Manimahesh Kailash

Getting there

• By air

  Pathankot Airport is 120 km from Chamba, and Gaggal in Kangra is 150 km away.

• By train

  Pathankot is the nearest railway station, about 120 km from Chamba.

• By road

  From Chamba, public and private transport runs to nearby stations of Bharmour and Dalhousie, and to Dharamshala, Shimla, Mandi, Kullu, Chandigarh and Delhi.

On the way

• Bharmour is 65 km from Chamba.
• Start from Bharmour on the popular route through Hadsar and Dhanchho.
• The route takes two days, with an overnight stay at Dhanchho.
• The highest point the route touches is 4,115 metres.

Rules to know

• Pilgrims walk the trek barefoot for about 14 km from Hadsar, the nearest road point, to the lake.

Why devotees come here

Manimahesh Kailash is a sacred lake near the Manimahesh Kailash peak in the Pir Panjal Range, in Bharmour, Chamba district, Himachal Pradesh. Its religious significance is considered next to that of Lake Manasarovar in Tibet. Pilgrims reach it on foot, on a yearly trek in August or September.

In the popular legend of the Gaddi people, Shiva created Manimahesh after he married Parvati, who is worshipped here as Mata Gorja. Another legend says Shiva performed penance at the lake for several hundred years. Legend also says he set out for the peak from Saho village, where an 1100 year old Chandrashekhar Temple houses a naturally formed Shiva lingam.

Bharmour was the seat of power for four centuries. In the heart of the town stands the Chaurasi Temple complex, which dates back to the 7th century. Its 84 temples and shrines are dedicated to 84 yogis, or Siddhas.

At the lake itself, a small temple in the shikhara style stands on the edge of the lake. There is a belief that a pilgrimage to the lake is incomplete without a visit to the Chaurasi Temple.

Festivals

• August or September, after JanmashtamiManimahesh Yatra

  The pilgrimage trek to the lake is held in the Hindu month of Bhadon.

• During the yatraBharmour fair

  The nomadic Gaddi people hold a six-day fair at Bharmour, 35 km short of the lake.

Tips for your visit

• Some devotees hire ponies for the trek.
• Tents can be hired at Bharmour or Chamba.
• The mountaineering centre at Bharmour also organizes treks and provides basic tents, sleeping bags and trekking gear.
• Good medical care is available in Chamba, and government civil hospitals serve Bharmour and Dalhousie.
• Mobile service works in Chamba, but far-flung areas may have little or no internet.

Questions people ask