MANALI - SOLONG VALLEY - JAGATSUKH - NAGGAR (FROM MANALI)

At a distance of 2 km from Manali Bus Stand, Hidimbi Devi Temple also known as the Dhungri Temple is an ancient cave temple located in the middle of a dense forest called Dhungri Van Vihar in Manali. It is of the top places to visit in Manali.

Built-in 1553 by Raja Bahadur Singh, the temple is dedicated to Hidimbi Devi, sister of Hidimba and wife of Bhima, one of the Pandavas from the Mahabharata. According to the legend, the Pandavas stayed in Himachal during their exile. One of the brothers Bhima fell in love with Hidimbi, the sister of the ruler Hidimba. Bhima and Hidimbi had a son but when Bhima and the Pandavas returned from exile she stayed back, performed penance, and attained the status of goddess.

The Hidimbi Devi temple is 24 meters tall and consists of three square roofs with timber tiles, surmounted by a cone-shaped fourth roof that is covered in brass. The wooden facade and windows of .....

At a distance of 3 km from Manali Bus Stand, Manu Temple dedicated to the Indian sage Manu is located at old Manali. Manali is named after the sage Manu who was the creator of human race on earth according to mythology and it is believed that he meditated here. This is supposed to be the only temple of Manu in India. Manu Temple is one of the best Manali tourist places.

Travellers can enjoy a beautiful view of the surrounding hills and river Beas from the temple. Lying in the congested locality of old Manali, the temple is often visited by the tourists who arrive from different parts of the world.

Manu Temple was built in pagoda style of architecture. The temple was rebuilt in the year 1992, when the vaulted ceiling and marble floors were added. One can find various artifacts along with the idols of gods and goddesses in different postures in this temple.

To .....

At a distance of 3.5 km from Manali Bus Stand, Vashist Temple in Manali is dedicated to sage Vashisht, the Kula guru of Lord Rama in the village Vashisht across the River Beas. It is among the most famous places to visit in Manali.

The village of Vashisht was named after Rishi Vashisht one of the seven sages of Hindu. According to the legend, Rishi Vashisht was left depressed on finding out that his children had been killed by Vishwamitra. Rishi Vashisht tried to commit suicide by jumping into a river but the river refused to kill him. He then started a new life in the village here. The river which took the rishi to the village was named Vipasha, meaning freedom from bondage. The Vipasha River is now known as the Beas River.

The Vashisht temple is believed to be more than 4000 years old. Inside the temple there is a black stone image of the Rishi wearing dhoti. The Vashist temple is decorated with excellent and beautiful carvings .....

At a distance of 12 km from Manali Bus Stand, Solang Valley locally known as Solang is a beautiful valley situated at Solang village near Manali, Himachal Pradesh. It is one of the most well-known places to visit near Delhi for skiing, mountaineering, and trekking activities.

Among the top tourist attractions in Manali, Solang Valley is situated between Solang village and Beas Kund. It lies at an altitude of 8500 ft and is covered with green dense forests. It offers panoramic views of the surrounding snowcapped mountains and glaciers.

The beauty of Solang Valley is unparalleled and many people visit the valley every year during their Manali trip just to enjoy its pristine, snow-white magnificence, especially in winter, when the entire place is covered by white snow. With the groves of emerald green trees .....

At a distance of 6.5 km from Manali Bus Stand and 14 km from Naggar Bus stand, Jagatsukh on the Manali - Naggar Road is situated on the left bank of the Beas River. Jagatsukh is one of the biggest villages in Kullu valley; it was the first capital of the erstwhile state of Kullu. The former name of Jagatsukh was Nast and it remained the capital city for more than 10 generations.

Jagatsukh is a perfect honeymoon destination like Manali and also a famous Hindu pilgrimage site. Jagatsukh is famous for two ancient temples - the Gaurishankar shrine and the temple of Goddess Sandhya Devi. The Gaurishankar Temple of Jagatsukh is a small temple built in the 'Shikhara' style. This temple is dedicated to the Hindu Lord Shiva. Built around the early 8th century, it has a tri-ratha sanctum roofed by a Shikhara. The temple architecture is similar to the Naresar group of temples.

This Village is known to serve as excellent base for trekking. .....

At a distance of 20 km from Manali, and 22 km from the Kullu, the Naggar Castle is a famous castle located in Naggar. It is one of the best heritage places in Himachal, and among the not to miss in during your Manali tour.

Naggar Castle is a magnificent historical structure that overlooks the Kullu valley. The castle was built by Raja Sidhi Singh in 1460 AD. The Castle was used as a Royal residence and state headquarters until the British took over the whole Kangra and Kullu from Sikh's in 1846. Raja Gyan Singh sold it to the first assistant commissioner, Major Hay for a Gun. The northern wing of the castle was later converted to the European way of living by putting in staircase, fire place and chimneys. He later sold it to the Government when it was used as a courthouse. In 1947, with the departure of the British the court-activity ceased.

The castle was built in an impressive .....

At a distance of 21 km from Manali Bus Stand, 1 km from Naggar Bus stand and 23 km from Kullu Bus Stand, The Tripura Sundari Temple is located in Naggar.

The Tripura Sundari Temple is one of such temples that are of great historic importance in Himachal. The temple stands as a massive wooden structure, exhibiting the local architecture and art of carving. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Tripura Sundari. The idol of goddess is enshrined in the temple with 21 masks.

This temple is a Pagoda style temple made of deodar wood. The temple has a great resemblance with the Hidimba Devi temple of Manali. The top of this three-tiered temple is circular with a pinnacle crowned by a Chhatra. The two lower storeys are characteristically divided by squat wooden pillars.

The temple was constructed by Raja Yashodhapal. There is a belief that the temple is in a form of a web, which was made by the Goddess after turning herself into a spider. There are the stone idols of Lord Brahma, .....

At a distance of 21.5 km from Manali Bus Stand, 23.5 km from Kullu, 1.5 km from Naggar Castle, The Nicholas Roerich Museum is one of the prominent museums in and around Manali.

Nicholas Roerich is a Russian artist arrived in the Himalayas after the revolution of 1917, where he died in the year 1947. He married to Helena Roerich and famous Indian actor Devika Rani is his daughter in law.

The Nicholas Roerich art gallery was founded in 1962 by Svyetoslav Roerich, son of Nicholas Roerich. The building that now houses the gallery once served as the residence of Nicholas Roerich. Himachal Pradesh Government and Russian Government have formed a trust to run this art gallery as the Roerich Heritage Museum.
Paintings of Kullu, Spiti and Lahaul made by the painter have been housed in the ground floor of the gallery. A great number of his works are preserved in museums all over the world. Most of the paintings show the beauty of ice covered valleys and peaks during early hours of .....

At a distance of 21.5 km from Manali Bus Stand, 23.5 from kullu and 1.5 km from Naggar Castle, The Uruswati Himalayan Folk Art Museum is situated 100 m uphill from Nicholas Roerich Art Gallery within the same estate at Naggar.

Uruswati Himalayan Folk Art Museum was established in 1928 as Research Institute. The intention behind the foundation of this tribal and folk art museum was to provide a place of study and research on the traditional Indian and Tibetan medicines and the history and the ethos of the Himalayan region.

It was renamed as Uruswati Himalayan Folk Art Museum in 1993. The word 'Uruswati' has been taken from Sanskrit and it means 'Light of the Morning Star'. This Museum is one of the best tourist places of Manali which will guide you about the traditions and cultures of this historically rich place.

The main attractions of the Uruswati Himalayan Folk Art Museum are local folk art, costumes, original paintings of Roerich and those of his Russian followers. .....

At a distance of 12 km from Naggar, 32 km from Manali, and 33 km from Kullu, Jana Falls is a beautiful natural waterfall situated at Jana village near Manali. It is one of the best waterfalls near Delhi, and among the must-include places in Manali holiday packages.

Jana Waterfall is a 30 feet high waterfall surrounded by deodar trees, pine trees, apple orchards, and spectacular snow-covered mountain peaks. The first sight of the falls is quite hidden and will be a surprise for the visitor as the water unexpectedly rushes from a cluster of rocks overlooking a wooden bridge. Visitors can enjoy a refreshing bath at this waterfall. It is one of the best sightseeing places in Manali.

The falls can also be reached by a short drive from Naggar. There are 2-3 buses per day between Naggar and Jana village. The first bus from Naggar departs at 8:30 AM. Otherwise, .....