Situated in the central parts of the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, Manali is at the head of the Kullu valley. In Manali, one can find high mountains shrouded by silent snows and deep boulder strewn gorges. There are thick forests, filled with cool breezes and bird song. There are fields of wild flowers, small picturesque hamlets and fruit-laden orchards, especially apples. Manali is also famous for adventure sports like skiing, hiking, mountaineering, paragliding, rafting, trekking, kayaking, and mountain biking.

Manali, (alt. 1,950 m or 6,398 ft) on the Beas River valley, is an important hill station in the Himalayan mountains of Himachal Pradesh, India, near the northern end of the Kullu Valley. It is administratively a part of the Kullu District. The population is approx. 30,000. There are actually two parts of Manali. Aleo New-Manali town is on the banks of the Beas river and the Old Manali village lies east of the Manalsu nullah, which in its present form, is more of a hippy enclave.

The small town was the beginning of an ancient trade route to Ladakh and, from there, over the Karakoram Pass on to Yarkand and Khotan in the Tarim Basin.

he towns of Kullu and Manali are dotted on the scenic Beas river valley. In a stretch of 100 km, Beas is joined by scores of tributatiries or "nallahs" which are known to cause flooding during the monsoon season. It is precisely because of its everflowing snow fed waters, Manali is so fertile.

This has meant that over a period of time there has been a constant flow of inhabitants into the valley. However the culture and diaspora has remained symbolic to the region.

The earliest history can be tracked down in the folk-lore of Mahabharatha, but more importantly in the local folk-lore which is not very well documented.

The valley was sparesely populated in ancient times and its inhabitants were known as literally "rakshas", the non agricultural hunting and wandering communities. The next arrivals were the shephards which came in through the Kangra valley and settled to take up agriculture. Some of the earliest and the most indigenous inhabitants of the regios are the 'naur' or 'nar' which is a caste unique to Kullu. Only a few naur families are known to exist now. A naur family in the village Soyal near Haripur on the left bank of Manali was famous for the vast land they owned and their practice of having 'rakshas' as their labourers.

Britisher officers were the first documented visitors to the valley. Some books written by travellers have the earliest pictures of Manali dating as far back as 1920. The British were also responsible for bringing in cash crops like apple and fish like trout which was not native to Manali. It is said that when apple trees were first planted the fruits were so plentiful that often branches, unable to bear the weight would collapse. To this day apple along with plum and pear remains the best source of income for the majority of its inhabitants.

However, tourism in Manali received a real fillip after the rise of militancy in Kashmir in late 1980s. This once quite village has now been transformed into a bustling town with hundreds of hotels and restaurants that have mushroomed all over Manali to serve the ever increasing influx of tourists.

Manali is located at 32.27° N 77.17° E[1]. It has an average elevation of 2625 metres (8612 feet).

Vashisht Ashram

It's a lovely little village, about 4 km by road up the hillside from the Mall. There are several decaying temples in the village dedicated to the sage Vashisht Muni and the Lord Rama.

Jagatsukh

Situated about 6 km from Manali, it was originally known as Nast, which was capital of Kullu for 10 generations. Famous for a Shiva temple in shikhara style.

Gayatri Devi and Devi Sharvali Kothi

About 12 km from Manali, this is a picturesque spot. Rest house overlooks the narrow valley and offers view of mountains.

Rohtang Pass

This is about 51 km from Manali. Rohtang Pass is the gateway to the Lahaul and Spiti valleys and the second entry point to the tribal region.

By Air

The closest airport is Bhuntar, 9 kms from Kullu and 49 kms from Manali. Jagsons and Archana Airlines have regular flights on the Delhi, Chandigarh and Kullu sector.

By Rail

One of the convenient ways to go to Manali is to travel upto Chandigarh, one of the Shatabdi points and then travel up by bus. Alternatively one can travel upto Pathankot in broad gauge lines and then reach Manali by surface via Mandi and Kullu.

By Road

Manali is connected with Shimla, Chandigarh, Delhi - Pathankot, Dharamshala and many towns in Himachal, Punjab and Haryana with direct bus services. During summer months direct buses are also available for Keylong in Lahaul and Kaza in Spiti valley.

Manali’s specialty are Himalayan handicrafts - such as prayer wheels, amulets, masks, musical instruments, rosaries and thangkas. Woollen goods are the town’s forte, particularly the brilliantly patterned shawls for which Kullu valley is famous. The Tibetan market, spread around the back of the Hotel Ibex, has many stalls that sell shawls. Manali’s main street, the ‘Mall’ is a noisy scene of constant activities fronted by the bus station, several shopping markets, and a line of hotels, restaurants and travel agents. Gompas or Buddhist Monasteries are seen at the southern edge of the town.