Manimahesh Treking Details
Manimahesh Lake also known as Dal Lake is situated close to the Mani Mahesh Kailash Peak in the Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas at an elevation of 4,080 metres. It is located in the Bharmour subdivision of Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. This place has a religious significance because lake is next to that of the Lake Manasarovar in Tibet. The lake is a chosen pilgrimage trek during the month of August and September corresponding to the month of Bhadon according to Hindu calendar. A popular legend claims that Lord Shiva created Mani Mahesh after he married Goddess Parvati and also performed penance on the banks of Mani Mahesh Lake. The most popular adopted route is the Bhanrlour-Hadsar-Manimahesh route which involves a 13 kilometers track from Hadsar village to the Manimahesh Lake. Pilgrims also start trekking from Lahaul and Spiti pass through Kugti pass. Those coming from Kangra and Mandi take the Karwarsi pass or Jalsu pass via Tyari village, near Holi in Bharmour. However, the route from Chamba via Bharmour is the easiest one.
In the month of May, Scorching sun and heat waves make life extremely sullen in the northern plane of India. In an attempt of escaping from harsh summers, I decided to pick an easy trek in Himachal Pradesh along with a friend. After weighing different options, we settled to trek Manimahesh Lake which lies at a moderate altitude (4080 meter) and quoted as an easy trek. We studied the trek thoroughly to avoid any last time blunders but still we were missing something which we realized in next couple of days. Manimahesh Lake lies at the bottom of Mount Kailash which is believed as a home of Lord Shiva. Its inscription in Holy Scriptures of Hindu religion makes Manimahesh Lake a highly revered pilgrimage site. Despite of its challenging geographic settings, thousands of pilgrims visits Manimahesh Lake every year during August/September which is also popular as Manimahesh Yatra. Sadly for us, piles of plastic bottles scattered all over the trail were the only reminiscence from last yearYatra.
