A trip to lake Parashar

Last weekend was a long weekend, thanks to Easter. My parents are in town(Mohali) and had been wanting to get out to the mountains. My spirit of adventure was borne from them.

I had told my mother about a small setting in lower Himalayas called lake Parashar. This place is in Mandi district, Himachal. I first heard of it from Gaurav, a Himalayan buddy(friends I have made who live in these mountains). He had told me of this place with a small temple dedicated to Parashara muni, father of Veda Vyasa. There was a certain romance that was associated with this place. This romance is with a small pond opposite the temple with a floating island on it. I am not sure what the phenomenon behind this is but the island appears to be in different places of the pond at different times of the year.

Lake Parashar is approachable by road from Manali or Bhunter. Its a 3 hr drive to Parashar from Bhunter(58 kms). The road is navigable by bike or car but a jeep is preferable. We hired a Mahindra Maxx from Manali to Parashar to Bhunter.

My parents were genuinely interested in this place and I could sense the boyish enthusiasm in their description of this place to others.

                                       
We left thursday evening by an AC bus from Chandigarh and reaching Manali in the wee hours of the morning. I booked a couple of rooms at a mountaineering institute which lies in the heart of Manali but still feels like worlds away from the tourist trap that Manali has unfortunately become.

We visited Fateh Thakur Barua at his village, Barua. Barua is an small village in an idyllic location in Solang valley, a little ways from Manali.

 We got a taste of himachali hospitality. Papa and mummy were truly bowled over by the beauty of the land and its people. We got some beautiful views of the landscape from there.

Some images from Barua

The next day, we took a 4 wheel drive jeep upto lake Parashar.The route is Manali to Bhunter to Aut to Parashar. The road is quite treacherous and I would subject the meek hearted away from the window seat.

A total of 5 hour drive from Manali will bring you to parashar. The landscape changes dramatically before your eyes. You start from the valley and soon are zigzagging your way upto 8549 feet. This is where the tree line ends and desolate landscape dominates.

This is where Parashara muni is said to have meditated

The atmosphere is serene and magical. It is as if you are transported to a different planet. The floating island and the lake are added incentives for the soul.


Beautiful wood work is rendered on the walls of the temple.

Papa read a chapter of the Geeta, a composition by Veda Vyasa.

That night's stay was at Bhunter and then a bus back to Chandigarh.





I am excited about doing trips like these with my parents whose excitement and love is contagious.