Manali :
Manali, at the northern end of the Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh State, is a hill station situated at a height fo 2050 m (6398 ft) in the Himalayas. Situated on the Beas river (Vyaas in Hindi) and near its source, close to the Rohtang Pass and Solang Valley. The river with the wild flowers, hamlets and fruit-laden orchards present the gifts of the sight, sound and smell. It is a popular tourist spot for Indians in summer and a magical, snow-covered place in winter. There are high mountains surrounded by snow and deep boulder strewn gorges. There are thick forests full of cool breeze and bird songs.
Manali is also known as the Switzerland of India. It is best tourist place in India. Manali is a flourishing orchard industry, trekking destination and a famous tourist destination for the honeymoon lovers. It is an excellent place for a holiday, a favorite resort for trekkers to Lahaul, Spiti, Kinnaur, Leh and Zanskar regions in Kashmir valley. The landspace here is breath taking.
Manali has spectacular views of snaowcapped peaks and wooded slopes. The Beas rushes along its rocky course amid grassy meadows carpeted with wild flowers and wagtails hop along from stone to stone along the stream's edge. There are 5 star hotels and resorts too.
History of Manali :
The story of the establishment of Manali is very interesting. Varvasvata, the seventh incarnation of Manu found a tiny fish in his bathing water. The fish told him to look after it with devotion as one day it would do him a great service. The seventh Manu cared for the fish till the day it grew so huge that he released it into the sea. Before departing, the fish warned Manu of an impending deluge when the entire world would be submerged and bade him to build a sea worthy ark. When the flood came, Varvasvata and seven were towed to safety by Matsya, the fish which is regarded as first avatar of Lord Vishnu. As the water subsided the seventh Manu's ark came to the rest on a hill side and the place was named Manali (2050 m) after him.
Weather in Manali :
Minimum temp could be below -05 C from Oct till March. Dec, Jan and Feb are coldest months. Rest of the year the minimum temperature would be between 15 to 20 C.
How to reach Manali:
By Air : Closest airport is Bhuntar, 50 km (1.5 hour drive) from Manali
By Rail : Closest rail heads are Pathankot, Chandigarh and Ambala
By Bus : Manali is about 540 km from Delhi, the capital of India, and there are buses connecting the town with Delhi, Shimla, Dharamsala and Leh. The approximate travel time from Delhi to Manali is 14 hours.
