Manu temple, Manali

Dec-5, 2019

This is my first ever visit to Manali and I would be spending few hours here. My host was Rajesh, a colleague at Kais. As soon as we reached Manali, we visited Hidimba Mandir, Ghatotkacha shrine and the museum of Himachal folk art and culture. We had a quick lunch and made our way through the narrow winding lanes to Manu temple. It was convenient to have come here on a bike. The temple's look was a pleasant surprise.. its pyramid like Shikhara shoots up from the center like a factory chimney. The temple architecture is Kath Kuni, the traditional style of construction of Himachal Pradesh.

A board hung on the temple wall which tells the temple's history briefly as follows:
According to the myths popular in the area when the mighty deluge overwhelmed the world, Lord Vishnu incarnated as the machanider avtar to guide the ark of Manu to saft, using Vasuki Naga as a rope to tie the boat of Manu to his horn, Lord Vishnu is said to have brought the boat to its moorings on the Himalayas. The Manu being referred here is Vaivasat Manu also called Vivswam which implies that he was born of the Sun. In the ark accompanying Manu were the Sapt Rishis(seven sages). Atri, Kashyap, Goutam, Jamadagni, Bharadwaj, Vashist & Vishwamitra. Manu was carrying with him the seeds of creation which, it is believed, engendered the modern world. There is no proof as to where the boat came to rest, therefore Manali cannot claim, with certainty, to be that place. But the ancient fairs and festivals of the area bear testimony to the fact that the association of Manali with Manu is pretty ancient indeed, in fact it derives its name from this connection. The ancient name of Manali is Manualaya, meaning the abode of Manu, the modern name is a distortion of the former that the passage of time has brought to bear upon it.
Manu not only created the civilization but has also laid down many principals for the welfare of human beings. He enunciated the laws that govern individual and also social life. He propounded the four stages of human life i.e. the four Ashramas viz, Brahmacharya, Grihasth, Vanaprasth and Sanyas. He also gave the concept of the four castes on which society was to be organized.
There are not historical or archaeological evidences that point to the fact when the first temple here was built. However at the site of the present temple their existed a small chalet type temple that according to the legends had come up soon after the discovery of several idols which continue to be worshiped even today. These idols are housed in the sanctum sanctorum of the present complex; infact, it is this very sanctum around which the earlier temple stood and today stand the existing one, renovated in the year 1991. Legend has it that in a house close to the temple called to this day "Deu ra Ghor" House of Deity. One morning when the lady of the house was clearing dung from the cowshed she struck a stone idol with her pickaxe. The idol is said to have bled. The raised alarm obviously brought people to the scene; and further frantic digging resulted in the discovery of more idols. The villagers placed all these idols for worship in the place they are in and a small temple was built around them.
There are many more stories associated with Manu and the temple that are even today narrated with interest and deep faith by the locals. According to one such story it is believed that Manu, in the guise of a sadhu approached the people of "Deu ra Ghor" and asked for milk. Having no milch cattle but for a heifer tied to the tether in the courtyard, the lady expressed her inability to provide milk. On the sadhu's insistence she milked the heifer; and lo and behold! The heifer spewed milk. According to another legend, this area was under the curse of a terrible demon called 'Tundi' who constantly threatened the lives, culture and civilization of the people. Here again Manu with the aid of Shandilya rishi, rid the place of the terrors of the raksha. Even to this day this liberation from the clutches of evil powers is celebrated by organizing the festivals of Diwali (not to be confused with the traditional Diwali which is celebrated all over India at a different time and for a different reason) and Faagli each year. 

Interesting history indeed. The temple is well maintained both interior and exterior. I spent few minutes looking at the wood work which is quite detailed, only skilled carpenters can produce such work. The Shikhara is the most dominant part of this structure. I think, the wooden shade is for protecting the tower from snow and water. The topmost part of the tower, the crown over the shade wasn't visible from the temple floor level. Had I had extra time, I would've climbed up the slopes of the town for a better view of the temple.

The Shikhara as seen from another position. The wooden pieces hanging from the edges is a standard design in Himachal temples. Probably it helps melt snow and let the water drip away instead of sticking on to straight edges.

The snow capped mountains across the valley in which river Beas flows. In the foreground is the stone sculpture on the temple courtyard. It depicts some animal.. not sure what to say from this side.

Gong by the shape of the head, the spiral horn confirms its a ram. Of the two temples seen earlier today, both had a collection of goat and deer horns but not this temple. Besides the stone ram, there were living creatures.. sleeping dogs. Himachili dogs are super handsome, and lazy too :)

Having seen Manu temple, we decided to move on. We have Vashisht Mandir on our list but dropped it due to time constraint. I preferred to visit Shuru village on Manali-Naggar road, to see a friend of my brother from 1996. All I knew is the name to search with but wanted to try nevertheless. Rajesh was fine with the idea. So we headed to Shuru village to meet Kishanchand.
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Ghatotkacha shrine, Manali

One hundred and fifty meters from Hidimba Devi Mandir is her son Ghatotkacha's shrine. I was expecting to see another temple, but it was a simple shrine under a tree. I think its a Banni Mara (in Kannada) or Shami (in Hindi). Its botanical name is Prosopis cineraria. The area around the tree is kept free so for people to access it easily.

A board planted near the shrine reads as follows:
Dhungri village, Manali, the abode of the mighty warrior Ghatotkach
The birth of the mighty warrior Vir Ghatotkach was the result of divine design. He was born out of the wedlock of Devi Hidimba, a demon and Bhim one of the five Pandavas. It was his role in the battle of Mahabharat that tilted the victory in favor of the Pandavas. Vir Ghatotkach decimated the Kauravas and compelled them to summon Karn, the son of Surya to match his offensive. In the bitter clash that ensued Karn was forced to use his supreme Amogh weapon, which he had kept secure for use against Arjun. The exhaustion of the Amogh weapon made possible the subsequent victory of the Pandavas, ensuring the rule of Dharma and upholding the resolution of Lord Krishna.
Kaamkantha, the wife of Ghatotkach was a devout worshiper of Shakti who bestowed her with several boons. The legendary Barbarik, who could annihilate a whole army with a single shot of his arrow, was their brave son. Fulfilling the orders of Guru, Barbarik had taken a vow to support the losing side whether they are aliens or his kin. On being demanded he offered his head to lord Krishna and came to be known as Sheesh Dhaani Shyam Baba Khaatu who is worshiped as Baba Khaatu Shyam. Close by, at a short distance from the Delhi Public School Dhungri, is situated a beautiful temple with fine engraving dedicated to the worship of Baba Khaatu Shyam.
This place has been the altar of worship if Vir Ghatotkach since time immemorial. The ancient place under the tree had gone in to disrepair and was renovated in 1997. In the adjoining Seraj valley of Kullu there are several temples and other similar places of worship dedicated to the worship of Vir Ghatotkach.
---Veer Ghatotkach Gaon Committee Dhungri

On the tree were several pairs of horns. I think goats were offered during certain festivals and a mark of respect the animals' horns were left at the shrine.

At the shrine, there were several model houses.. wondering if the models were offerings on successfully building a house or with prayers for building a home. Well, different places, different traditions & customs.

It was nice to know about the two shrines dedicated to mother and son.. Hidimba and Ghatotkacha. A stone's throw from here is the Museum of Himachal Culture & Folk Art. Rajesh and I decided to check out the artifacts. It would be nice to a know about traditional life style of mountain people... their dresses, houses, kitchen utensils, jewelry, weapons, and so on.

From the museum, we head towards another ancient shrine- Manu temple. Manu refers to the archetypal man, or to the first man. All these temples are situated in Old Manali.
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Hidimba Devi Mandir, Manali

My trip to Kais, a village between Kullu and Manali, was decided in October. My tickets were booked in November, my onward journey would start on Nov-27th night. This was a business trip, so I did not really research on what to see. As planned, I left home Nov-27th night and reached Kais on Nov-28 11-30 AM. I went to straight to Dhagpo Shedrupling Monastery, met the senior monks who were so caring. I was happy to be working here and the monastery would be my home for the next 9 days. I got along well with the local team who have working here for past six months or so.

The monastery is situated on a mountain slope overlooking Beas river flowing through the valley and skyline was towering snow capped mountains. This was my first ever feel of Himalayas, the beauty was breathtaking, mesmerizing, and what not. Oh yes, I was yet to come in terms with the weather conditions.. the guest house did not have water heaters, I had to manage with the cold water.. which was really colllddd!!

The next day a team from Delhi arrived. We were expecting some material which arrived a day later i.e. Nov-30 and our work started immediately. The mountains cast their shadow into the valley as early as 3-30 pm, then the temperature starts dropping rapidly. By 5-30 it would be dark. To catch up with lost time, we worked as late as 10-30 in the freezing temperatures. The work was done on Dec-4th afternoon, the team Delhi left and I could relax. I planned to take the next day off, visit Manali and Shuru village. The local team's head Rajesh agreed to take me to Manali. Always good to have a local guide.

December 5, 2019
After planning the team's work for the day, Rajesh and I left Kais by 10-30 on a Honda bike. Kullu-Manali road runs in the valley along Beas river. That's the Himalayan way.. roads usually run parallel to rivers. It's been ages since I biked on a highway however, I was comfortable with Rajesh's riding. On the way, we stopped to see a bathhouse where one can bathe in sulfur-water from a geyser. The bath tanks were yellow tinted, the water was warm. Nature's wonders! We reached Manali by noon. We had to negotiate the narrow twisty winding climbing streets of the mountain town. For those roads the traffic was thick, lucky we were on a bike. As we approached our destination, buildings replaced tall coniferous trees, almost no sunlight reaching the road. It was 12-20 PM when we reached Hidimba Devi Mandir.

Having seen only south Indian temples, looking at this great wooden and stone structure was a completely new experience. It looked like a stack of pyramids.. Architecture of Himachal Pradesh is known as Kath-Kuni. Buildings are constructed of dressed stone blocks and wood. The combination is such that the buildings are earthquake proof.

Hidimba is a well known character from the legend Mahabharata. She's Bheema wife and her son's name is Ghatotkacha. Hidimba is considered as a Devi hence she's worshiped and temples dedicated to her.  A board planted near the temple described the temple as follows:
Almost hidden by giant Deodars on the outskirts of the village Dungri stands this wooden temple dedicated to goddess Hidimba. An inscription engraved on a wooden panel at the side of the entrance records that this temple was caused to be built by Raja Bahadhur Singh in the year corresponding to A.D. 1553. The sanctum is covered with three tiered roof constructed of narrow wooden planks, one over the other. The three lower ones are in the usual form projecting canopies, showing traces of wooden fringes here and there. A large metal umbrella, surrounded by a metal finial forming the fourth roof crowns the summit of the temple. On the three sides the temple is enclosed by a narrow verandah which is raised to a height of 12 feet above the ground. The facade and windows on each side of it are richly carved and present a handsome appearance while over the entrance is a wooden balcony. The quadruple wooden frame is ornamented with carvings of various deities and decorative devices such as knots, scrolls, plait-works, animal figures, pot-and-foliage, etc. Mahisasuramardini and a devotee with folded hands and Siva with Parvati on Nandi are shown on the right side at the base where as Durga, a devotee with folded hands Vishnu and Lakshmi on Garuda are shown on the left side. The figures of Ganesa is in the center of the lintel. On the beam above the lintel appears Navagraha panels. The upper most part is decorated with motifs of Buddhist characters in view of its historical and architectural importance the temple was declared protected as a monument of national importance vide notification no. P.4/4/67 dated 18.04.1967.

This is the back side of the temple. The temple's sides at the base is different but the upper parts are same on all sides. The first and second floors of the temple seems to have some kind of living quarters. The steep and low canopy keep out rain and snow and helps retain warmth inside the structure.

This is the other side. The walls are made of alternating layers of stone and wooden blocks. The corners have vertical wooden members as well. On the walls are several pairs of horns.. could be goat and other Himalaya species. Still curious of the upper floors.. are they the priest's home?

Closer look at one of the corners and walls. For a 500 year old structure, this is well maintained. If the wood is 500+ years old, then the trees from which the wood was obtained would have been another 100 to 150 years old. That's the power of plant life! Their lives go beyond their death!

 Four pairs of horns.. most likely Himalayan ibex horns.

More horns on display on the other side. Here's a head of deer as well.

The canopy on the other side. Amazing ancient carpentry.. columns, beams, window frames, shutters and roofs. Most of the wood would be Deodar since its the most common variety in these hills.

This is the front side of the temple. The facade is completely wooden. These are the intricate wooden sculptures described in the temple description. No photography inside the temple. As we pass through the low door, we step down and what we see is a small rock shelter. The shrine of Hidimba is in the shelter, attended by two priests. Rajesh and I stood to a side and tried to absorb the interior details. I did not see any staircase as such. It was so cold, even the wood was cold but definitely better than touching steel or glass.

Temple entrance as seen from the other side.  The facade is symmetrical but the details are unique. I took a few close up shots of the sculptures.

This seems like Brahma the creator of this universe.

This sculpture is in the middle of the top of the right hand side window frame. Turmeric and vermilion have been applied to the images, it must be one of the Trimurthy. Notice the carvings flanking it.

This spiral is eye-catching. It's a type of Swastik.

Wish I'd taken close up shots with the DSLR. Anyway, I was happy to have seen and touched the wonderful art work - salute the ancient artisans. Just beside the temple is a handsome stone sculpture of a roaring lion. Wish the lion was free from decoration.. would've been nice to see the bare sculpture.

Rajesh posing for a picture on a mound like rock next to the lion. This is how one needs to be dressed generally for December weather. Even this will not be of much help if one is riding a bike.

One last look at Hidimba Devi Mandir. From here we planned to see her son Ghatotkacha's shrine, just 100 meters from here. Like his father Bheema, Ghatotkacha was known for his strength and valor. Ghatotkacha fought on the Pandava's side in the Kurukshetra war, he was slain in the battle with Karna.

At the temple premises, tourists have options for being photographed riding a Himalyan Yaks or holding a white rabbit or attired in the local dresses. I just hope the animals are well cared for. Yak wool shawls are quite popular.

Vendors have costumes handy for adults and kids, they can dress up entire families, complete with a cane basket filled with flowers. Here's one such family looking for a nice spot for a photo shoot.

We made our way to Ghatotkacha shrine and then to Museum of Himachal Culture and Folk Art.
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Ketti beauty

Let's start off with a quick intro to Ketti. It's a village about 8 kms southeast of Ooty. The terrain is hilly, covered with gigantic eucalyptus or tea plantations and the valleys with paddy fields. The hills and valleys are dotted with colorful houses. Days are cool, even the sunny days. When it rains, it pours and gets cold. Nights are freezing.

August 23, 2019
This was my second visit to Ooty and Ketti valley, not a vacation but on work. I stayed at our client's weekend home. The house is situated on a steep slope, it has a fantastic view, looking straight into Ketti valley and the opposite slope as well. The valley is open on the eastern side, far away hill range always shrouded in clouds. The house is made of steel, wood and glass. Yes, the outer walls are all clear glass. Day or night, sunny or rainy, you have an unobstructed view of the surroundings. I particularly liked the evening, night and early morning times. The silence is sweet. The twinkling lights from the sky is a glorious sight! Dawns are simply mesmerizing when the first rays touch the horizon.. shades of red and yellow turn blue and yellow. This particular picture is from my first visit in February 2019.

I would get out of the bed early, watch the horizon from predawn to the moment sun rises above the horizon. Then step out for a walk. Its a refreshing feeling to breathe in the fresh chilly air. The landscape is filled with vegetation, amazing varieties of plants.. oh those colors and diverse forms of the flowers! The beautiful power of Mother Nature!!

The pictures below were shot within a distance of 250 meters from the house. The first one being the clump of grass with bright yellow flowers. Notice that some of the blades have blunt edges? That's the result of bison biting off the tips. Bisons can be seen often. grazing silently. During my first visit, I saw a lonely bison, what a lovely beast it was. I did not venture too close to it.

A closer look at the five petaled star-shaped flower. This is how plants and insects co-exist peacefully unlike the present day human who's always in conflict with anything and everything.

Two for joy. They look like a perfect couple. In the background are little white-yellow flowers.

Ball like buds of another variety. This has more than five petals, retains its form for few days even when dry.

This one seems like a group of small single petaled flowers.

This picture is more about the blades of grass. I liked the graceful curve of the dry blade.

This white star has 'peace' written all over it. See the green star bud in the bottom left side.

There were so many varieties of yellow flowers, many on trees. A mild wind was blowing, did not bother to shoot the shaky ones. A small break from yellow, we have a violet flower. These flowers turn into round fruits which are used to prepare a spicy sambar.

As I looked down at the ground, something magical was happening above. A army of small cotton-ball-clouds marched across the sky.

Another type of yellow-star. The petals are kind of thick and strong.

The slope on one  side of the path I walked on was covered with tea plants. Until I saw this white beauty, I never knew tea plants flowered. The petals has a matte surface, like hand made paper. Tea plants don't seem to grow too many flowers, it was a rare sight.

This violet-white beauty is quite complex. Even the bud seems like a flower.

These groups of tiny beauties. Each flower cant be more than 5 mm wide. The subtle combination of white, violet and yellow..

Flowering plants thrive without care. That's the beauty of these hills.

 A red star, looks kind of wild, fierce.

The wild one's bud. This looks peaceful.

Yellow rules again. There's some pattern to the randomness in this flower.

 Yellow cups. The left one is few days older than the right one. The fifth picture in this post- yellow ball - is the bud which blooms out to become this flower. This has a look of a lotus.

 This orange flame lit up by bright morning light is planted in the garden around the house.

The garden has a little greenhouse for strawberry creepers. This is the first time I ever saw one. One picture shows a bud, flower, unripe and ripe strawberries.

I'll call this a post. There are some more pictures I would like to share later.
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welcoming 2020

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