Marnali

Manali
—  hill station  —
Manali hillside and the view of Himalayas
Manali Location of Manali in Himachal Pradesh and India
Coordinates	32°16′N 77°10′E / 32.27°N 77.17°E / 32.27; 77.17Coordinates: 32°16′N 77°10′E / 32.27°N 77.17°E / 32.27; 77.17
Country	India
State	Himachal Pradesh
District(s)	Kullu
Population	17,786 (2005[update])
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	• 1,950 metres (6,400 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 175131 • Telephone • +910902

Manali (Hindi: मनाली) at altitude of 1,950 m (6,398 ft) in the Beas River valley is an important hill station in the mountains of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh near the northern end of the Kullu Valley. It is located about 250 km (155 mi) north of state capital, Shimla.

Manali with population of approx. 30,000 is administratively a part of the Kullu district. 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 Saptarishi, or Seven Sages.

Geography

Manali is located at 32.2396 N, 77.1887 E, about 40 km (25 mi) north of Kullu town. The town ranges in elevation from 1,800 m (5,900 ft) to 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in the uppermost "Old Manali" section.

Demographics

Manali is a small town. People from different parts of India have settled here. As of 2001^[update] India census,^[1] Manali had a population of 6265. Males constituted 64% of the population and females 36%. Manali had an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy was 80%, and female literacy was 63%. In Manali, 9% of the population was under 6 years of age.

The 2011 census data for Manali town have not become available as on 2012-01-01.

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.

Etymology

Manali is named after the Hindu lawgiver Manu. The word Manali is regarded as the changed name of "Manu-Alaya" which literally means "the abode of Manu".^[3] Legend has it that sage Manu stepped off his ark in Manali to recreate human life after a great flood had deluged the world. Manali is also often referred to as the "Valley of the Gods". The Old Manali village has an ancient temple dedicated to sage Manu.^[4][5]

History

In ancient times, the valley was sparsely populated by nomadic hunters known as 'rakshas'. The next arrivals were the shepherds who arrived from the Kangra Valley and settled to take up agriculture. Some of the earliest inhabitants of the region are the 'naur' or 'nar', which is a caste unique to the Kullu valley. Only a few naur families are known to exist now. A naur family in the village Soyal near Haripur on the west bank of Manali was famous for the vast land they owned and their practice of having 'rakshas' as their labourers.

The British introduced apple trees and trout, which were not native to Manali flora and fauna. It is said that when apple trees were first planted the fruits were so plentiful that often branches, unable to bear the weight, would collapse. To this day, apple—along with plum and pear—remains the best source of income for the majority of its inhabitants.

Tourism in Manali received a boost after the rise of militancy in Kashmir in the late 1980s. This once quiet village was transformed into a bustling town with many hotels and restaurants.

Transport

Air

The nearest airport (IATA code KUU) is at Bhuntar town, situated on NH21 about 50 km (31 mi) south of Manali and 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Kullu town. The airport is also known as Kullu-Manali airport and has more than a kilometre long runway. Indian Airlines and some private airlines have regular flights to the airport.

Chandigarh airport is the nearest large airport.

Road

Manali can be reached from Delhi by national highway NH 1 up to Chandigarh and from there by national highway NH21 that passes through Bilaspur, Sundernagar, Mandi and Kullu towns. The road distance from Delhi to Chandigarh is 248 km and from Chandigarh to Manali is 273 km. The total distance from Delhi to Manali thus is 521 km (324 mi).

Rail

Manali is not easily approachable by rail. The nearest broad gauge railheads are at Chandigarh (275 km (171 mi)), Pathankot (325 km (202 mi)) and Kalka (310 km (193 mi)). The nearest narrow gauge railhead is at Joginder Nagar (135 kilometres (84 mi)).

See Bilaspur-Mandi-Leh Railway for the proposed railway line through this area.

Places of interest

Manali is among top Indian skiing destinations.

Vashishta Temple, Manali.

Hadimba Temple (1 km) : Built in 1533 A.D. 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.

Vashishta Temple (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) : Solang Valley drives its name from combination of words Solang (Nearby village) and Nullah (water streams from mountains). It is a side valley at the top of the Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh, India 14 km northwest of the resort town Manali on the way to Rohtang Pass, and is known for its summer and winter sport conditions. The sports most commonly offered are parachuting, paragliding, skating and zorbing.

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 view of the deep gorge through which the Beas swiftly races. The 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. The pass is 52 km from Manali town.

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.

Gallery

Further reading

• Verma, V. 1996. Gaddis of Dhauladhar: A Transhumant Tribe of the Himalayas. Indus Publishing Co., New Delhi.
• Handa, O. C. 1987. Buddhist Monasteries in Himachel Pradesh. Indus Publishing Co., New Delhi. ISBN 81-85182-03-5.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Manali

• Wikitravel Guide to Manali