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Wednesday 31 August 2011

Manali

Manali
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
Hadimba Temple, Manali.

Climate
The climate in Manali is predominantly cold during winters, and moderately cool during summers. The temperatures range from 4 °C (39 °F) to 30 °C (86 °F) over the year. The average temperature during summer is between 14 °C (57 °F) and 20 °C (68 °F), and between −7 °C (19 °F) 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 1,363 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.
Vashisht Temple, Manali.
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 Delhi 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 (196 mi)), Pathankot (325 km (202 mi)) and Kalka (310 km (190 mi)). The nearest narrow gauge railhead is at Joginder Nagar (135 kilometres (84 mi))

The nearest airport is at Bhuntar, which is about 50 km (31 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.
Rope way cum ski centre, Solang valley
Places of interest
HADIMBA TEMPLE (1 km) : Built in 1553 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.

Beas river flowing from the mountains























  Manali City Map


Shimla

Southern side of Shimla

Shimla (Hindi: शिमला [ˈʃɪmlaː]), 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. Located in the north-west Himalayas at an average altitude of 2,205 metres (7,234 ft), the city of Shimla, draped in forests of pine, rhododendron, and oak, experiences pleasant summers and cold, snowy winters. The city is famous for its buildings styled in tudorbethan and neo-gothic architecture dating from the colonial era. Shimla is connected to the city of Kalka by one of the longest narrow gauge railway routes still operating in India, the Kalka-Shimla Railway. Shimla is approximately 100 km (68 miles) from Chandigarh, the nearest major city, and 365 km (226.8 miles) from New Delhi, the national capital. The city is named after the goddess Shyamala Devi, an incarnation of the Hindu Goddess Kali.
 Skiing is a popular tourist activity in Shimla
 The Ridge, Shimla
 Mall Road, shopping market in Shimla
 Stained Glass windows at St. Michael's Catholic Church (1850) Shimla
 Public library on the Ridge
 Indian Institute of Advanced Study
 Municipal Corporation (Town Hall), Shimla
 The Shimla Railway Station
 Passenger train on the Kalka-Shimla Railway route
 Town Hall as seen from the Ridge
A folk celebration in Shimla










Dharamsala



View of Dharamshala valley from McLeod Ganj

Dharamshala or Dharamsala (Hindi: धर्मशाला, pronounced [d̪ʱərəmˈɕaːlaː] or [d̪ʱərmˈɕaːlaː]; Tibetan: དྷ་རམ་ས་ལ་) is a city in northern India. It was formerly known as Bhagsu; it is the winter seat of government of the state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of the Kangra district.

McLeod Ganj, a village within the Dharamshala municipality, is the home of the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, and the exiled Tibetan government.
 The main street in McLeod Ganj
Places of attraction
Ø   Adi Shakti Temple, Naddi
Ø   Aghanjar Mahadev
Ø   Bhagsu waterfall
Ø   Bhagsunath
Ø   Bir paragliding spot
Ø   Brajeshwari Temple
Ø   Chamunda Mandir
Ø   Chinmaya Tapovan
Ø   Dal Lake
Ø   Dari
Ø   Dehra Gopipur
Ø   Dharamkot (2100 m)
Ø   Guna Devi Mandir amidst dense forest
Ø   Historical fort of Kangra in Purana Kangra. Adjoining the Fort is the Maharaja Sansar Chandra Museum, run by the Royal Family of Kangra. The Museum provides audio guides for the fort and the museum.
Ø   Haripur Village (near Guler)
Ø   Pong Dam Lake
Ø   Indru Nag Temple
Ø   Kareri Lake
Ø   Khaniyara
Ø   Kunal Pathri
Ø   Lam Dal Lake
Ø   Library of Tibetan Works and Archives
Ø   Masrur (rock temple)
Ø   Namgyal Monastery
Ø   Narghota
Ø   Norbulingka Institute
Ø   Nurpur
Ø   Sidhbari
Ø   Church of St. John in the Wilderness
Ø   Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts
Ø   Triund (2975 m), a popular day hike or overnight trek
Ø   Tatwani and Machhrial
Ø   Trilokpur
 Prayer Drums, Dharamshala
 
Mules carrying locally mined slate, a material used on most roofs in the area.
 Stupa & prayer wheels. Main street, McLeod Ganj
 Shakyamuni Buddha at the monastery of the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso
Library of Tibetan Works and Archives








 
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