Kullu Manali

Kullu Manali history gives an overall idea of this beautiful province. Kullu Manali is situated in the Kullu district of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh at the co-ordinates of 32.16º North latitude and 77.10º East Longitude. Situated at a height of 8612 feet (2625 meters), the hills of Kullu Manali offer stunning landscape.Kullu Manali history is just like a fairy tale that is steeped more in myth. The existence of Kullu Manali can be traced back to the legends of Mahabharata. The name 'Kullu Manali' literally means the abode of Manu. When Manu and other Gods were flooded, they were saved by the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu by towering high to dry lands. Kullu Manali is the place where Manu found refuge. Back in the 17th century, Raja Jagat Singh brought the idol of Lord Raghunathji to his throne and till now, he is the presiding deity and king of Kullu Manali.

The colorful tales and saga of the mythological existence of Kullu Manali remain in the popular belief and heart of the innocent people of the Kullu Manali hills. However, modern day Kullu Manali history began its journey, more precisely, with the coming of the British. They made this beautiful land their choice for staying during the summer months. They brought forth the apple orchards and trout fishing to Kullu Manali that largely shaped the economy of this place. It was the British people settling here, which developed Kullu Manali as a tourist destination.
The recent history of Kullu Manali was stained during the seventies and eighties with the cultivation of marijuana that attracted the development of a hippie culture that was looked down by the conventional tourists. However, with the rise of turmoil in the Kashmir valley, the tourists started returning to Kullu Manali as the landscape and immense beauty of the two places match each other.