himachal pradesh

Thaneek Pura:

Thaneek Pura: or Thanik Pura, (Hindi: थनीक पुरा) is situated near the Chintpurni Temple, which is a place of pilgrimage in India. Thaneek Pura, Chintpurni is located in Himachal Pradesh state, surrounded by the western Himalaya in the north and east in the smaller Shiwalik (or Shivalik) range bordering the state of punjab. Chintpurni is a very sacred place of pilgrimage for Hindus and Sikhs where the Chhinnmastika temple of the goddess Durga is situated. People from all over north India come to this temple.

Description:

Thaneek Pura is situated at a distance of about 3 km from the Chintpurni Shrine. Apart from its scenic beauty, Thaneek Pura is famous for its temples like Guga Zahar Peer Temple, Radha-Krishna Temple, Mahiya Sidh Temple.

According to Manav Bhardwaj, here people can also see an ancient and unique deep well that digs down around 60 stairs and main well being further down. Thaneek Pura is also famous for a fair which is an annual event starting on the subsequent day of Krishna Janamashtmi and coincides with Guga Navami celebrations.

A grand Yajna and Bhandaara is also organized which is one of the largest of its kind. A very famous wrestling competition is also a part of this fair that is attended by all the famous wrestlers of Himachal, Punjab and other nearby states. This fair continues for three days. Krishna Janamashtami and Shivaratri are also big religious events in Thaneek Pura.

For picnic freaks, who come to visit the Chintpurni Temple, the Chaat Bazar of Thaneek Pura in Chintpurni is a big attraction. This place is also famous as Chaat Wala Mod and visitors can not only enjoy the famous spicy mix fruit chaat but along with this it is a very scenic place. The view from here is incredible with beautiful Swan Valley in sight and a huge spread of pine tree forest on Shivalik Hills. It's a favourite hang-out for people from nearby states and other tourists.

Location and Travel Information:

Thaneek Pura, Chintpurni is situated at the altitude of around 900 metres and is part of Una district, Himachal Pradesh. Thaneek Pura is near Bharwain which is located on the Hoshiarpur-Dharmashala road. This road is part of the State Highway network and is normally kept in good shape throughout the year. A very beautiful and small school is run by HP government.from there distance to jourbar is 10 km. another hilly station known for its changig climate.

Weather

Spring : About mid-February to mid-April. The winter starts losing its bite around mid-February.

Summer : Mid-April to end of June. It is hot in summer and light cottons are recommended.

Rainy season : July - September. Still quite warm and, of course, humid. Lots and lots of rain.

Autumn : October - November. Days are pleasantly warm, nights are cool. May need light woollens at night or early mornings.

Winter: December - January. It is quite pleasant during the day and you may get by with one layer of woollens. The winter nights are cold and an extra layer of woollens is required.

In general, temperatures in Thaneek Pura, Chintpurni are about 5-8 Celsius lower than in the Punjab and Haryana plains and in Delhi.

Getting There:

There are a number of ways to get to Chintpurni from Delhi.

1. Delhi - Chandigarh - Ropar - Nangal - Una - Mubarakpur - Bharwain - Chintpurni A number of trains (including a Delhi-Kalka Shatabdi Express which departs Delhi at 730 am and arrives at Chandigarh at 11 am) run between Delhi and Chandigarh. There are also very frequent buses plying on the Delhi-Chandigarh route (about 5 hours). Chintpurni is another 5 hours away by bus from Chandigarh.

2. Delhi - Jalandhar - Hoshiarpur - Gagret - Bharwain - ChintpurniYou could take the Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express from Delhi (departing 7.20 am and which arrives at Jalandhar around 12.0 noon) or you could take an overnight train from Delhi to Jalandhar. Then take a bus or taxi to Chintpurni. Jalandhar - Chintpurni journey should take no more than 4 hours.

Delhi and Himachal State Transport run buses on the Delhi-Chandigarh-Chintpurni route. Buses running on the Delhi-Chandigarh-Dharamshala and Delhi-Chandigarh-Palampur route stop at either Bharwain or Chintpurni. Frequent State Transport bus services are also available from most important cities of Punjab, Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir.

Rail: Closest railheads are at Hoshiarpur ( 42 km) and Una ( 55 km). Frequent bus and taxi services to Chintpurni are available from these towns.

Airport: Nearest airport is at Gaggal which is near Kangra. Distance to Chintpurni is about 60 km. Indian Airlines flies to Gaggal via Chandigarh. Other airports are at Amritsar (160 km) and Chandigarh (200 km).

Some distances -

1. Delhi - Chandigarh - Ropar - Nangal - Una - Mubarakpur - Bharwain - Chintpurni : 430 km

2. Chandigarh - Ropar - Nangal - Una - Mubarakpur - Bharwain - Chintpurni : 200 km

3. Jalandhar - Hoshiarpur - Gagret - Bharwain - Chintpurni : 90 km

4. Hoshiarpur - Gagret - Bharwain - Chintpurni : 42 km

5. Kangra - Jwalaji - Bharwain: 70 km

6. Naina Devi - Nangal - Una - Mubarakpur - Bharwain: 115 km

7. Vaishno Devi - Jammu - Pathankot - Kangra - Bharwain : 250 km

Nearby Places of Interest:

Chintpurni Temple:

Chintpurni is located in Himachal Pradesh state, surrounded by the western Himalaya in the north and east in the smaller Shiwalik (or Shivalik) range bordering the state of punjab. Chintpurni is a very sacred place of pilgrimage for Hindus and Sikhs where the Chhinnmastika temple of the goddess Durga is situated. People from all over North India come to this temple.

Baijnath:

"Baijnath" is a town in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. It is roughly fourteen kilometres from the town of Palampur. It is very famous all over the world as it is one of twelve jyotirlingas.

Geography:

Baijnath is located at 32°03′N 76°39′E / 32.05°N 76.65°E / 32.05; 76.65 It has an average elevation of 1,314 metres (4,311 feet). It is a small township in the Dhauladhar range of western Himalayas, 16 km from Palampur in the Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh

History:

Baijnath is famous for its 13th century temple dedicated to Siva as Vaidyanath, ‘the Lord of physicians’. Originally known as Kiragrama, the town lies on Pathankot-Chakki-Manali highway (National Highway No. 20) almost midway between Kangra and Mandi. The present name Baijnath became popular after the name of the temple. The town is located on the left bank of the river Binwa, a corrupt form of ancient Binduka, a tributary of river Beas.

The Baijnath temple has been continuously under worship ever since its construction in 1204 A.D. by two local merchants named Ahuka and Manyuka. The two long inscriptions in the porch of the temple indicate that a temple of Siva existed on the spot even before the present one was constructed. The present temple is a beautiful example of the early medieval north Indian temple architecture known as Nagara style of temples. The Svayambhu form of Sivalinga is enshrined in the sanctum of the temple that has five projections on each side and is surmounted with a tall curvilinear Shikhara. The entrance to sanctum is through a vestibule that has a large square Mandapa in front with two massive balconies one each in north and south. There is a small porch in front of the mandapa hall that rests on four pillars in the front preceded by an idol of Nandi, the bull, in a small pillared shrine. The whole temple is enclosed by a high wall with entrances in the south and north. The outer walls of the temple have several niches with images of gods and goddesses. Numerous images are also fixed or carved in the walls. The outer doorway in the porch as also the inner doorway leading to the sanctum of the temple are also studded with a large number of images of great beauty and iconographic importance. Some of them are very rare to be found elsewhere.

The temple attracts a large number of tourists and pilgrims from allover India and abroad through out the year. Special prayers are offered in the morning and evening every day besides on special occasions and during festive seasons. Makara Sankranti, Maha Shivaratri, Vaisakha Sankranti, Shravana Mondays, etc. are celebrated with great zeal and splendor. A five day state level function is held here on Maha Shivratri every year.

Temples of Baijnath:

The main attraction of Baijnath is an ancient temple of Shiva. Neighbouring towns are Palampur and Kangra. According to the legend, it is believed that during the Treta Yug, Ravana in order to have invincible powers worshiped Lord Shiva in the Kailash. In the same process, to please the almighty he offered his ten heads in the havan kund. Influenced by this extra ordinary deed of the Ravana, the Lord Shiva not only restored his heads but also bestowed him with powers of invincibility and immortality.

On attaining this incomparable boon, Ravana also requested the Lord Shiva to accompany him to Lanka. Shiva consented to the request of Ravana and converted himself into Shivling. The Lord Shiva asked him to carry the Shivling and told him that he should not place the Shivling down on the ground on his way. Ravana started moving south towards Lanka and reached Baijnath where he felt the need to answer the nature’s call. On seeing a shepherd, Ravana handed over the Shivling to him and went away to get himself relieved. On finding the Shivling very heavy, shepherd kept the ling on the ground and the Shivling got established there and the same is in the form of Ardhnarishwar (God in form of Half Male & Half Female).

In the town of Baijnath, Dussehra festival in which traditionally the effigy of the Ravana is consigned to flames is not celebrated as a mark of respect to the devotion of Ravana towards Lord Shiva. Another interesting thing about the town of Baijnath is that there is no shop of goldsmiths.

Another version also suggests that when Ravana was descending from the Himalayas after years of worhip of Lord Shiva. Lord shiva had presented him a Shiva idol in form of a Shivling , which was supposed to be established at Lanka, now Sri Lanka, which would have blessed him (Ravana) with undefeatable powers even to the Gods. It was advised to Ravana that he can not place the Shivling anywhere during the course of travel, even during resting.

Ravana was tricked by one of the Devas (Gods), who posed as a beggar and wanted help from Ravana and promised to hold the Shivling for him while he (ravana) fetched food for the beggar. The Deva posing as beggar placed the Shivling on grou

Chintpurni:

Chintpurni (Hindi: चिन्तपुरनी) is a place of pilgrimage in India. Chintpurni is located in Una district Himachal Pradesh state, surrounded by the western Himalaya in the north and east in the smaller Shiwalik (or Shivalik) range bordering the state of punjab.

Description

The temple dedicated to Mata Chintpurni Devi is located in District Una of Himachal Pradesh. Mata Chintpurni Devi is also known as Mata Shri Chhinnamastika Devi. Devotees have been visiting this Shaktipeeth for centuries to pray at the lotus feet of Mata Shri Chhinnamastika Devi.

They bring with them their worldly concerns and seek blessings from the Devi.

It is believed that if you ask something from the Devi with a true heart, your wish will be granted.

Apart from the holy shrine, according to Manav Bhardwaj, the place is full of picturesque surroundings. Some very nice places for sight seeing, indoor and out door activities are situated in and around Chintpurni. Chintpurni is very well connected through roads and with good number of hotels and dharamsalas erceted in and around chintpurni, accommodation is not a problem at all. You can come here for religious visit, on a holiday or for both, you would enjoy your time there and should return with everlasting memories.

History:

Pandit Mai Das, a Saraswat Brahman, is generally believed to have established this shrine of Mata Chintpurni Devi in Chhaproh village twenty-six generations ago. Over time this place became known as Chintpurni after the eponymous deity. His descendants still live in Chintpurni and perform prayers and puja at the Chintpurni temple.

Location and travel information:

Chintpurni is situated at the altitude of 940 metres and is part, Una district, Himachal Pradesh. The temple is situated on one of the highest peaks of the Sola Singhi range of hills. It is about 3 km west of Bharwain which is located on the Hoshiarpur - Dharmashala road. This road is part of the State Highway network and is normally kept in good shape throughout the year.

Private vehicles are usually not allowed beyond the Chintpurni bus stand which is about 1.5 km from the Temple. You would have to walk this distance. About half of this distance is up a gentle incline and through a very busy market.

The temple is open from 4 am to 11 pm.

Weather

Spring : About mid-February to mid-April. The winter starts losing its bite around mid-February.

Summer : Mid-April to end of June. It is hot in summer and light cottons are recommended.

Rainy season : July - September. Still quite warm and, of course, humid. Lots and lots of rain.

Autumn : October - November. Days are pleasantly warm, nights are cool. May need light woollens at night or early mornings.

Winter: December - January. It is quite pleasant during the day and you may get by with one layer of woollens. The winter nights are cold and an extra layer of woollens is required.

In general, temperatures in Chintpurni are about 5 Celsius lower than in the Punjab and Haryana plains and in Delhi.

Getting there:

There are a number of ways to get to Chintpurni from Delhi.

• Delhi - Chandigarh - Ropar - Nangal - Una - Mubarakpur - Bharwain - Chintpurni

A number of trains (including a Delhi-Kalka Shatabdi Express which departs Delhi at 730 am and arrives at Chandigarh at 11 am) run between Delhi and Chandigarh. There are also very frequent buses plying on the Delhi-Chandigarh route (about 5 hours). Chintpurni is another 5 hours away by bus from Chandigarh.

• Delhi - Una (Janshatabdi Express) Departs delhi at 03:00 PM and reaches Una at 10:20 PM
• Delhi - Una (Himachal Express) Departs Delhi at 11:30 PM and reaches una at 08:30 Am are the best trains to reach una. after that its just 55 km away could be travelled by Bus or Taxi..

• Delhi - Jalandhar - Hoshiarpur - Gagret - Bharwain - ChintpurniYou could take the Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express from Delhi (departing 7.20 am and which arrives at Jalandhar around 12.0 noon) or you could take an overnight train from Delhi to Jalandhar. Then take a bus or taxi to Chintpurni. Jalandhar - Chintpurni journey should take no more than 4 hours.

Delhi and Himachal State Transport run buses on the Delhi-Chandigarh-Chintpurni route. Buses running on the Delhi-Chandigarh-Dharamshala and Delhi-Chandigarh-Palampur route stop at either Bharwain or Chintpurni. Frequent State Transport bus services are also available from most important cities of Punjab, Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir.

Rail: Closest railheads are at Hoshiarpur ( 42 km) and Una ( 55 km). Frequent bus and taxi services to Chintpurni are available from these towns.

Airport: Nearest airport is at Gaggal which is near Kangra. Distance to Chintpurni is about 60 km. Indian Airlines flies to Gaggal via Chandigarh. Other airports are at Amritsar (160 km) and Chandigarh (200 km).

Nearby places of interest:

Thaneek Pura: Thaneek Pura is about 3 km from the Chintpurni Shrine. Apart from its scenic beauty, Thaneek Pura is famous for its temples like Guga Zahar Peer Temple, Radha-Krishna Temple, Mahiya Sidh Temple.

Here people can also see an ancient and unique deep well that goes down about 60 stairs and a main well further down. Thaneek Pura is also famous for a fair which is an annual event starting on the subsequent day of Krishna Janamashtmi and coincides with Guga Navami celebrations. A grand Yajna and Bhandaara is also organized which is one of the largest of its kind. A wrestling competition is also a part of this fair that is attended by all the famous wrestlers of Himachal, Punjab and other nearby states. This fair continues for three days. Krishna Janamashtami and Shivaratri are also big religious events in Thaneek Pura.

For picnic freaks, who come to visit the Chintpurni Temple, the Chaat Bazar of Thaneek Pura in Chintpurni is a big attraction. This place is also famous as Chaat Wala Mod and visitors can not only enjoy the famous spicy mix fruit chaat but along with this it is a very scenic place. The view from here is awe-inspiring with beautiful Swan Valley in sight and a huge spread of pine tree forest on Shivalik Hills. It's a favourite hangout for people from nearby states and other tourists.

Dharmsal Mahantan The place is situated 5 km from chintpurni where Baba Nakodar Das Gaddi, spiritual place., is very famous. Pepole from Punjab and Himachal Pradesh visit here. Two annual fairs named Sair and Bsoaa in local language are held with great joy. This place is as near to the Sheetla Devi temple as to Chintpurni. Dharmsal Mahantan is also famous for its temples like Dodha Zahar Peer Temple, Radha-Krishna Temple, Godadi Sidh Temple. An ancient well called Pap Khandan is also popular where it is though that the water comes from Ganga river.

Sheetla Devi temple : This temple is located near Dharamsala Mahantan about 5 km west of Chintpurni. A winding, single lane road leads you there from Chintpurni.

Chamunda Devi Temple : Temple of Chamunda Devi is situated on the right bank of Baner river in Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh. The famous Temple is connected with Dharamshala - Palampur National Highway.

Jwalamukhi Devi temple : Goddess Jwalamukhi is the deity of the flaming mouth. The temple is built over natural jets of combustible gas, believed to be the manifestation of goddess. About 35 km northeast from Chintpurni.

Vajreshwari Devi temple : This temple, which is one of the most famous Shaktipeeths of North India, is located in Kangra town. About 50 km north from Chintpurni.

Dharamsala and McLeodganj : About 68 km north of Chintpurni is located Dharamsala, the principal township of Kangra district. Its dense pine and deodar forests, numerous streams, cool healthy air and the nearby snowline make it an attractive place. The Dalai Lama (with his government-in-exile) lives in the upper part of town called McLeodganj.

Masroor Temples : Located 15 km south of Kangra, this village is known for its monolithic rock temples. There are fifteen richly carved temples in Indo-Aryan style. Only known example of rock-cut temples in North India.

Maharana Pratap Sagar on Pong Dam : This reservoir and wild life sanctuary on river Beas covers an area of nearly 450 square kilometres. More than 200 species of migratory birds visit the lake in winter. Water sports like sailing, water skiing and rowing are allowed on the lake. About 20 km west from Chintpurni.

Pragpur-Garli heritage village : Located about 25 km northeast from Chintpurni, this is India's first classified heritage village. It's magnificent buildings - some decaying and crumbling - have largely remained unspoiled, giving Garli-Pragpur a medieval ambience.

Sujanpur-Tira and Nadaun : Sujanpur was established by Raja Sansar Chand Katoch, a great patron of painting, in 1758 as his third capital.

Naina Devi Temple - Temple of Shri Naina Devi Ji is situated on a hill top in Bilaspur District of Himachal Pradesh in India. About 115 km southeast from Chintpurni.

Baba Balak Nath Sidhpeeth - Deot Sidh : Located in Hamirpur district, this shrine to Baba Balak Nath is visited by hundreds of thousands of people every year. Guru Adi Nath, who started the Siddha tradition, is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva.

Kaleshwar: This temple of God Shiva is situated at a distance of 5 km on the Nadaun- Sujanpur road at the meeting place of Beas river and Kunah Khad. This temple is about more than 400 years old. In the month of ‘Baishakh’ ( May-June), during the mela large number of devotees visit this place to have a glimpse of Shivling. According to the ancient grape-vine, the construction of this temple was started by the ‘Pandavas’ of ‘Mahabharata’ fame with the help of Vishva-Karma in the night during their secret exile. But the construction of the temple was abandon by ‘Pandavas’ as they were spotted by the local people. Later on, this temple was constructed by the King of Katoch dynasty. This pilgrimage place is considered as sacred as Haridwar in Uttarakhand. The people who are unable to visit Haridwar, immerse the mortal remains of their relatives, i

Manimahesh Lake:

Manimahesh Lake (also known as Dal Lake, Manimahesh), situated in the Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas, is a high altitude lake (el. 4080 m.). The Manimahesh Kailash peak that stands high close to the lake is believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva (Hindu deity). This place is believed to be second to the Lake Manasarovar in its religious significance.

The route to Manimahesh is via Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, Bharmour and Hadsar. Motorable road goes till Hadsar. The rest of the path is to be covered on foot, about 13 km of steep climb by the banks of Manimahesh Ganga, which originates from the Manimahesh Kailash peak. During the annual pilgrimage in August - September, numerous night-shelters and eateries spring up by the trekking route. Night-shelter is also available at village Dhancho, about 6 km from Hadsar on the way to Manimahesh, round the year. Another less frequented trekking route originates from Holi, which is connected to Chamba.

The name Manimahesh signifies a jewel (Mani) on Lord Shiva's (Mahesh'es) crown. Local people claim that the moon-rays reflected from the jewel can be seen from Manimahesh Lake on clear full-moon nights (which is a rare occasion). It is more likely to be the light reflected from the glacier that adorns the peak, like a serpent on Shiva's neck.