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Mandi
(800 m) is built along the banks of the river Beas. It has
long been an important commercial centre and the sage Mandva
is said to have meditated here. This one time capital of
the princely state of Mandi is a fast developing town that
still retains much of its original charm and character. Mandi is renowned for its 81 old stone temples and their
enormous range of fine carving. |
About
25 km from Mandi, 14 km from Ner Chowk is the Rewalsar lake,
famous for its floating islands of reed. It is believed
that all seven of them can be moved by prayer or breeze.
There are three shrines here, a Buddhist Monastery, where
elaborate rituals are performed, a Sikh Gurudwara and a
Hindu Temple. |
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It
was from this place that the sage Padma Sambhava, a zealous
teacher of Buddhism, left as a missionary to preach the doctrine
of "the enlightened" in Tibet. Lying in a mountain
hollow, the lake is held sacred to all three communities.
PRASHAR
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This
lake lies 40 k.m. north of Mandi, with a three storied pagoda
like temple dedicated to the sage Prashar. |
JOGINDER
NAGAR: The large hydro-electric project in Jogindernagar
is a living tribute to man he has harnessed and tamed
the wild and roaring river for his betterment.Here an electric
trolley takes the visitor up the steep,rocky face of 2,500 metres-high(8,202
ft) mountain and drops sharply on the other side to Barot,where
the reservoir is located.
The
railway line goes up to the power station,the water rushing
down from the reservoir at Barot in the Uhl river through penstock
pipes going down nearly a thousand metres(3,280 ft). For tourists
who go up to Barot by the trolley there is a comfortable rest
house of the Electricity department.The roads extends beyond
to Mandi and passes the Largi gorge to the Kullu valley.
SUNDER
NAGAR: Famous for its temples,26 k.m. from Mandi towards
Shimla and at a height of 1,174 metres on the raised edge of
a fertile valley, the beautiful town of Sundernagar is known
for its shady walks amidst towering trees. On top of a hill
and visited by thousands of devotees every year, is the Sukhdev
Vatika and temple of Mahamaya.
The
biggest hydro-electric project in all Asia, the Beas-Sutlej
project, irrigating nearly one-fourth of the northern plains
of India,has brought unprecedented prosperity to Sudernagar.
The Beas-Sutlej link colony is the biggest colony in Himachal
Pradesh.
JANJEHLI
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At
a distance of 67 k.m. from Mandi,Janjehli is a paradise
for hikers, offering treks up to a height of 3,300 metres.
After covering 32 k.m. by a motorable road up to Gohar
and rest of the journey is on foot. In the midest of thick
forest, forests (15 km from Gohar) is Bajahi.There is
a beautiful and well furnished rest house to stay overnight,
from here Janjehli is a scant 20 km away through bridle
path.
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