New Year Celebration: Kasol, Manikarna and Manali

 

It was like dream come true to go at Manali, I had planned my time but it canceled every time, even one of my friend said you will never check in for Manali when he said two three friends also available there and they laugh on me. It hurted my ego, we were in 2014, I had conveyed to my friends Yogesh and Sanjay about this metter, they got ready to go and Yogesh booked ticket to Bhutar from Redbus. One of our colleague Varun also ready with us but ticket already booked so we got one last seat in same bus. As always Yogesh was late, we were waiting at NHPC metro station he reached at 9:45 and our bus was on 10:45 pm so we had only one hour to reach at Kashmiri Gate depot. We got bus details in metro by red bus email and reached on time. We bought some snacks, water and cold drink and settled on our seats one of our friend got back seat, so tried to exchange seat in bus but bus is totally packed and nobody ready to exchange seat. Journey began bus stated at 10:55 pm from depot it was end of December so winter on their full peak, very cold air was blowing, we pull out blanket from beg and covered us, By the time opened snacks packet and we all four are settled together and took selfies. Bus reached at Panipat any unknown dhaba we had dinner their and again came in to bus because it was very cold outside. Bus stated in 20 min and we all slept.

Day 1:

It was next morning, when we open our eyes we were on the place which surrounded with big mountain and behind the road Bias river flown, Bias’s water was looking green, when we open window air was very cold. About 7 am, bus dropped us at Bhuntar where we hired a local transport to reach Kasol, our first destination. We reached at Kasol at 10 am which situated in Parvati valley, it was very beautiful hill station, and nature decorated everything to make heaven. There was Parvati river which make this place so cold and so greenery. We stated to search hotel, but we didn’t find any hotel, all hotels were booked due to peak season (New Year). It’s very hectic for us than one of my friend Yogesh came and said one room is available in Hotel Diamond but was very expensive 2000rs for a day. We had no option, we had already tiered and need some rest so decided to check in, hotel was decent. We threw our bags and jumped on bed, i was very tired and felt much suffocated so I decided to sleep post lunch. I was woke-up at 4 pm and ready to go outside of hotel, my friend already got ready. Hotel manager gave us a New Year Party Pass and told you will got discount form this hotel. Value of this pass was 1000rs but he gave us in 800rs per head, we denied what a foolish thing only for dance why we bought 800rs pass per head. Now we decided go outside and explored Kasol, its very nice place but that day crowd was on their peak, we clicked many pics at different places, but after some time we thought about our New Year party plan. It was evening we decided to rock in hotel with our food and liquor so we bought three types of chicken dishes, snacks liquor etc. We went to hotel, start music on mobile and enjoyed lot our New Year celebration. Hooray! It was New Year we wished to all who were in hotel stated singing, dancing, and shouting, we gone a tired, time to rest so we all slept at 2 pm. 

Day 2:

It was second day of trip, we woke late at 10 am and got ready to check out hotel, decided to go for Manikaran Sahib Gurudwara. There was not any transport so we decided to go by feet, with majestic view we stated our journey, very beautiful scenery came time to time, clicked pics on a regular basis. We saw a big rock which cut to make way and it seen like road has own roof on that place. Finally after one and half hours we reached at Gurudwara. There were many place to visit along with Manikaran Sahib, Shiv temple, Lord Rama Temple, Beautiful market, Hot spring etc. we were very hungry and seated to eat langar, during langar we noticed, rooms were also available in Gurudwara to stay, it was very gladly movement for us, free rooms were available. After serve food in langar we got key of room, went to room it was very big, we put our bags and visited whole places till night, we explore shiv temple, Rama temple, and whole market and went again in langar to take dinner. We enjoyed our dinner and went to room after some chit-chat we slept.

Day3:

I was next morning, I came out from room and saw many person were bathing in a pond which were full with hot water, so we all went down stair to take bath and put out leg in pond which was very hot even we not able to enter in water due to hotness but after some time body temperature were eligible to bath, it was very enjoy full to seat and bath there. After one hour we were ready for breakfast, we take tea and some snacks in market and where Yogesh found a tattoo shop and ready to picturize a tattoo on his hand, a tattoo to assign his mother in 500rs. Now time to leave Manikaran Sahib Gurudwara we went on road and find a bus to Kullu. We reached at Kullu bus stand after 2 hours and picked another bus to Manali, bus stopped for a break, our one friend went somewhere, we found him and called him but his number was off, bus driver asked us to started bus we tried to search him but driver started bus and said he would come with next bus, so we ready to go with this bus and reached in one and half hours, in just 10 minutes of waiting another bus came and Varun came out from this. Now time to search hotel, but as we noticed, winter carnival stated in Manali, so mall road full with crowd many cultural program stated there like Tambola, Dance competition, singing competition, Nukadd Natak etc. I and Varun stayed there while Sanjay and Yogesh went to find a hotel but they came after few minutes and said rooms not available due peak season. Now we decided to search together we searched in many streets where we found two or three hotels. We needed budget hotel due to lack of money so we finalized a hotel on first floor which balcony towards mall road in just 700rs. Hotel was decent, even we could see function of mall road from balcony of hotel. Now we got ready to explore Manali, so we went on travel agency shops which were on the mall road where we asked about local sites, they informed about local site includes Hidimba Devi Temple, Manu Temple, Ghatotkach Tree Temple which were under 2-3 km and told us about another destination in 650rs/person includes Gulaba Snow point, Solang Valley and Rohtang Pass but Rohatang were closed due to heavy snow fall. Finally we booked this tour for next day and went to explore local sites. Hidimba Devi Temple which 2.5 km far from Mall road, we were on the way after visiting Manu temple, we entered in a shop to have lunch first because hunger was on peak, post lunch, we proceeded and find two way to reach at temple first was long way by road and second one was by stairs and we choose short one, proceeded on up stair. It was photogenic place, surrounded with pine trees so we start to click pictures in different poses. We had reached at Hidimba Devi Temple, its very old looking temple open on 1553 by Maharaja Bahadur Singh. The tower consists of three square roofs covered with timber tiles and a fourth brass cone-shaped roof at the top which surrounded by very beautiful Dhungiri Van Vihar. We clicked many pics, here Local ladies will give you rabbit for clicking pictures, after this proceeded to Ghatotkach Tee Temple, reached in few minutes, we prayed there and return back to Mall road. 

It was evening, we reached at Mall road where we walked for some time and packed our dinner and drinks and back to hotel. Our hotel was on mall road, so we were seeing every movement or event happening on mall road, there were bonfires, shops and many more things all were enjoying. Mall road of Manali is one of best in hill stations. We had snacks and drinks and on the TV on full sound, started dancing, singing and lot more things. We tired, so we took rest and had dinner with some chit-chat. We went on mall road at late night, it was ‎brighten with light, cold air flown, we walk for some time and explore whole market. We tired, so we went to hotel room and slept.

Day4:

It was next morning, we woke up late, around 9 am and our tour was planned on 10 am for Gulaba. We got ready as soon as possible and came on mall road near tourist planner, he said two or three people were not coming yet. This tour was on sharing basis, a mini bus was there and we seated, finally it stated at 11 am. Journey began, very beautiful curve roads, mountains covered with snow, sun was lighting, and in one word heaven was there. We reached at Gulaba and we were on the place where hills were covered with snow and atmosphere was so cold we have already rented dress and shoes in 250rs/ to protect ourselves with snow and cold. We run toward ice and stated to play with it, clicked many pics. We reached on top of hill where we could slid below, enjoyed lot there but after some time I noticed that I have come with two jacket one I have wore one but second was not there, we had searched lot but didn’t find it. I was upset, just bought for this trip, our bus was ready to go for Solang valley, we entered in bus post ate Maggie. Bus stated and after some time we were in Solang valley, it was very enjoy full place, many adventure sports were there for instance rope way, air balloon, paragliding was not available due to snow fall. We clicked many pics there, it was very photogenic place surrounded with beautiful nature.

It was evening, so bus dropped us to Manali mall road, I have lost my jacket so we went to buy Jacket near Hadimba Temple Rd, where we found a shop Leather Gallery and I bought 2 jacket, one of sheep lather and other of goat lather as per shopkeeper told us, Jackets were looking very nice so my friends also bought two more and return to Manali Mall road where we went bus depot and found a bus was ready to go for Delhi, we booked 4 seats and return back on mall road because conductor told us, bus will start in 30 minutes. We did some more sopping i.e. globes, muffler etc. we click some last pics of this trip and back to bus. Bus stated, we have not seated together, so we request to a person to exchange his seat but he was not ready, we were very upset with guy but after some time we started to talk with each other and found he was south Indian and by profession he was an actor and photographer. It was interesting for us, so we enquired more about him and found that his upcoming movie Verappan was ready to release and he played role one of friend of Veerappan. We reached at Delhi at 9 am and he asked to us about tourist place in Delhi because his flight to Bangalore in evening, we told him about many places like India Gate, Red Fort, Zoo etc and take metro for Faridabad. This was end of our memorable trip.

Thanks,

Ajit