This much-revered wood-and-stone temple, constructed in 1553, has a three-tier pagoda-style roof plus conical top. The wooden doorway is richly carved with figures of gods, animals and dancers, and the outside walls are adorned with antlers and ibex horns. The setting, amid towering deodar cedar trees around 2km northwest of central Manali, would be magical were it not for hordes of selfie-takers. They seek a nearby range of 'attractions', including photo-with-yak opportunities, a funfair and a trinket market.
Despite the tourism overload, the site is still deeply holy and pilgrims come from across India to honour Hadimba, the demon wife of the Pandava Bhima from the Mahabharata. Inside is a large sacrificial stone where grisly animal slaughters used to take place. Over several days in mid-May, the Dhungri Mela festival sees a gathering of devtas (village deities) carried here on palanquins. Gatothkach, the warrior son of Hadimba and Bhima, is worshipped in the form of a sacred tree growing behind the tourist market.
