Trekking Through Lush Meadows & Discovering A Lightning Temple At 8000ft: Bijli Mahadev

Bijli Mahadev is considered to be one of the sacred temples of Himachal Pradesh, dedicated to Lord Shiva (Mahadev). It is located at an altitude of about 8000ft in the Kullu Valley. The rewarding trek is about 3km from the basepoint Chansari village, which around 60km from Manali.

Manali To Bijli Mahadev Temple Basepoint (Chansari Village)

During our whole Manali trip, we were greeted by the rain gods on and off, however we were saved on this day when we decided to trek to Bijli Mahadev. We started quite early that morning from Old Manali and reached around 11am at the basepoint. We hired a cab for Rs. 2500 (These charges vary a lot depending on the season and your bargaining skills). Also if you have people to share this cost with then it becomes the cheapest option. But you could also travel by local transport. You can hop on a bus to Kullu from Manali and from there get on to another bus to Chansari village (This would help you save a lot).

The Trek Begins

From Chansari village, starts the beautiful journey. Every time I visit Himachal Pradesh, I fall more in love with this place. But this trek was something too good to be put into words. This is surely was the most beautiful place I have been to. There is a steep climb for the first 1km and from there the trek starts getting easier. The trek is combination of steps and rocky path surrounded by tall deodar trees and the beautiful views of the Kullu valley is an inspiration to keep going.

And then the last part of the trek is beautiful beyond words... Lush green meadow stretched into the distance as far as the eyes could see and the 360 degree views of Kullu and Parvati Valley. Oh, and you can also see the small Bhuntar airport from here. It is just the raw beauty of mountains! ❤️ Something which I had never seen before!

On the meadow at top, there are little shops obviously selling Pahadowali Maggi and Momos and some Chinese. As you approach the temple gate, there are some shops which sell Pooja items and Prasadam also for the temple. If you wish to camp here, there are some tent options available on the top. Or you could also pitch your own tent.

The Bijli Mahadev Temple

As you approach the temple, it is an altogether different aura. There are many stories and beliefs about the Bijli Mahadev temple. It is believed that the temple Shiva Lingam is frequently (once in 12 years) struck by lightning and shattered into pieces and the priests of the temple then use butter to put the pieces back together. Some say that the lightning striking is sheer divine grace–the deity wants to save the inhabitants of the region from any impending evil. While others believe that the lightning itself is a divine blessing carrying special powers.

Whatever your belief maybe, but once you step inside the temple, it has a different vibe. The locals also told us that the temple is beautifully decorated on Mahashivratri. I really wish to visit it sometime again on Mahashivratri.

The trek is quite easy and can be completed within 3-4 hours (Though we returned at the parking after almost 6 hours. Taking a lot of photos and videos on the way). If you are not very athletic and do not go on a lot of treks, this is an ideal one for you because the region is considered to be safe as compared to the other Himalayan treks. It can be a perfect start if you are new to trekking.

Hope I was able to take you on a virtual tour through my words. If you wish to experience more, do checkout our Bijli Mahadev Vlog on YouTube.

If you've been to Bijli Mahadev, let us know in the comments below. Also, if you've explored any hidden gem in Himachal, write about that too & earn Tripoto Credits.

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