Shimla, Kullu, Manali trip – Part 7

At first there is a temple of Shiva in front of Vashishta temple, and both of these temples are built up of wood which is carved. Just ahead at upside there is an old temple of Rama, whose half old part is built up of stones, and the half new part is built up of carved wood. We first paid our visit to Shiva temple and then went into Vashishta temple. The idol of Vashishta is having only moustache but no beard. In the yard of Vashishta temple there is a hot water pool. Separate bathrooms are built up on that pool for men and women. The water coming from the tap of basin is the same water coming from that pool. I washed my hands with that tap water. The water was quite hot. From there we went into the Rama temple situated upside. It’s construction is of ancient time. The idols of Rama, Laxmana and Sita in temple are made up of gold.

We had to peep in the shop while coming down because the vendors were chasing us. Chingu is a kind of blanket. After hearing it, we thought that it will be not of much use in Mumbai, and we came out of that shop. I purchased a sweater for me in one shop. Here we were acknowledged that the good quality shawls made in Himachal are very expensive. All the other material is coming here from outside that is Kashmir. Most of the material which was getting sold from nearby shops was came from Kashmir.

From there we went into the Hidimba (Hadimba) temple. There was very large queue for paying visit to this temple. In the surroundings of Hidimba (Hadimba) temple, a garden is made by planting trees of Pine, Devdara etc.. In the shadow of these trees in the surroundings of this temple, it feels very calm. This temple is also made up of wood. The skulls of animals like deer with their horns are hanged on this temple. There is a wooden threshold nearly two feet high while entering in the sanctum of the temple. There are clean cut large sized footprints as a symbol of Hidimba (Hadimba) in a deep but small cave like part in the sanctum. Also there is a small idol of a Goddess at one side. On the backside of this temple there is a temple of Ghatotkacha – the son of Hidimba (Hadimba) and a temple of Barbarik – the son of Ghatotkacha. After coming out of the temple, we saw small shops at side just like that of in the fair. Here also there was a facility of taking photographs, by wearing Himachali dress or by sitting on black and white mix coloured Yak. Also there was facility of taking photo, by taking big eared white rabbits in hands.

When we departed from there, driver stopped his bus near the club house. From there we had to go in the Manu’s temple. This land got it’s name Manali as it means Manu Aalay – that is home of Manu. Manu temple is situated on a hill having very high slope. The bus do not go there. Rickshaws were going only up to half distance on road, because the road construction was going on there. The driver gave us two options either Manu Temple or Club house. Here we were divided into two groups. Some of us started to go to Manu temple, and others started to go to the Club house. The school was started up near Manu temple. The schools in Himachal do not have Summer vacation, but they have vacation in rainy season. We had to take ticket for going in the Club house. Differently ticket checking was done after we went ahead. There are shops, hotels, gaming zones, boating zones in the Club house. We returned to the bus at decided time, after passing some time in Club house.

From there we went walking into the hotel for lunch. It was a Gujarati hotel. We ordered for Gujarati thali. A notice was put up on the wall of hotel in clean Gujarati language, that “Please do not wash your hands in thali (dish).” After taking lunch we strolled around in the market and took rest sitting in the Vanvihar garden. Then again went walking where our bus was parked. There also a Vanvihar garden was made nearby. There the bird “Monal” which looks like peacock and some other birds were kept in cage. We took photographs of those birds and flowers and went out. The basin of river Vashishta was very near. But we went into the hotel. Though we reached at hotel earlier, we sat at one side waiting for dinner because there was much rush in the dining room for taking dinner, and took our dinner at last. At the next day we had to depart from Manali.

At morning our travel was started after taking lunch. We were going to Chandigarh via Kullu. In the way driver stopped his bus by seeing a board of river rafting. There those people wrote down our names who wanted to do river rafting (four hundred rupees each). Actual place for doing river rafting was at long distance. Our bus went there, behind the vehicle of those people. Eight of us wanted to do river rafting. The plastic dress was given to us, for wearing externally to not to soak in water. Then life jacket and helmet were given to us to wear on it. It’s belt were tightened carefully. And we became ready to do the river rafting. All of us sat on that rubber boat as four of us on the front seat, in middle both of us and the other two on back seat. We only had to hold the rope in the boat tightly with both our hands. Those on the front side had to bent down, only if they got the signal for it at that time. The rafting people were going to row the boat.

At backside sat down one rafting man who was giving the signals for rafting. The other two men brought our boat in water and started to row the boat according to signals by sitting at our external side in the middle part. Whenever any strong current of water was coming in between, it’s water was directly tumbling on our body and we were getting soaked. The water was as cold as snow. The water was surging up again and again and going into the eyes. So for some time at start I closed my eyes tightly. I opened my eyes when the surge of water became less, but now the boat was changing it’s direction continuously. Water was going with force in my left ear when the boat was changing the direction each time. In the way the boat came at one side of stream. The men who were rowing the boat got down in to the water and gave direction to the boat according to the signals given by signalman. Now we were just used to rafting and enjoying it, in that time came the place where we had to get down. The jeep of rafting people and our bus was reached there by the road which was parallel to the river. We had crossed the distance of seven kilometers. Three of us, me and the other two at front were soaked very much. There was a provisional changing room nearby. The video shooting of our rafting was showing in the room which was near to it. Those people were giving us it’s C.D. for two hundred rupees.

We took the C.D. and started our travel. We came into Punjab finishing our travel on smooth and clean roads of Himachal Pradesh. While going to Chandigarh we only stopped in a hotel for taking lunch in the way. We had decided earlier to eat Makke ki (Corn) roti and Saranso ka sag (vegetable of mustard) in this return journey, but now only half of us ordered for simple lunch and the others took lassi. In next travel the driver switched on the A.C. in bus at four o’ clock in afternoon. We were sensing the increased heat in the surroundings after we came to Punjab from Himachal Pradesh. The sky which was looking clear blue in Himachal Pradesh, now in Punjab it was looking smoky and polluted. Then in next travel we only stopped for drinking tea at one place in the evening. There I captured the beautiful scene of sunset in my camera. We didn’t saw anything else in that travel. When Chandigarh came near, the curtains in the bus were tied up. In Chandigarh it is not allowed to keep curtains inside the vehicles. Chandigarh is a city which is cleanly planned and designed. At seven o’ clock in the evening we all came in one and same hotel. Here we had no question of parking of bus, because there is place kept for parking in all the city.