The Manimahesh Lake is situated Twenty-six kilometers from Bharmour in the Budhil valley , one of the chief pilgrimage spots in Himachal Pradesh. The lake is situated at an altitude of 13,000 feet at the foot of the Kailash peak (18,564 ft). Every year, on the eighth day of the light half of the moon in the month of Bhadon, a fair is held at this lake, which attracts thousands of pilgrims who assemble here to take a dip in the holy water.
Lord Shiva is the presiding deity of this fair / jatra. He is believed to reside in Kailash. A rock formation in the shape of a Shivling on Kailash is considered to be the manifestation of Lord Shiva. The snowfield at the base of the mountain is called Shiva’s Chaugan by the local people.
Mount Kailash is considered as invincible. No one has so far been able to scale this peak despite the fact that much taller peaks, including Mount Everest have been conquered many times. One story goes that once a Gaddi tried to climb the mountain alongwith his herd of sheep. He is believed to have been turned stone alongwith his sheep. The series of minor peaks below the principal peak are believed to be the remains of the ill-fated shepherd and his flock.
Manimahesh Yatra Map
There is yet another legend according to which a snake also attempted to climb this peak but failed and was turned into stone. It is also believed that the devotees can have a view of the Kailash peak only if the Lord is pleased. Bad weather, when the peak is hidden behind clouds, is a sign of the Lord’s displeasure.
At one corner of the Manimahesh lake is a marble image of Shiva which is worshipped by the pilgrims who visit this place. After bathing in the holy waters, the pilgrims go around the circumference of the lake three times. The lake and its surroundings present a majestic view. The quiet waters of the lake carry the reflection of snow capped peaks that carry over the valley.
Manimahesh is approached from different routes. Pilgrims from Lahaul-Spiti come through Kugti pass. Some from Kangra and Mandi come via Kawarsi or Jalsu passes. The easiest route is from Chamba and runs through Bharmaur. At present buses ply upto Hadsar via Bharmour. Beyond Hadsar, the pilgrims have to trek for 13 kms to reach Manimahesh.Between Hadsar and Manimahesh is an important halting place known as Dhanchho where pilgrims usually spend a night. There is a beautiful waterfall.
About one and half kilometers short of Manimahesh lake fall two religiously important water bodies called Gauri Kund and Shiva Krotri where as per popular belief Gauri and Shiva bathe respectively. The women pilgrims do take holy dip in Gauri Kund and the men pilgrims in Shiva Krotri before proceeding to Manimahesh lake.
Important information for Manimahesh Yatra
- Officially,This journey will be from 07-09-2023 to 23-09-2023.
- Registration is mandatory. Passengers must register themselves before reaching Bharmour. Carrying a printout of the registration acknowledgement during the yatra is a must.
- One mobile number can submit one application consisting of maximum five persons.
- BSNL, JIO and AIRTEL are preferred Telecom operators in Bharmour region. Network signals are weak in Bharmour, Traveler may face internet speed or OTP not received issues while registering at Bharmour. so travelers are requested to register themselves before reaching Bharmour.
- If you are found unwell in the medical checkup at Base Camp Hudsar, you will not be allowed to start the journey.
- Persons above 75 years of age, found medically unwell will not be allowed to travel.
Do’s in Manimahesh Yatra
- Passengers are requested to bring medical certificate along with them and get the necessary health check-up done at Base Camp Hudsar. Travel only when you are completely healthy.
- Pregnant women beyond six weeks should not travel.
- Stop there when you get breathless.
- Bring umbrella, raincoat, warm clothes, warm shoes, torch and stick with you.
- Use shoes instead of slippers during the journey.
- Use the routes prescribed by the administration.
- For any kind of health related problem contact the nearest camp.
- Take special care of cleanliness.
- Help in the conservation of rare herbs and other plants.
- Donate any kind of donation or offering only in the donation containers of the trust.
- Follow all COVID-19 protocols. Travelers should bring masks and sanitizers with them.
- Passengers should always carry their Identity Card with them during the journey.
Don’ts in Manimahesh Yatra
- Do not travel from Base Camp Hudsar before 04:00 AM and after 04:00 PM.
- Do not travel alone, travel only with companions. Do not climb up forcefully and do not wear slippery shoes, it can be fatal.
- Do not throw empty plastic bottles and wrappers in the open, bring them with you and put them in dustbins.
- Do not tamper with herbs and rare plants.
- Do not consume any kind of intoxicants, meat, alcohol etc. This is a religious journey, take care of its sanctity.
- Do not take this journey as a picnic or fun and do pilgrimage only with devotion and faith.
- Do not throw garbage, wet clothes and your lingerie after bath around the Holy Manimahesh Dal Lake,throw them in the dustbin installed nearby.
- Do not use any kind of short cut.
- Do not use plastic.
- Do not do any such work which will pollute the environment and do not cause any harm to the environment.
- If weather is bad during the journey, stop at a safe place between Hadsar and Dal Lake at Dhancho, Sundarasi, Gaurikund and Dal Lake. Start the journey only when weather is favorable.
The Char Dham Yatra commenced in April this year (Source: uttarakhandtourism.gov.in) Uttarakhand, also called Devbhoomi or the Land of Gods, Read more
Leave a Reply