Manikaran is located in the Parvati Valley between the rivers Beas and Parvati, northeast of Bhuntar in the Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh. It is at an altitude of 1760 m and is located about 45 km from Kullu.
This small town attracts tourists visiting Manali and Kullu to its hot springs and pilgrim centres. An experimental geothermal energy plant has also been set up here.
Sikh Belief
According to the Sikhs, during third Udasi, his founder Guru Nanak came to this place in 15 Asu 1574 Bikrami with his disciple Bhai Mardana. Mardana felt hungry and they had no food. Nanak sent Mardana to collect food for the langar (the Community Kitchen). Many people donated atta (flour) to make Roti(bread). The one problem was that there was no fire to cook the food. Nanak asked Mardana to lift a stone and he complied and a hot spring appeared. As directed by Nanak, Mardana put the rolled chappatis in the spring to his despair the chappatis sank. Nanak then told him to pray to God saying that if his chappatis float back then he would donate one chappati in His name. When he prayed all the chappatis started floating duly baked. Nanak said that anyone who donates in the name of God, his drowned items float back.
Hindu belief
The legend of Manikaran states that while roaming around, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, once chanced upon a place that was surrounded by mountains and was lush green. Enamoured by the beauty of the place, they decided to spend some time there. It is believed that they actually spent eleven hundred years here.
During their stay here, Goddess Parvati lost her mani in the waters of a stream. Upset over the loss, she asked Shiva to retrieve it. Lord Shiva commanded his attendant to find out the mani for Parvati, however, when they failed, he was extremely angry. He opened his third eye, a tremendously inauspicious event which led to disturbances in the universe. An appeal was made before the serpent god, Sheshnag, to pacify Lord Shiva. Sheshnag hissed thereby giving rise to a flow of boiling water. The water spread over the entire area resulting in the emergence of precious stones of the type Goddess Parvati had lost. Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati were happy at the outcome.
The name Manikaran is derived from this legend. The water is still hot and is considered extremely auspicious. A pilgrimage to this place is thought of as complete. It is also believed that there is no need to pay a visit to Kashi after visiting this place. The water of the spring is also supposed to have curative powers. The water is so hot that rice can be cooked in it.Apparently, jewels continued to be thrown up in the waters at Manikaran until the earthquake of 1905.
The legend of Manikaran
In the wanderings of Lord Siva and Goddess Parvati in the forests of the Himalayan ranges, they came to a place now called MANI KARAN. The mountain – locked area, the lush green patches and the forests charmed them and they decided to stay there for sometime.
For long eleven hundred years they remained at this place. At one time, when the Lord was relaxing with the Goddess, in the beautiful waters of a stream running by the side, the ‘MANI’ (Jewel) in an ear-ring of the goddess dropped somewhere.
Parvati was much distressed and there was a thorough search but efforts to find out the jewel failed. Lastly, the Lord ordered his attendants, to trace out the jewel, wherever it may be. That was also unsuccessful. Lord Siva got enraged, as a result of which his third eye opened. With the opening of the third eye of the Lord Siva, a very ominous event, there was a great commotion, all over the universe. The entire universe was much too upset and apprehended a great calamity.
Shesh nag, the serpent god, was approached. In order to subside the anger of Lord Siva Shesh Nag hissed and hissed and there was a flow of boiling water passsing over the area and out came a number of precious stones of hte type which was lost. Lord Siva was pacified. The water still continues to be hot. Before the earth-quake of 1905 affecting this area also, it is said, that this boiling water used to rise, to about ten feet height.
There are several temples in the Mani Karan village. The most important is that of Lord Raghunath. The Pandas (priests) of the village claim that the idol of Rama was brought from Ayodhya and installed in this temple by the Raja of Kulu. This lacks a historic confirmation. There was also an idol of Lakshman the younger brother of Lord Rama Chandra. This has now disappeared. On the left hand side of the Lord is the idol of goddess Sita. The temple is very old and on one of the stones in its wall, the history of the temple is written which is not legible.
There is another very old temple of Lord Siva, which got tilted during the earthquake of 1905. The great prestige with which Mani Karan is held is seen by the fact that the Devatas of Kulu valley pay regular visits to Mani Karan. The followers of the individual deities at different places are carried ceremoniously in a procession to Mani Karan on specified auspicious days.
The visiting deities are given a ceremonial bath. The second chapter of Brahm Puran recites the story of Mani Karan as given above. The place is described as one of hot and cold waters and the divine pair had repaired there for water sports (Jal-Krida). Fragrant and attractive flowers graced the place and by a bath at the Sangam (confluence) one is eternally blessed. The Brahm-Puran enjoins the pilgrims pass a night awake at Mani Karan and do puja (Raat-Jagran).
Thereby the pilgrims obtain the full virtue of the world. The story of the loss of the jewel and the frantic search and ultimate recovery is vividly described. The tract is Lord Siva’s own and a pilgrimage at this place is adequate and one need not visit Kashi (Varanasi) and other places of pilgrimage. The place is also held sacred by the Sikhs. The Janam Sakhi (Twarikh Guru Khalsa) by Giani Gian Singh mentions about the visit of Guru Nanak Dev to this place.
It has been mentioned that accompanied by his disciple Bhai Mardana, the Guru reached Jwalamukhi temple after visiting Kalanaur, Gurdaspur, Dasuya, Triloknath, Palampur and Kangra. The Guru then proceeded towards Mandi and aftervisiting Chamba and Kulu he came to Bijli Maha- dev. At all these places Guru Nanak Dev had preached. Then he came to Mani Karan. The Janam Sakhi (Autobiography of Bhai Mardana) mentions the miracles did by the Guru.
The Guru came to Mani Karan along with his Five Piaras (followers).
On examination it is understood the Mani Karan hot spring is said to have got Uranium and other radio active minerals
Brahm Puran mentions :
“On the western side, there are tanks of hot and cold waters called Vishnu Kund. They are capable of showering generosity. By having a bath in these tanks, the human beings go to the Heaven (Vishnu Lok). Lord Brahma created the eastern side of the area in the ancient times. It is famous for a river called Brahma Neel. By taking a bath in this river, all evils of the human beings vanish. One, who does not worship here, never feels at rest.
One month, seven days or even three days bath, in the Vishnu Kund is sufficient to attain salvation. There is no doubt about that, anybody who dies, in any corner of this area, gets released from the worldly bondage. On the northern side, there is a mountain, which is named as Harinder. Merely a look at this mountain will make a person free from all evils and on the south is the Parvati River which everybody.
By taking bath here and by drinking water of the place, people go to the Heaven, this is said of the Mani Karan tract since the times immemorial. It is just like Kashi Kshetra. There is no doubt about it. Out of all sectors (Piths) of the country, this sector which is called ‘Kulant Pith, is the superior most. Here, the most sacred place of pilgrimage is Mani Karan, and in it the ‘Vishnu Kund’ is the purest of all. Lord Sankara is mightily pleased to stay here.
This is absolutely true. No other tank in the world, could be more pure than these high rising tanks. Even a drop of water from the tanks will make one free of all evils. Narad, on account of the influence of the Sankara’s eye, this sacred place, causes the disappearance of anger and evils. One who eats the food cooked in this boiling water goes to the Vishnu Lok (Heaven).
My trip report
We went to Manikaran from Manali enroute Kullu Valley. The airport of Bhuntar is also nearby. The picturesque Kasol is just 3 kms. away. The Brahmganga hydro electric project is also nearby on the Parvati river. We visited the shrine within the Gurudwara. We had Langar, which is free meal provided to pilgrims. I was quite amazed how they serve so much food to thousands of pilgrims everyday visiting the shrine. There were arrangements for people taking bath within the hot springs to heal themselves. There was an underground cave like structure where there were arrangements to lay down or sleep or sit. Hot vapour were coming out of the rock and this is believed to heal your diseases. We to laid down for quite a time there. Then we visited the adjacent Hindu temples complex of Shiva and Vishnu and also Ramchandra. People were keeping rice and lentils in small packets and dipping down in the hot water within the temple complex. After an hour , the rice was almost cooked and people took them as Prasad. We also strolled past the Parvati valley and Kasol. It was a wonderful experience and Manikaran is definitely worth a visit.
The hot springs
The spring are situated near the bank of Parbati river. These are confined to several groups of hot water springs emerging at various locations spreading upto a distance of about 1.3 kms. along the river from the old bridge to Brahmaganga. The springs at Manikaran come out to surface with pressure and are very hot. There is no sulphur or iron mixed in the waters, but it is said to be radio active. The water of these springs is so much hot that pulses ( dal ), rice, vegetables etc. can be boiled and cooked in it. There is a Gurudwara here serving visitors and provides night stay. In the Gurudwara, the dal, rice and vegetables are boiled in the hot water and served to the visitors after cooking them fine and surprisingly the meal is tasty. Vegetables etc. are cooked in a pan resting on the hot water. Usually the meal is cooked fine in 20 minutes. Even ‘chapatis’ are cooked by immersion. The heat near the boiling place, where the meal is cooked, is so high that inhabitual persons can not even stand and tolerate the heat for some minutes.
The healing properties of the Manikaran Springs are well known all over the country. Pigrims from far come here and for the cure of their ailments. Rheumatism and muscular pains are said to cured very fast by taking bath in this water. According to a legend, Manikaran is associated with Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati. Mani Karan means Ear Rings – it is said that once, while taking bath here, Maa Parvati lost her ear rings in the Kund (pond). When she told it to Lord Shiva, he became furious and looked at the water of the kund with great anger and then thousands of ear rings flowed out from the boiling water and since then the water of the spring is boiling. The rocks surroundings the springs are also very hot.