Rewalsar

Hill Stations, originally uploaded by sunpreet28.

Rawalsar (also spelled Rewalsar) is a town and a nagar panchayat in Mandi district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.

Rawalsar is located at an altitude of 1360 m above sea level. It is connected to Mandi by a motorable road and is about 25 km from Mandi. Lying in the Southern Himalayan belt, winters in Rawalsar can be freezing, while summers are generally pleasant.[2]


Rawalsar is sacred to adherents of three major religions - Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.


Hinduism
Seven mythological lakes associated with the Pandavas of Mahabharata are located above Rawalsar.[3] Also associated with Rawalsar are the legends of Lord Shiva and Lomas Rishi.[4] There is also a famous Krishna temple in the town.


Sikhism
The tenth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh visited Rawalsar to consult with kings of the Hill states seeking support against Aurangzeb. He stayed at Rawalsar for a month. Raja Joginder Sen of Mandi built a gurudwara at Rawalsar in 1930 to commemorate the Guru's visit.[5] The place is partiularly sacred to Namdhari Sikhs due to its mention in Sau Sakhi as a sanctuary.[6]


Buddhism
The famous Rawalsar lake (Tso Pema to Tibetans) is associated with Padmasambhava (also known as Guru Rinpoche), who is recognized as the second Buddha of this age. One version of a legend has it that the king of Mandi had Padmasambhava burnt alive after rumours that the Guru had attempted to teach his daughter the Dharma, which was not accepted then. The pyre burned for a full week, with great clouds of black smoke arising from it, but after a week, a lake appeared at the spot where he was burnt and Padmasambhava manifested himself as a 16 year old boy from within a lotus in the middle of the lake. The king, repenting his actions, married his daughter with Padmasambhava. It was from Tso Pema that Padmasambhava went to Tibet to spread Vajrayana Buddhism.[7]

The Tsechu fair was held in Rawalsar in 2004 to commemorate the birthday of Padmasambhava. The fair was inaugurated by the Dalai Lama and was attended by Urgyen Trinley Dorje Karmapa along with 50,000 other Buddhist pilgrims[8]. The fair was held after a gap of 12 years.[9]

There are other versions that mention that the lake associated with Padmasambhava's birth was located in Pakistan or Afghanistan.[10] However, Rawalsar came to be known as a sacred place for Buddhists and two monasteries — the Drikung Kadyud Gompa and Tso-Pema Ogyen Heru-kai Nyingmapa Gompa are located here.[11]


Rawalsar Lake
The lake around which the town of Rawalsar is established has a maximum depth of 6.5 metres. The lake is oligotrophic in nature. It is rectangular in shape, with the catchment area situated to its north and west.[12]

Located on a mountain spur, an hour`s drive from Mandi brings you to this dark jewel like lake. With water, woodland and high hills, it presents a variety of natural beauty. The spot is sacred for Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs. It was from here that the great Indian teacher and `Tantric` Padmasabhava left for Tibet. Known to the Tibetans as Guru Rimpoche, the Precious Master, it was under Padmasambahava`s influence that Mahayana Buddhism spread over Tibet. There are islands of floating reed on Rewalsar lake and the spirit of Padmasabhava is said to reside in them. It is here that the sage Lomas did penance in devotion to Lord Shiva, and the Sikh Guru Gobind Singh 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.

Rewalsar Attractions
Gurudwara

This gurudwara was built in 1930 by Raja Joginder Sen of Mandi. It commemorates Guru Gobind Singh's visit, when he sought to evolve a common strategy with the hill rulers against the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb

Mini Zoo

The forest department maintains a small zoo at Rewalsar. Above Rewalsar, the 'Seven Lakes' are also of interest.

Monasteries

At opposite ends of the lake there are two Tibetan monasteries. The Bhutanese also have one.

Temples

At Rewalsar there are three Hindu temples. These are dedicated to the sage Lomas, to Lord Krishna and to Lord Shiva.

Getting There
By Air

The closest airport from Manali is Bhuntar, which is around 63 km from the town of Mandi.

By Rail

The closest railhead is in Kiratpur which 125 km away from the town of Mandi.

By Road

Rewalsar is 24 km by road from Mandi. Taxis and buses are available at Mandi.