The main towns, Kulu and Manali, are in the fertile section of this valley.
It is also the gateway of Lahaul & Spiti. In the south, the valley is wider
than a precipitous gorge, with the Beas river. The valley is more than 80 km
long and barely more than couple of km wide. Here are stone fruit and apple
orchards, paddy and wheat fields with snow covered rocky peaks in the background.
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Kulu town is at an altitude of 1200 metres.
Though not a tourist center, it is a site for Kulu's fairs and festivals. In
particular, is the colourful Dussehra festival, from which the Kulu Valley
gained the name Valley of the Gods. This
festival is celebrated all over India is October, starting on the
10th day of the rising moon known as Vijaya Dashami and continues for
nine days.
Dussehra is in celebration
of Lord Rama's victory over the demon king Ravana, but in Kulu, the festival
does not include the burning of Ravana and his brothers, as in other places in
India.
All the gods from the various temples around the valley are
brought from their temples down to Kulu during Dussehra to pay homage to Lord
Raghunath in the temple at Raghunathpura in
kulu. The gods number around 200. The festival cannot commence until the
powerful goddess Hidimba, patron deity of the Kulu rajas, arrives from Manali.
Like the other gods, she is pulled in her own temple car or 'rath'. Hidimba
arrives before all the other gods and also leaves before them. The Raghunathji
chariot is brought down, decked with flowers and surrounded by other important
gods. Priests and the descendants of Kulu's rajas circle (Pradakshina) the rath
before it is pulled to the other side of the ground. The following days and
nights of the festival are marked by dances, music, fairs and other festivities.
It concludes when Lord Raghunath is carried back to his main temple in a wooden
palanquin.
Other main temples in and around Kulu are the Jagannathi Devi Temple, Vaishno
Devi Temple and Bijli Mahadev
Temple. Fifteen km south of Kulu is Bajaura, Where the famous temple
of Basheshar Mahadev has enchanting stone carvings and sculptures. There are
large image slabs facing north, west and the south.
Near the Parvati Valley, which is to the south of Kulu, is
Manikaran built near sulphur hot springs. It is interesting to watch the locals
cook their food in the pools of hot water at the Sikh temple. The temple offers
free accommodation with hot water bath facility separately for men and
women.
Other Places of sheer scenic beauty here are Raison, Naggar and Katrain.
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