adilabad ||
Durgi Stone Craft, Durgi ||
Kondapalli Toys, Kondapalli
Lacquer Ware, Etikoppaka || Nirmal
Arts - Paintings & Toys, Nirmal ||
Veena Manufacturing, Bobbili
 |
India
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