Manikaran – Famous for hot spring

Manikaran is located in the Parvati Valley and on the bank of Parvati river 42 km from Kullu. Manikaran is at an altitude of 1760 meters. This small town attracts large number of tourists and pilgrimages around the year. Parvati Valley is attributed to goddess Parvati, the wife to Lord Shiva the prime lord of Kalyuga in Hindu religion.

Manikaran is a pilgrimage hub for Hindus and Sikhs. Small town has many temples and a Gurudwara. The Hindus believe that sage Manu recreated human life in town after the  great flood, hence making it a sacred area. This place is well known for hot springs.

According to legend Lord Shiva and Parvati were walking in the valley. Parvati dropped one of her ear-rings. The jewel was seized by Shesha-Naga who then disappeared into the earth. Shesha-Naga only surrendered the jewel when Shiva performed the cosmic dance.

There is no sulphur or iron mixed in the waters. The water of these springs is way too hot. Rice for the “langar” (mass meal) is cooked by putting rice into linen-bags and dipping them into the boiling water.

Place of interest in Manikaran

Gurudwara

Gurudwara here  is an holy place. It is said that the Sikh founder, Guru Nanak Dev visited Manikaran for the betterment of the people there. Once at the small town, his disciples collected flour and pulses from the local people for langar. Guru Nanak ji then requested his disciples to remove a stone from the area where he was sitting. The disciples did as instructed and was surprised by the sudden hot water spring that break out suddenly. The gurudwara also has a free langar for everyday.

Lord Ramchandra Temple

This temple was made by Raja Jagat Singh in the 17th century. This is a very old temple with old construction and holds a fame of very spiritual place for locals.

Temple of Lord Shiva

This temple belongs to Lord Shiva. An earthquake in 1905 caused damage to the temple and it was slightly tilted. The importance of Manikaran is also judged from the fact that devtas or deities of Kullu valley pay regular visits to this place.

How to access

Manikarn is 42 km from Kullu and 85 km via Bhunter from Manali. The nearest airport at Bhuntar at a distance of 35 km.

Climate

The climate in Manikaran is cold throughout the year. Manikaran temperature remains below 0º Celsius half of the year. The maximum temperature can rise up to 17º Celsius and minimum of 5º Celsius. The best time to visit Manikaran is April to October. April to June is ideal for sightseeing. From September to October the climate and weather is good for trekking and rock climbing and river rafting. October to February is ideal for snow skiing.