Vashisht Village

Vashisht Village is situated on the banks of River Ravi. Natural springs and sandstone temples accentuate the beauty of the tiny locale. The springs of Vashisht are believed to possess medicinal properties. The waters of the hot brooks are believed to heal skin diseases. Separate bathing provisions for men and women have been arranged at the spring by the government.

Below the temple, two additional springs also flow. By about a ten-minute walk from the downtown from Manali, the Hot Bath Complex can be reached. Shrines dedicated to Lord Ram and his Kula guru, Vashisht, are other attractions of this hamlet.

Located at a distance of 6 km from Manali, the village is situated on a steep hill. Legend surrounding the hamlet states that Rishi Vashisht, distraught at having learnt that his children had all been killed by Vishwamitra, tried to kill himself by jumping in the river.

Unable to drown in the river, he was carried to Vashisht Village where he decided to start a new life. The river in which he tried to drown himself has been named as Vipasha, meaning freedom from bondage. This river gets shortened to form River Beas. The hot sulphur springs of the village are believed to have been created by Lakshman, the brother of Lord Ram.

The creation of the spring is associated with the belief that since Lakshman did not want the sage Vashisht to have to walk too far for a bath, he shot an arrow into the ground and the hot springs emerged.

In the vicinity of the springs lies a temple that contains a black stone image of the sage wearing a loincloth. In the Rama Temple of the village, there are idols of Ram, Sita and Lakshman. The Vaishnava cult used to practice their beliefs at the village previously.