Mannikaran is a small town located at an altitude of 1760m. It is about 4kms from kasol and about 35kms from Kullu. This religious town is worth a visit if you are vacationing in Himachal Pradesh.
It is a popular pilgrimage destination for the people of both Hindu and Sikh communities. This town is also quite famous for its hot springs, which come up from the ground all the time.
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The spot from where the hot springs gush out all the time has two reasons to be important in the Hindu mythology.
First reason is that the Goddess Parvati lost one of her earring while walking in Mannikaran. A serpent called ‘Shesha’ got hold of it and took it deep inside the Earth.
When she could not find it, she pleaded Lord Shiva to help her. The Neelkanth lord decided to do his cosmic dance popularly known as Tandava. It was only after this that the serpent snorted the earring along with some other jewels with a hot spring of water. The water of hot springs here is considered curative and highly auspicious.
The second reason for the importance of this place is that it is believed that Manu recreated human life here. Hence, the town is considered very sacred in the Hindu mythology.
Mannikaran holds a very dear position for the people following Sikhism because it is believed that Guru Nanak along with his disciple Bhai Mardana visited this place. They didn’t have any food with them and so Guru Nanak asked Mardana to collect food for ‘Langar’.
Many people donated food items but there was one problem. There was no source of fire available to cook the food. Guru Nanak came to Mardana’s rescue. He told him to cook the chapattis on the hot spring.
But, the chapattis drowned. Guru Nanak then told Mardana to pray to God saying that he will donate one chapatti if they came back. Mardana followed the instructions and the chapattis did come back.
Mannikaran remains cold throughout the year. The average temperature gets settled at 100C.
The climate during summer is much more bearable than winter and monsoon. The temperature rotates from 6 to 150C. Summer lasts from April to June and the hot springs are a huge relief from the extremely cold weather. For sightseeing and exploration in Mannikaran summer season is ideal.
Monsoon lasts from July to September. The average rainfall in Mannikaranranges to 200mm and the temperature remains within the boundaries of 100C. It is not advised to visit this town in the monsoon because rains can hinder your travel plans.
In winters, Mannikaranis covered with sheets of snow, making skiing a possible option. The temperature can drop down to as low as -80C. The chilly winds will make your teeth chatter.
The nearest flight option available is the Bhuntar airport of Kullu Manali. The distance from the airport to your destination is around 40 kms. By local busyou will reach Mannikaran in about 90 minutes.
If you prefer trains then the Indian railways has stationed the Pathankot station at a distance of 300km. you can hire a cab or go by bus to reach your destination.
The local buses continuously rotate from Bhuntar to all the major cities like Shimla, Chandigarh and Pathankot.
