Prashar Lake
The lake is located at a height of 2,730 m (8,960 ft) above sea level. With deep blue waters, the lake is held sacred to the sage Prashar and he is regarded to have meditated there. Surrounded by snow-capped peaks and looking down on the fast flowing river Beas, the lake can be approached from Mandi or from Bajaura in Kullu Valley.Both routes are 49 km (30 mi). There is a round, floating island in the lake, which is a common natural phenomenon found all around the world. It is composed of plant matter in various stages of decomposition, and is held aloft by the oxygen in its plants' roots. The floating island moves in all directions in the lake. The floating land covers 7% of the area of the lake.
Temple view, Prashar Lake The temple was built in the thirteenth century and legend has it was built by a baby from a single tree. Until now no one has determined the depth of Prashar Lake. It is said that a diver is not able to determine its depth.
It is believed that Sage Prashar meditated on the banks of this lake, hence it is named as Prashar Lake. Bhima, one of the Pandava brothers, had created the lake, the story says. After the Kurukshetra / Mahabharat war, the Pandavas were returning with Lord Kamrunag. When they reached this place, Kamrunag loved the tranquil surroundings and decided to live here forever. So, Bheem (the strongest of the lot) rammed his elbow on one of the mountains and created a big dent in the land. This dent became Prashar Lake.
Bhootnath temple is one of the most important temples in Mandi town. It is a temple of Lord Shiva and is the main center of attraction during the famous Shivratri fair of Mandi town. It was built during 1527 AD by Raja Ajber Sen. The details of the temple are given below.
Temple Name - Bhootnath
God’s Name - Lord Shiva
Location - Near Gandhi Chowk, central Mandi.
Date of creation - 1527 AD
Other remarks
This temple is one of the most important temple in the city and is the main attraction of the Shivratri fair. All the deities from Mandi district (their number is around three hundred) that gather in Mandi town at the time of fair visit this temple to offer their players to Lord Shiva.
Rewalsar Lake
Rewalsar Lake, also known as Tso Pema, is a mid-altitude lake located in the mountains of the Mandi district, 22.5 km south-west from Mandi, in Himachal Pradesh, India. Its elevation is about 1,360 m above sea level, with the shoreline of about 735 m. Rewalsar Lake is a sacred spot for Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists, and sacred to Tibetan Buddhists for the Vajrayana practices of Padmasambhava and Mandarava, which are credited for the lake's creation.
Shrine to Mandarava in cave above Lake Rewalsar. There is a Colossus of Padmasambhava, a shrine to Mandarava, and three Buddhist monasteries at Rewalsar Lake. The Rewaksar Lake also has three Hindu temples, dedicated to Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva and to the sage Lomas. Another holy lake, Kunt Bhyog which is about 1,750 m above sea level lies above Rewalsar. It is associated with the escape of 'Pandavas' from the burning palace of wax—an episode from the epic Mahabharata.
After practicing with the local Relwasar king's daughter Mandarava, Padmasambhava and Mandarava departed for Nepal, from which Padmasambhava travelled to Tibet. Known to Tibetans as Guru Rinpoche, (the "Precious Master"), Padmasambhava revealed the teachings of Vajrayana Buddhism in Tibet. There are islands of floating reed on Rewalsar lake and the spirit of Padmasambhava is said to reside in them. It is also here that the sage Lomas did penance in devotion to Lord Shiva; and, the Sikh Guru Gobind Singh (22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), the tenth Guru of Sikhism, also resided here for one month.
The Sisu fair held in late February/early march, and the festival of Baisakhi are important events at Rewalsar.
Comments
Post a Comment