Its not just another day. The monastery at Manali is abuzz with activity. Huge crowds have gathered to listen to the sermon of the head monk. I try and sneak through a few pictures, but even the minimal shutter sound made heads turn and embarrassment gripped me. So I decided to take a walk in the lanes of Old Manali. Vintage cafes, roadside food stalls, shops selling Junk jewellery, shawls and Knit wear, Old Manali is delightful. Nestled between tall deodhar and pine trees, with the River Beas flowing alongside, this photo walk will not disappoint you 🙂
I started the walk from Hidimba temple. A temple built as an ode to Hidima Devi , the wife of Bheem( one of the Five Pandavas , according to the Hindu mythological epic , Mahabharata). The architecture of the temple is worth a watch. Old wooden architecture amidst huge, tall cedar trees was a sight to behold!
The scents of the forests rejuvenate my senses and I walk through towards the Old Manali Market.
Quaint little cafes and street shops are aplenty on this road.
One can find traditional silver ‘Tibeti’ jewelry worn over ‘pattus’ (local attire)
Brass and wooden utensils and antique kettles found in the Tibeti stores near Manu temple.
Fashion accessories for women: Precious and semi precious stone jewelry and Silver neckpieces and anklets.
Fashion accessories for men: Kullu woollen caps 🙂 worn by almost all the Himachali men in the region.
The area attracts a lot of foreigners, especially hippies. I found street shops selling sheesha and chillum accessories all over this area.
And there is something that you shouldn’t miss: The Local food!!!
Street food is cheap and very tasty in this area. My favorite was the Besan Paneer Chilla Rolls( Cottage cheese rolled in Gram flour pancakes)
And another mouth watering local dish is the Pahadi Chole ( Chickpeas of the hills ) with Kulche ( Bread)
In northern India, these are traditionally sold out of a huge , deep brass vessel and hence they are called “Peepe wale chole” ( chickpeas out of a brass tin)
The market is abuzz with activity in the morning. I capture some street scenes before gorging on my piping hot plate of chole kulche.
The place gets extremely crowded, cars are restricted and there’s always a jam. The best way to explore is to walk! 🙂
Manali is one of my favorite travel destinations. Next posts will revolve around Exploring Manali 🙂 Stay tuned!
Great post again! Even i want to mention about how shutter sound disturbed the silence in my previous post 😀
Well, the brass utensil you mentioned is the Tibetan healing bowl i believe.
And like always all the pictures are amazing ,landscapes are gorgeous and food pictures are mouth watering!
Thanks! 🙂
Didn’t know about the Healing bowl. Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Even I didn’t know. I learned it from my CS host during my previous travel. I have mentioned it in my post as well 🙂
Yes, these are also called Singing Bowls – used for meditation & spiritual practices.
The chill rolls look amazing! I went to Manali once and was horrified at the commercialisation of it. Completely skipped Old Manali. I should revisit now…
Totally agree with you.Thats one reason I chose to stay at the outskirts of Manali. Its too crowded in the city.Old Manali has a distinct charm.
Very nice.. your lines beckon one to visit Manali!
Thanks for reading 🙂
Wonderful clicks and beautiful post 🙂
Thanks much Avi 😊
Nice photographs as always…love the jewellery and the kettles… 🙂
Thanks Maniparna 😊 I fell in love with the jewellery too 😬
save some besan paneer rolls for me too, they look yum… 🙂
Sure thing! It was indeed super yum😬
I want that roll, like now 😉 Great post and amazing pictures Divsi 🙂 Waiting for the post now to…
Haha I ve taken the recipe from them but very sure the taste wont be the same 😛thanks shashank! Glad you liked it! 😃
Manali looks beautiful. It’s one of the places in my ‘to travel’ list. Your 1st pic was very good. Glad to know your name too 😉
Have a great day.
Oh you absolutely must visit it 😃 thanks Anoop 😊haha well the copyright always gives it away 😝
Old Manali, even the name sounds so beautiful! I’m so inspired by your post, thank you!
Glad you liked it 🙂 Thanks!
Beautiful images…i felt as if I was actually walking down the streets of manali
Thankyou so much 🙂
Nostalgic and delighted, I was there in 2007. I visited the Hidimba temple and clicked the Yaks there 🙂 I saw a nice big neck piece in one of your pics, gosh I want it 🙁 The clicks of food are awesome and its veg so happy and mouthwatering 🙂 loved the post
Thanks a lot Shweta 🙂 I saw the yaks too! People kept posing against them much to the chagrin of their owners :p Thanks for reading in! its always a pleasure hearing from you!
Refreshing post…beautiful Images …and the food looks yummy 😛 😛 🙂
Thanks 🙂
I wished i was there having garam chai ☺️
oh you must visit the riverside cafes! you will LOU them! <3
great captures!! market areas are always so interesting to explore…
Thankyou 🙂 They are my favorite spots for street photography 🙂
Love the pics :). The food looks tantalizing. And must say the place seems to have quite a rustic charm to it :D.
I loved your post. We have booked a family trip to Manali, Kasol & Palampur in October 2015 (from Gurgaon) and Old Manali was already on my list – and as we will be staying at the Johnson Lodge, we plan to walk a lot :). Im a photographer & your post helped me have a glimpse of subjects I too can photo document (apart from nature). Your post offers a fresh perspective to things in Old Manali.
Thanks for such a lovely post!
Lovely lovely pictures D!