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India - Manali, Naggar and Mandi.
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Traditional houses, Swiss chalets and strange spiky
smoking plants, Manali
Manali at the upper end of the Kullu Valley can feel just like Switzerland - the fir trees, the meadows, the mountains, the chalet type buildings, the cannabis plants wafting gently in the breeze... ...the cannabis is where the analogy ends, as you'd expect. The stuff (shown inset) grows all over the place here and yes, people come here to sample the local weed. The stuff growing wild (even quoted as growing in the pots outside the police station) is not commercial grade apparently and even in India, special lamps are needed to encourage the high strength taken by users here and elsewhere. Originally, only used here by Hindu Sadhus (holy men), it attracted in order the hippies of the late sixties, backpackers and Israelis who come to India after national service to (not so) discretely abuse cannabis and other substances in the area. Bluntly put, parts of Old Manali are virtually Israeli ghettos and the word I have from someone who did the route before me, is the Israelis are not liked that much in the area due to this substance abuse. There is an annual crackdown of sorts on the the local illegal drugs trade (including the cannabis) by the Indian police, but word is that a few hundred dollars will see most foreigners walk without charge. As I've said elsewhere (my only vice been the occasional beer), mugs game drugs. There's stories also of foreigners vanishing without trace in the area and figures vary from 2,000 to 10,000 people. The reasons for this vary from ex-hippies who've gone native (most moved out of Manali into the hills in the 70's) to kidnap and murder of foreigners in order to get their valuables. Whilst the latter has certainly occurred (and people going off the beaten track should hire a reputable local guide), the vanishing hippy story seems to account for the vast majority of these. I'm sure I saw one such wandering around Dharamsala (and she was a mess). |
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Hadimba Temple, Manali
One of a number of Hindu temples in the Manali area (very much in the Kathmandu Durbar Square style), this is another reminder for people heading south that they're back in India proper. Buddhism is rapidly replaced by Hinduism as you head south through the mountains. |
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Yaks and Return to Hassle, Manali
One minor disappointment was the lack of Yaks in Ladakh or elsewhere and the above was the nearest seen. This beast is a dzo, a cross between a domestic cow and a Yak. I'm not sure what the idea of this hybrid is, though one guess it's to get a better tempered animal than a Yak (which can get pretty nasty). India proper hits you in Manali if heading south from Leh. All that hassle you (didn't) miss in Ladakh returns sooner than you can say 'Tourist Dollars'. People should stay on their guard in Manali. As I found out there, if you don't keep an eye on your valuables, someone else will always have them. That said, the kids concerned only managed to get away with some old Malarone (anti-malarial pills) - some drugs party that'll be!!! |
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Naggar Castle near Kullu A good vantage place for photos if nothing else (and also if not foggy). It was built by the local ruler of the Kullu Valley in 1700 and has been a number of things, including a courthouse, school, palace, mansion and finally hotel - the castle can best be described as a folly (fake representation built for impression and nothing else) that's actually been put to good use. Its picture is only here, because it looks pretty and no other reason - I'd have been happy to give it a miss. The one reason to visit is the Nicholai Roerich Gallery a quarter of a mile away - Roerich was a Russian artist, philosopher, historian, archaeologist and writer who fell in love with the Himalayas. His art of the landscapes are on permanent display at the exhibition. The exhibition attracts Russian tourists and artists alike and apparently during his life, he had cult followings in France and the United States too. It's probably to my shame that I gave the exhibition a miss and opted for a coffee - it's just not possible to keep going and going, even in a country like India (I needed a little chill-out time). There were cannabis plants all over the place here too!!! |
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Black Kite and Sikh Temple, Mandi These birds can be found over large areas of India and I saw plenty in Dehli as well as this one on the way the Dharam Sala. As for the Sikh temple (Mandi), it looked pretty in the mist, so I did a photo of it. |
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