Beautiful landscape, glistening, snow capped mountain
peaks and immense natural beauty. This is how Kullu can be defined in
words. It is one of the most visited and popular destinations in the
Himalayas. It is known all over the world for its amazing beauties. It
is located 240 km from Shimla, Himachal Pradesh at an altitude of1,
220m. The best time to visit Kullu is between May and October. Some of
the main attractions of Kullu are Kullu Dusshera, Bijli Mahadev Temple.
For a long time Kullu has been the center of faith and religion. During
17th century, Raja Jagat Singh installed the idol of Lord Raghunathji,
which he brought from Ayodhya. From that time onwards it became the
presiding deity of the Kullu valley.
Kulu is famous for its vibrant and colorful Dussehra festival. During
the time of festival decorated palanquins and processions are taken out
on the streets of Gods and Goddesses from temples all over the Kullu
valley. This is done to pay homage to Raghunathji, the reigning deity of
the valley. Fairs are also organized during the festival in which people
celebrate the festive occasion by singing and dancing.
Places of Worship in Kullu Valley
Raghunathji Temple:
This temple in Kullu is dedicated to Lord Rama and is the seat of the
valley's presiding deity. According to legends during 17th century, Raja
Jagat Singh of Kulu brought from Ayodhya a statue of Lord Raghunath-
Lord Ram as a mark of his penance. He built this temple where he
installed the idol of lord Ram in his chariot. From that day onwards
Raghunathji, became the reigning deity of the valley.
Bijli Mahadev Temple:
It is believed that the temple tower attracts lightning, which
occasionally shatters the stone lingam in the sanctum. It miraculously
returns to its original form when a mixture of butter and sathu (barley
and gram) is applied to it. The temple is famous for its 20m high rod
that periodically draws lightning, which shatters the stone lingam of
Lord Shiva.
Kali Bari Temple:
This temple in Kullu is dedicated to Goddess Shayamla, the presiding
deity of Shimla. This is another major attraction of Kullu.
Parvati Valley & Manikarna:
It is situated at a height of 1,737 m, where there is a hot sulphur
springs that bubble next to the by waters of the Penal river. It is a
holy place for both the Hindus and Sikhs. People go for trekking from
here to places like Pulga, Khirganga and Mantalai. This route finally
leads to the Pin Parvati Pass at a height of 4802 m, which ultimately
opens into the Sutlej valley.
Jagatsukh:
It is situated on the left bank, between Nagar and Manali. Here you can
see two ancient temples. One is the small shrine of Gaurishankar
and the larger chalet-roofed temple to the goddess Sandhya Devi,
the stone base of which is much more ancient than the 19th-century
wooden verandah and roof.
Deo Tibba:
According to legends Arjun performed 'tapa' at this mountain, under the
advice of Maharishi Vyas, to obtain the powerful Pasupata Astra (weapon)
from Indra.
Adventure Sports in Kullu
If you are an adventure sports lover then there are options for you as
you can opt for variety of adventure sports like
Angling & Fishing
River Rafting
Trekking
Heli skiing
How to Reach:
If you go by air than there is airlines that operate daily flights
between Kullu and Delhi. The airport at Bhuntar is 10 km from Kullu,
where taxis and buses are available. If rail is your option than the
closest narrow gauge railhead is at Jogindernagar, which is about 95 km
from Kullu. You can also travel by road. The distance from Delhi via
Mandi is 530 km and from Shimla it is 240 km. From Delhi and Shimla,
luxury buses are available till Kulu.
