Manikaran

The story

Discover Manikaran

Manikaran sits about 4 km from Kasol in the Parvati Valley, but its identity is entirely its own: a joint Sikh and Hindu pilgrimage town built around natural hot springs, the Gurdwara Sri Manikaran Sahib — commemorating a visit by Guru Nanak — and a cluster of temples to Rama, Krishna, Vishnu and Shiva. Pilgrims cook rice and langar meals in the spring water itself, a practice that continues around the clock. Local legend attributes the springs to Shiva and Parvati, and to the earth surfacing precious stones ("mani") to give the town its name — recounted here as legend, not history. Its own hotels, guesthouses and free gurdwara lodging make it a genuinely independent base from Kasol's backpacker-café scene, even as many Kasol-based travellers visit on a day trip.