Manimahesh Lake and the road to Hadsar
Manimahesh Lake, at 4,080 m, is the goal of an August or September pilgrimage; the road ends at Hadsar, 30 minutes from Bharmour, and the rest is on foot.
Himachal Pradesh2 itineraries
Bharmour
Bharmour in Chamba district: the Chaurasi temple complex of 84 shrines, the Lakshana Devi and Narasimha temples, and the Manimahesh road-head.
Itineraries you can copy
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Day plan · First visitTemples & heritage
One day in Bharmour — the Chaurasi temples on foot
A one-day Bharmour plan on foot: the Chaurasi complex of 84 shrines, the Lakshana Devi Temple and the Narasimha tower temple. Free, copyable itinerary.
Best May–Oct
See the plan →
1 night · 2 days · First visitClassic
Two days in Bharmour — the temples and the road to Hadsar
A two-day Bharmour plan: the Chaurasi complex and the Lakshana Devi Temple on day one, then the road to Hadsar, where the Manimahesh pilgrimage starts. Free.
Best May–Sep
See the plan →Bharmour is a small town in the upper Ravi valley in Chamba district, and the ancient capital of the Chamba state under the name Brahmapura. King Meru founded the state here in the 6th century, and in 920 Raja Sahil Varman moved the capital down to Chamba. What stayed behind is the Chaurasi temple complex at the centre of the town, 84 shrines built about the 7th century.
The Chaurasi complex is a minute from the centre, with the oldest temple in it, the Lakshana Devi Temple, and the stone tower of the Narasimha Temple beside it. Beyond the town the road runs to Hadsar, 30 minutes away, the road-head for the pilgrimage to Manimahesh Lake.
A day covers the temples; two days add the road to Hadsar. See the one-day plan and the two-day plan, things to do in Bharmour, when to visit and how to reach Bharmour.
Photos: Varun Shiv Kapur from New Delhi, India (CC BY 2.0) · Dhruvaeng (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Vimeshwar (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Places worth the drive
Narasimha (Narsingh) Temple, Bharmour
The Narasimha Temple at Bharmour, also written Narsingh, is a carved stone tower temple to the man-lion form of Vishnu beside the Chaurasi complex.
Lakshana Devi Temple, Bharmour
The Lakshana Devi Temple at Bharmour, also written Lakhna Devi, is the oldest temple in the Chaurasi complex, with Durga as Mahishasuramardini and carved wood.
Chaurasi Temple Complex and Mani Mahesh Temple, Bharmour
The Chaurasi complex at Bharmour has 84 shrines built about the 7th century around the Mani Mahesh Temple, with Lakshana Devi and Narasimha among them.
On the map
Open the Bharmour map →The places a Bharmour day reaches, with the road time from town. Each opens on the map with its plans and pages beside it.
Before you go
All articles →Things to do in Bharmour — 4 stops, and which need a car
Four things to do in Bharmour: the Chaurasi complex, the Lakshana Devi and Narasimha temples, and the road to Hadsar, with measured times and seasons.
How to reach Bharmour — distances and drive times
How to reach Bharmour by road from Chamba, Dalhousie, Pathankot and Dharamshala, with measured distances and drive times and the nearest airport.
Best time to visit Bharmour — the pilgrimage season and the rest
When to visit Bharmour: the Manimahesh Yatra runs in August or September, in the month of Bhadon, and no weather table is published for the town itself.
Questions people ask
What is Bharmour known for?
The Chaurasi temple complex at the centre of the town, 84 shrines built about the 7th century, with the Lakshana Devi, Manimahesh, Narasimha and Dharmeshvar Mahadev temples among them. Bharmour was the ancient capital of Chamba under the name Brahmapura, before it moved to Chamba in 920.
How many days do you need in Bharmour?
One day covers the Chaurasi complex and the Narasimha temple, all within about 2 minutes of each other. A second day adds the road to Hadsar, 30 minutes away. The Manimahesh Lake pilgrimage is a separate multi-day effort that this guide does not plan for you.
When is the Manimahesh pilgrimage?
The Manimahesh Yatra is held in August or September, in the Hindu month of Bhadon, and the state treats it as a state-level pilgrimage. There are two routes, one from Hadsar and one from Holi. Check conditions with the local administration before you plan, since we have no verified rules on registration.
Photographs by Wikimedia Commons contributors (CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA), resized; each picture is credited on its own page.