Narasimha (Narsingh) Temple, Bharmour
temple · 7.1 km away
town30 min from Bharmour
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.
What it is
Manimahesh Lake, also called Dal Lake, Manimahesh, is a sacred lake at 4,080 m at the foot of Manimahesh Kailash in the Bharmour subdivision of Chamba district. The Manimahesh Yatra, a pilgrimage to the lake, is held in August or September, and the state treats it as a state-level pilgrimage. This page is about the road that gets you to its start.
Photos: Ashish3724 (CC BY-SA 3.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Getting there
The road ends at Hadsar, 13 km and about 30 minutes from Bharmour. The walk to the lake starts there, on the easier of two routes. The other starts from the village of Holi.
The visit
We do not plan the walk itself: it is a high-altitude pilgrimage trek, and we have no verified timings, permits or registration rules to give you. Ask in Bharmour about conditions, and about registration if the yatra is on. Hadsar itself is a place to see the road-head and, in pilgrimage season, the camps and food stalls at its edge.
When to go
The pilgrimage is in August or September. At other times the high route may be closed by weather, so check locally. See when to visit Bharmour.
Around it
Back in Bharmour, the Chaurasi complex and the Lakshana Devi Temple are the other things to see. The two-day plan puts Hadsar on the second day, and things to do in Bharmour lists them all.
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Questions people ask
Where do you start for Manimahesh Lake?
On foot from Hadsar, the village where the road ends, 13 km and about 30 minutes by car from Bharmour. It is the easier and more frequented of two routes, with basic food and lodging during the pilgrimage season. The other route starts from the village of Holi and climbs higher.
When is the Manimahesh Yatra?
In August or September, in the Hindu month of Bhadon, on the eighth day of the new moon. The state treats it as a state-level pilgrimage. Bathing in the lake is linked to Janmashtami and Radhashtami, so crowds peak around those days.
How high is the lake?
Manimahesh Lake is at 4,080 m beneath Manimahesh Kailash, one of the five peaks known as the Panch Kailash. It is a serious high-altitude walk, so we give no timing or plan for it here. Ask the local administration about conditions and registration first.