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drive, takes you up to this temple dedicated to Hadimba ( the wife of Bhima, the protagonist from the renowned Indian epic Mahabharata).
Hadimba is considered to be an incarnation of goddess Kali in Hindu mythology. Legend has it that the kingdom was presented to earlier Rajas (kings) of Kullu and hence in respect to this day Hadimba is referred as ‘grandmother’. The structure of the temple is three tiered rectangular dome-like wooden construction with wonderful carvings of elephants, crocodiles and folk deities on its façade.
The small door leads you to a little gloomy worship place with a hollow in the middle, which as per the belief carries Lord Vishnu’s footprints. One of the stones inside also serves as the platter for sacrificing goats and buffalos during important rituals.
2. Old Manali and The Manu temple:
Old Manali, as the name suggests is the older part of the town that gave birth to its new namesake ‘Manali’, lies north-east of the Mall and still returns traditional feel, along with its architecture of the old Pahari style houses with stone roof and wooden balconies.
A walk thru the village takes you across a string of small guesthouses and cafes. At around the center of the village lies a new temple dedicated to sage Manu. Manu, the author of widely read Hindu law book ‘Manu Smriti’ is also considered the father of caste system in India.
3) The Monastery or The Gompas:
Manali has perhaps the highest concentration of Tibetan refugees in the area, hence a religious place is not a surprise. The monastery structure stands out with its bright yellow colored roof of the Gadhan Kehhokling Gompa. The monastery was built in 1969 and is largely maintained thru local community donations and the sale of carpets hand-woven in the temple workshop.
4) Vasisht Village and Vasisht Temple:
Vasisht village is about 3 kms outside Manali. It is famous for its sweeping valley views and its sulphurous hot water spring. The village is considered the epicenter of budget travelers by some (however we would suggest it to be more of a back-packers center).
The village also has some fine shops of Tibetan and Kashmiri arts along with a wide selection of jewelry.
The Vasisht temple stands above the main square in the village and there lies two stoned temples built with elaborate wood carvings. The place also hosts a hot soak bathing pools (separate for men and woman, and of no charge).
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