Manikaran

Manikaran Sahib

Manikaran Sahib is a religious centre for both Hindu and Sikh people situated in the Parvati Valley on Parvati river at 1760m above the ground in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh. This place carries many mythological stories of Hindus and Sikhs. Besides that it is very famous for pilgrims and mythology lovers.

There are many temples of Hindu deities Rama, Krishna, Vishnu and a Gurudwara. Manikaran Sahib is also well known for its hot spring and magnificent landscapes. The location is near the Manali Valley which is one of the reasons for receiving thousands of tourists and pilgrims.

Manikaran Gurudwara

According to the Sikhs, once Guru Nanak came to Manikaran with his disciple, Mardana. When Mardana felt hungry Guru Nanak asked him to collect food for the langar. Villagers were so kind as to offer him raw vegetables and flour, but there was no arrangement of fire to cook food.

The great Guru then instructed his disciple to lift out a mysterious stone from its place. He lifted the stone and the hot spring came out. For cooking food, the temperature of boiling water was enough. 

But the rice and pieces of bread (roti) kept sinking in that water until Guru Nanak told “Mardana” for praying that if his bread floats back, he would donate bread in his name indeed. The miracle happened and Mardana cooked his food happily. This place is very famous for pilgrimage.

Manikaran history

According to Hindu beliefs, the serenity of the place attracted Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and they decided to spend a few years. During their presence, once Parvati lost her “moni” (it is a precious stone) in the water while taking a bath.

This incident made Parvati upset and the inability to find the gem angered Lord Shiva. He could not find the jewel anywhere as a serpent already stole that precious piece. Shiva started his tandava nritya which led to disturbances in the Universe.

After that, the serpent god apologized to Shiva and hissed which gave rise to a flow of boiling water. The water spread out all over and the gem emerged out from the water. 

The place is very auspicious and there are so many temples to visit. It is a faith that the name “MANIKARAN” is based on this incident for sure. MANALI TOUR PACKAGES must include this place. It is one of the best places to visit in Manali.

Manikaran hot spring

The water of the hot spring is considered very auspicious and it is still so hot that rice can be cooked in the water.