Manikaran

Manikaran sits in the Parvati Valley at about 1,760 m, a short drive beyond Kasol. The Parvati river runs through the middle of town and the ground alongside it is geothermally hot — water emerges between roughly 60 and 95°C. The Gurudwara Manikaran Sahib, linked by tradition to a visit by Guru Nanak, uses the springs to cook langar for pilgrims and has communal bathing tanks. Around it are Hindu temples to Rama and Shiva, tied to a legend of Parvati losing an earring (mani) in the water. A small experimental geothermal plant also draws on the springs.

1. Fly to Bhuntar (~35 km); from there taxis and buses run up the Parvati Valley via Kasol.
2. Regular buses connect Kullu and Bhuntar to Manikaran through the day.
3. The town itself is compact and walkable; the gurudwara and temples are all on foot.

March to June and September to November are the most comfortable. The valley is cold in winter, and the monsoon can bring landslides on the Parvati road.

• Cover your head and remove shoes inside the gurudwara; langar is served to everyone.
• The spring water is genuinely scalding in places — use the built tanks, not open channels.
• The Parvati Valley road is narrow and slide-prone; allow extra time in bad weather.

Individual pages for these are added as they are reviewed.