Manikaran Sahib

Manikaran is believed to be sacred by the Sikhs and the Hindus, each having their own reasons behind their beliefs.

The Hindu Legend
Manikaran, as the name suggests has its origin from gem or Mani. Hindu Lord Siva and his wife Goddess Parvati were fascinated by the beauty of the place and chose to stay here for 1100 years. During their stay, Goddess Parvati lost her Mani in the stream and was upset about it. A serpent, Shesh Naag seized the Mani as a result of which Lord Shiva got angry and performed tandav ( a form of dance) so as to get back the Mani. The serpent hissed giving rise to the boiling water and hot springs. The gems likening to that of Parvati's sprung up all over the spilt water. Since then the place got the name, Manikaran. The jewels continued to spring up until the earthquake of 1905.

The Sikh Legend
According to Sikhs, the founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak Ji came here in 1574 during the third Udasi along with his follower Bhai Mardana. Mardana felt hungry but there was no food so he was sent by Guru Nanak Ji to collect food for Langar. People donated flour to make Rotis. Despite having the ingredients they were unable to cook food because of unavailability of water. As directed by Guruji Mardana picked up a stone and a hot water spring appeared in which the rotis floated at first. Nanak Ji advised him to pray to God that if these chapatis float back he will donate one of them in his name and to his astonishment the chapatis not only floated but turned into edible stuff. Since then it is believed that if you donate something there in the name of god you are likely to get the lost items back. This Gurudwara is also mentioned in the 'Twelfth Guru Khalsa' by Giani Gian Sikh which makes it more pure and significant for its disciples.

Manikaran does not have too many options for food. One can eat at the lungars organized by the temples and the gurudwaras in the area. The food in lungars is delicious as well as hygienic. It might also be convenient to carry your own food or make some personal arrangements.
Himachali cuisine is very simple as it mainly revolves around Chapati, dals, vegetable gravy and curd. Pickles are typically served along with a meal in most of the eating joints here.
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Day1: Visit the place and stay according to your will. The gurudwara offers space for living and town comprises of many guesthouses. On your day one, complete your tour inside the gurudwara and explore the reasons behinds it sacredness. Take rest and cherish the food coming straight away from god's kitchen in the form of Langar. Bath into the hot springs and wash away all the impurities.
Day 2: Mark the beginning of your day with a dip into Kulant Pith and afterwards head towards Lord Ramchandra Temple with Lord Shiva to be the next place to visit. Langar is provided to the disciples. Choose your way out of having lunch here or outside. Look around to the local markets and enjoy the aura of the place. You can also visit nearby towns of Tosh, Kasol, Kullu and Manali if time permits. Each of those towns will take 1-2 days to cover.