In the last blog, I talked about the difference between Trekker and Tourists and in this one we are going to do all the Touristy activities, ofcourse by walking.
Today we are headed to the Old town of Manali, we will visit some famous spots and then do some shopping at the Mall Road.
You wake up and the Mountains greet you Good Morning!
Manu Temple:
As we start walking towards the town, we first stopped at the Manu temple. It is such a beautifulWooden temple with intricate carvings. This is the only temple dedicated to Sage Manu.
The peace when you enter the temple has Divine Energy!
Outside the Manu temple, there are many fruit vendors who sell Fresh Cherries. And by Fresh, I mean just-plucked-from-the-trees-fresh! Those were the Yummiest and the Juiciest cherries I have had in my life!
The man you see here was plucking the cherries when I clicked this picture!
Vashisht Kund:
The Vashisht temple is around 4000 years old. The Vashisht Kund is believed to be created by Lakshmana. Lord Rama’s younger brother did not want his Guru Vashisht to walk long for a bath. Hence he shot one arrow in the ground and the hot water spring emerged.
The water of the spring is rich in minerals like Sulphur and is good for the skin. There are separe rooms for males and females.
Our initial plan was to just dip our feet and wash our face. But one of us dropped a pair of sunglasses in the Kund😂. So, had to get in and search them underwater!😅
Near the Vashisht temple, there are many shops but one thing I found amazing was Fish Spas. Small fishes eat away the dead skin from your feet thus providing you with Pedicure! (Today this is a fairly known concept but 5 years ago, I had not heard about it.)
Hadimba Temple:
The temple of the Godess of Nature- Hadimba Devi is rightly located in thick Cedar forest. The temple usually has a long line of devotees from all over the nation. Even with increasing commercial activities in the town, Hadimba temple remains the Heart of Manali.
“Hinduism comes closest to being a nature religion. Rivers, rocks, trees, plants, animals, and birds all play their part, both in mythology and everyday worship. This harmony is most evident in remote places like this, and I hope it does not loose its unique character in the ruthless urban advance.“
–Ruskin Bond
Mall Road:
After visiting all the places and walking so much, the first thing we did on reaching Mall Road was Eating Lunch! You get a lot of variety here. Momos are a must try!
Manali is known for its Handicrafts especially the Handloom products. The traditional multicoloured Himachali caps are my Favourite❤!
People also get Embroidered Kinnauri shawls as Souvenirs. Woolen kurta with their tradition prints are also really nice.
Other popular items sold are inlaid Silver jewelry, antique items and Tibetian art pieces.
The soles of my shoes got damaged. So I had to buy waterproof Sandal shoes from there. They were very tough and lasted 3 years!
The Leather and Woolen products are of good quality.
Fruits, fruit products, Saffron, Dry Fruits, Apricot oils and Honey are among the Must buys from Himachal.
I also got wooden keychains with my name written in Calligraphy.
Back to Camp:
After visiting all these places and now after buying a lot of stuff, walking back to the camp was really Painful! We were completely drained and took the maximum number of breaks on the way.
After reaching the camp, we freshened up and then had a freshly prepared, hot dinner which was real delight!
We sat under the stars for a while. Then repacked our bags with all the things we just bought because this was the last day at this Beautiful Basecamp.
Next we leave for the Top camp where a lot of Fun, adventure activities are waiting for us. Be prepared!
Links to the previous blogs in this series:
E1: https://diniwriteup.home.blog/2020/05/22/reaching-manali/
E2:
https://diniwriteup.home.blog/2020/05/24/meet-manali_-e-02-manali-memoir/
E3:
https://diniwriteup.home.blog/2020/05/26/jogini-falls_e-03-manali-memoir/
Planning for Trek:
https://diniwriteup.home.blog/2020/05/18/planning-for-manali-trek/
My other Travel Blog:
Diniwriteup 
This is truly amazing. 😍
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Thank you so much 😃! So glad you liked it!
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