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INDIA
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Built
along the Beas river is the historic town of Mandi,
the gateway to the Kullu valley. Literally meaning
market, Mandi was on the salt route to Tibet. This
place offers better option to break journey to the
Kullu valley. A district headquarter, Mandi is also
renowned for its 81 old stone temples with exquisite
carvings, thereby earning it the title of 'Varanasi of
the Hills'. The town also has some remains of old
palaces and notable examples of the 'colonial'
architecture.
The Shivaratri Bhutnath celebrations in the Bhutnath
temple attract tourists every year in large numbers.
There are also two lakes near Mandi, which provide a
good breather for the visitor. About five kms from the
main town is the Tarana hills and on the top of the
hill is Rani Amrit Kaur Park. From here one gets very
good view of the nearby areas. The park has enclosed
the Syama Kali temple, which was, built some where in
the 17th century.
In the days of yore, the pious sage, Mandavaya,
performed long and severe penance and practised
unthinkable austerities on his body, on the right bank
of the river Beas, near the present town, which, then
took his name. |
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Triloknath
Shiva Temple: It is built in the Nagari style
with a tiled roof. The temple at the centre of a group
of sculpted stones shrines, overlooks the river and
offers good views. Inside the temple, Lord Shiva has
been depicted as the lord of the three worlds, at the
Panchvakhra he has five faces, expressing his five
aspects.
Bhutnath Temple: Practically
synonymous with Mandi and located in its very heart,
this temple is as old as the town itself, dating back
to the 1520's. It has a Nandi or god Shiva's bull
facing the ornamental double arch to the sanctuary.
The modern shrines nearby are brightly painted. In the
month of March, the festival of Shivratri is a major
event and Bhootnath Temple is its focus.
Syamakali Temple: Also known as the
Tarna Devi Temple, this temple is situated on the
Tarna Hill, which rises above the town. Raja Syama Sen
built the temple in the 17th century after a
particularly trying time when the goddess gave him
success.
Ardhanarishvara Temple: This 7th
century specimen of temple architecture, enclosed
structure of Lord Shiva in a composite form with the
right half as male and the left half as female-
symbolising the male and female principles of cosmic
evolution. |
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Revalsar
Lake: About 25-km from Mandi, and 14-km from
Ner Chowk is the Revalsar lake, famous for its seven
floating islands of reed. It is maintained that all
seven of them can be moved by prayer or breeze. Here
are three shrines - a Buddhist monastery, where
elaborate rituals are performed, a Sikh gurudwara and
a Hindu temple. It was from this place that the Sage
Padma Sambhava, a zealous teacher of Buddhism, left as
a missionary to preach the doctrine of "The
Enlightened" in Tibet.
Sundernagar: Famous of its temples
26-Km from Mandi towards Shimla and at a height of
1,174m (3,852 ft) on the raised edge of the fertile
valley, the beautiful town of Sundernagar is known,
also for its shady walks amidst towering trees. On top
of a hill and visited by thousands of devotees every
year, the Sukhdev Vatika and temple of Mahamaya. The
biggest hydro-electric project in all Asia, the
Beas-Sutlej Project, irrigating nearly one-fourth of
the northern plains of India, has brought
unprecedented prosperity to Sundernagar. The
Beas-Sutlej Link colony is the biggest colony in
Himachal Pradesh.
Janjehli: At a distance of 67-km from
Mandi, Janjehli is a paradise for hikers, offering
treks up to a height of 3,300m.(10,827 ft). After
covering 32-km by a motorable road up to Gohar, the
rest of the journey is on foot. In the midst of thick
forests, 15-km from Gohar, at Bajahi is beautifully
located, well furnished, Rest House, to stay
overnight, from where Janjehli is a scant 20-km away,
after going through bridle path.
Prashar Lake: 40-km on the banks of
the lake is a storyed pagoda-like temple dedicated to
sage Parashar.
Kamlah Fort: Situated on the border
of Mandi with Hamirpur, this fort was built by Raja
Surat Sen in 1625.
Pandoh: Just 16-km away from Mandi,
Pandoh is an earth and rockfill dam.
Shikhari Devi: 15-km from Janjehli is
situated the ancient temple of Shikhra Devi and is
surrounded by some marvellous landscapes. |
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Air:
The nearest airport is Bhuntar about 57-km from Mandi.
Rail: The broad gauge railhead is at
Pathankot, a distance of 210-km. From Pathankot the
narrow gauge railway connects Joginder Nagar, which is
55-km from Mandi.
Road: Mandi is well connected by road
to other places. The main bus stand is just above an
open playing field, where the National Highway- 21
continues along the left bank of river to Pandoh.
About Palampur
The Kangra valley of which Palampur (1249 m) is a
major station, was the 'Trigarta' of old. It was one
of the leading hill states and was once a part of the
kingdom of Jalandhara.
In local parlance, the word for 'lots of water' is 'pulum'.
This is what has given Palampur its name and it is
water that has given the valley so much of its
character. Countless streams and brooks criss-cross
the landscape and in their intricate mesh, are tea
gardens and rice paddies. The town came into being
when the tea bush was introduced in the 19th century -
and Palampur became a focus of planters. Kangra tea,
with its centre at Palampur, has been internationally
acclaimed since then.
To further bless the area with remarkable natural
beauty, the Dhauladhar ranges rise dramatically from
the earth, just beyond Palampur. The town itself has
some interesting colonial architecture and the area
around is richly garnished with historical temples and
forts - and scores of picturesque hamlets.
How to get there
The airport at Gaggal (Kangra) is 37 km from Palampur.
The broadguage railway reached Pathankot which is 115
km from Palampur - and the narrow guage railway comes
right upto Moranda, 4 km from the town. Taxis and
buses are available at both places. By road, Palampur
is 545 km from Delhi.
Climate
In winter, the temperature can get quite low when
heavy wollens are required. It is warm in summer and
cotton are recommended. |
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Tea
Factory (1.5 km): At the very start of town,
the tea factory of the co-operative society, offers an
insight to the processing of Kangra tea.
Church of St. John in the Wilderness (200 m):
This attractive church, very close to the hotel and
surrounded by poinsettias, is built on a low rise.
This was reconstructed in 1929 and has several
memorial tablets.
Temple of Bundlamata (2 km): One can
walk through tea gardens and open fields or drive to
reach this historical temple which was originally
built about five centuries ago.
Neugal Khad: Close to the temple of
Bundlamata, is this 300 m wide chasm, through which
the Bundla stream flows. Immediately ahead are the
Dhauladhar mountains.
Gopalpur (13 km): There is a mini zoo
here.
Chamunda Devi (18 km): Legend has it
that two demons, Chanda and Munda tried to harass the
goddess Ambika. Enraged, Ambika knitted her brows and
from their folds emerged a terrifying of Kali, who
slew the demons. Pleased, Ambika declared that Kali
would now be worshipped here as 'Chamunda'. Himachal
Tourism also runs a 'Yatri Niwas' at this sacred
place.
Andretta (13 km): This has been the
home of artists Norah Richards, Sobha Singh and B.C.
Sanyal. In Sobha Singh's home, now a gallery, several
of his notable works are displayed. There is also a
pottery and crafts centre at Andretta.
Kangra Fort (27 km): The most
important fort of the region, it is enclosed by high
ramparts and its walls have a circumference of
approximately 4 km. It was built about 1,000 years ago
on the confluence of the Banganga and Manjhi rivers.
Its various gates, shrines and remains of the old
palaces are noteworthy.
Sujanpur Tira (42 km): Built in 1758,
the fortress of Tira has the remnants of old halls,
palaces and temples. The town of Sujanpur below the
fort, has several old temples of which the
Narbadeshwar and Murli Manohar are exemplary.
Tashijong (12 km): There is a Tibetan
monastery here.
Baijnath (15 km): At the jewel-like
temple of Bajnath, Lord Shiva is revered as Vaidyanath-the
Lord of Physicians. With a wealth of intricate
carvings and graceful proportions, this temple is a
big draw for pilgrims and visitors. It is said that
here, King Ravana supplicated Lord Shiva for the boon
of immortality. |
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