INCREDIBLE MANALI: THE VALLEY OF GODS

By Aruna Sirohi

In the search of a place, beautiful yet best to visit in the month of January, we decided to go to one of the most popular Hill Stations “MANALI” by road which is 540kms from New Delhi & 300kms from Chandigarh. A perfect weekend gateway for the family, away from the hustle & bustle of the city. And quite ideal to witness the Snowfall in this month, the Majestic Mountains, all surrounded by the lofty cedar & deodar trees which covers most of the landscape in Manali.

A Hill Station along the Beas River bank and situated at the northern end of the Kullu Valley. We opted to stay in Old Manali which is believed to be much cleaner & less crowded as compared to New Manali and which provides a real Manali experience.

We reached there by the night and as we entered the beautiful town, we were mesmerized to see the mountains, trees, roads & the vehicles all immersed in the white blanket of Snow. And what could be as dreamy as a live snowfall. Another beautiful paradise was waiting for us, our Hotel - “The Snow Valley Resort”. The mountains & trees full of snow were overlooking the terrace of the Hotel and there was an absolute breathtaking view through the windows of the room there

Day 1: Left the Hotel in the morning for some city tour. All packed in jackets, boots & caps as the tempreture was around -2 degrees which even goes down to -12 during nights. The city was even more heavenly during the day time.

The snowy mountains & trees were shining white like a diamond because of the sun rays which instantly made me fall in love with the city.

We visited the Hadimba Temple which is an ancient Cave Temple built in 1553 dedicated to Hidimba Devi, wife of Bhima, located around 3kms from Old Manali in Dhungiri forest covered with Cedar Trees famous for its unique wooden structure. This Serene place is a famous tourist attraction & tourists loves to sit here peacefully and spend hours, feeling the beauty of the place. Don’t miss a ride on the Yak & taking pictures with white fluffy rabbits, which was one of the loveliest things around.

We took a walk to the Mall Road which is almost 1.5kms from Hadimba Temple, the popular shopping hub which is famous for its woolen clothes, Tibetian items, souvenirs & dry fruits. Do not forget to buy beautiful Handicrafts, the traditionally designed Shawls, the original Pashmina Shawls & the local Kullu Caps, all the items are quite affordable, a worth buy for the family.

After taking a stroll through the Mall Road which was lined up with Cool Cafes, Hotels & Restaurants, local shops & food stalls, we ended up to the Café- Johnson Bar & Restaurant which is an amazing place with an artistic surrounding, one can try the place for its good food for sure.