Best of Old Manali, Manali Travel 2021

Places to visit in Old Manali: Old Manali is a place where you can acquaintance the hippie culture in its full glory. The old Manali town is located around 3 Km away from Manali town across Manalsu Nala, from where one can witness the entire view of the town. Old Manali is one of the most occupied summer destinations in India, while Manali is a breath of fresh air. This place holds a significant presence in the heart of all the visitors. The only thing that separates Old Manali from Manali is River Beas. The neighborhood brims with quaint cafes, bakeries, and shops selling traditional handicrafts, jewelry, and dream catchers. 

It is a splendid place to shop for souvenirs. One can buy exclusive handmade things such as woolen clothes, jewelry, bags, poi pairs, hula-hoops, and even flag patches for backpacks. Some of the best places to visit in Old Manali are such as –

Enchanting Manu Temple

This place is one of the outstanding tourist places to visit in Old Manali and is acclaimed for its cool climate and aesthetic beauty. This Hindu temple is dedicated to the Indian sage or the first human and the one who created this whole world. This renowned destination is chosen to be the place where great intellectuals used to mediate. The atmosphere is adorned with positivity all around this beautiful temple. Located on the pinnacle of a beautiful hill this place is an exceptional place for trekking.

The architecture of the temple and the beautiful valleys around are great places for mental peace and meditation. The silence in this temple where the voices of birds chirping seem to enhance the beauty of the temple altogether. This is one of the fantastic places for photography. The true colors of our nature grasp every picture taken near this temple.   

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Manikaran

Situated in the bosom of the middle Himalayas, within the Parvati Valley, Manikaran is a peaceful town by the Parvati River. This place is located at an altitude of 1,760 meters from MSL (i.e. Mean Sea Level) and 35 Km away from the famous town of Kullu. This place is famous for its scenic beauty and is a site of religious pilgrimage for Hindus and Sikhs. This place is most acclaimed for its Shiva temple, gurudwara, and hot water springs. The Parvati Valley region contains deep fissures that cause the water from the Parvati River to drain inside the Earth’s crust and make contact with the molten core of the mountains. This may results in the water becoming extremely hot and shooting up with high pressure outside the Earth’s crust. Many of the hot springs are found littered throughout the valley.

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Hadimba Devi Temple

This is one of the most famous temples of Himachal Pradesh, built in the 16th century. This temple has ancient caves which are dedicated to the wife of one of the Pandavas, Bhem, who was a character in the Indian epic, Mahabharata. Due to its association with Indian Epic Mahabharata, this temple is a charm of your Old Manali trip. This temple is located on the foot of the Himalayas and is surrounded by pristine cedar forests. The architecture of this temple is absolutely distinct from all the other temples, with its wooden doorways, walls, and cone-shaped roof. The wooden doors of this old shrine display images of Goddess Durga, while the temple base is made out of whitewashed stonework. Being one of the primary tourist attractions, this temple must be included in your list of places to visit in Old Manali.

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Rohtang Pass

Rohtang Pass is one of the most famous of all the mountain passes in Himachal Pradesh. This pass is situated at an elevation of nearly 13,054 feet above sea level and entices majestic scenery and diverging views. Also known as Rohtang La, this is one of the most spectacular destinations in the entire Kullu region. High Mountain pass, the beautiful sight of glaciers, peaks, and streams are common sights that an individual can witness while their drive along this high mountain pass. Some of the major tourist attractions that can be adored from the peak of Rohtang are the Sonepani glacier, Dashair Lake and Chandra River. 

During winters, this place becomes as silent as a graveyard. A thick sheet of snow engulfs the area within a 10 Km radius and life comes to a standstill. This pass also connects the Kullu Valley with Lahaul and Spiti. Moreover, it is also pre-own by tourists of Leh who travels by bike and cars to this place. During the summer months, the traffic in this area slows due to the arrival of vacationers and sight-seekers, but for most people, the leisurely pace avows for a better appreciation of the magnificently beautiful landscape. 

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Naggar Castle

Another one of the Places to visit in Old Manali is Naggar Castle. Naggar Castle is located among the breathtaking forests in Naggar town. The 500-year-old wooden castle is in itself the outstanding place to visit in Old Manali. This castle was built in the year 1460 with stone and wood. This castle is one of the few places in Old Manali which emulate the culture of the Himalayan people and presents the actual architecture of the olden days. 

Naggar castle houses the Nicholas Roerich Art Museum, which was founded in 1962 by Svyetoslav Roerich, son of the Russian artist Nicholas Roerich. This heritage museum houses paintings of Kullu, Spiti, and Lahaul illustrating the beauty of the ice-covered valleys and peaks during the initial hours of the evening time. This castle also has a connection with the Bollywood industry as some of Bollywood and songs are shot here. In the favorite Bollywood movie “Jab We Met” few scenes are shot in this castle. Apart from this, the song in the film “Yeh Ishq Hai” is also shot in this castle and the snow-covered mountains of Rohtang Pass. 

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This castle has a historic background. This castle was previously a residence of Kings of Kullu and later on transformed to a Himachal government-run heritage hotel in the year 1978. River Beas also runs close to this castle, enticing the beauty of this place every more. If you are drawn to the beauty, history, and mystery, then make sure to include this place in your list of places to visit in Old Manali.

Wrap Up

These are some of the places that one must visit on their trip to Old Manali. Old Manali is full of appealing charisma and has a fairy tale landscape that will leave you astounded once you visit this splendid place.