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The post Mapping the Last Wilderness appeared first on GeoLounge: All Things Geography.

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MANA _ India's last village

A journey with mesmerizing view of river Saraswati flowing in one side and enjoy the feeling of being involved with nature while any one will visit India's last village named as MANA. It is a small hamlet 3 km north of Badrinath, where small village houses, narrow lanes leading up towards mountains are natural scenic beauty.

Location 

 Mana is about 50 kms from Josimath. Both the Badrinath and Mana is situated at the altitude 3100 mts. The village is covered with snow during winter mid-November onwards and remain inaccessible for few months.

Mythology 

 Mana is also known as Mani Bhadrashram in Hindu scriptures. Situated on the slope of stabilized  debris in the Alakananda at the confluence of two rivers, it was known in the celestial Era,
when Gods roamed the Earth; as Manibhadra Ashram, giving its name Mana; from here one path leads to Kailas (Celestial Abode of Shiva ).

Inhabitants




The region is peopled with the Himalayan semi-nomads with some 150 in numbers who form small group, similar to the Jadhs, and move down, in winter to Josimath and Chamoli, when the village is deserted and covered with a thick blanket of snow.









 Mostly Rajputs, the people who are poor, are known as the Marchyas, and have lost their traditional ties with Tibet and China without gaining any substitute. With the mechanization of the roads however, many changes are coming into their way of life.










Women are knitting woolen clothes and every backyard grows vegetables of some kind i.e. sustainable living and few shops are open to make their livelihood a little better.

Mountaineers and tourists visit the area to climb Neelkantha and Chaukhamba, dotted with military posts all along up to the Mana pass on the border, 6.4 km away.

The villagers of Mana are closely linked with the activities of Sri Badrinath temple and annual worship of Mata Murti. On the closing day of temple, a choli is presented by Molpas of Mana to the Deity, to keep Him warm during winter. This is a part of rituals and the choli is spun and woven at Mana.

Its surroundings - 

Ghanteswari Temple

It is one of the holy temple situated in village, where large bells are in the ear of Devi and it is believed that anyone tell a lie, the bell will automatically rang soon after.

Keshavprayag

 It is situated very near to Mana where Saraswati river make its confluence with Alakananda river through a hanging valley. Rising near mana pass on the border, the Saraswati emerges from a lateral glacier about 3 km from north of MAna and the ancient trade route to tibet goes along its course. During the months from October to May the waters of Saraswati are blue and beautiful, contrasting with colourless waters of the Alkananda.

Bhim Shila

 On the outskirts of Mana village there is natural bridge, a huge boulder, lying across the river. The boulder, it is said was put into by lord Bhim, (supposedly where Bhima moved a rock for Draupadi to cross the river) while they were on their way to heaven. The steps which are like the ice formation of the Satopanth glacier are believed to be the "Stairway to Heaven". The Bhimpul or Bhim shila provides a spectacular and awe-inspiring sight at the Saraswati, with deafening roar, thunders down the scrlptured gorge and churns out milky white strands of water. Unfortunately, the bridge has no protective railings.

Vyas Gupha

 Along the river side road from Keshovprayag, the cave is situated known as Vyas Gupha where Vyasdev composed the account of the Mahabharat and gave to the world the immortal words of lord Krishna, when he exhorted the unwilling Arjun to plunge into the battle and enunciated the"Bhagvat Geeta" the lord Krishna's philosophy of life. Faithful Ganesh, to whom the poet dictated the words, lived in the adjoining cave. he wrote it is believed, on the massive rocks that abounded in the area, and closely on the outskirts of the cave are the records of the manuscript, piled up one on top of the other.


Vasudhara Falls

 Nature has not stinted in lavishing beauty, both awesome and majestic. At the distance of 8 km from the main shrine of Badrinath and 5 km from the Mana village are the extravagantly beautiful and mighty Vasudhara falls where, with a backdrop of snow capped mountains and glaciers and set in an area of rocky heights, the Vishnu Ganga (Alakananda) falls from a height of 145 mts breaking into a myriad crystallize reflection of a rainbow.

Satopanth Tal 

The tracking route has extended from Vasudhara falls to glaciated lake known as 
Satopanth tal. It is 25 km away from Badrinath with rugged terrain, covered with snow, generally explored by mountaineers with a height of 14000 ft, 1.5 km wide.







 It is believed that lord Branbha, Vishnu,Shiva meditated in three corners of this triangulated lake and still do. This lake is  known as Holy Trio or Lake of Divinity. 

How to reach

This trip can be included with Valley of Flowers trek or while visiting to Badrinath by adding one or two days. You have to reach Josimath.

1. Reach Haridwar by train from your location.
2. Haridwar - Joshimath ( 280 km, appox 10 hours by road, via Rudraprayag will be better)
3. Joshimath - Badrinath (25 km) and Mana (3 km), by hiring car or by public transport.
# Pandukeshwar is an important place where vehicle movement has been controlled in one way in different timings.


Season to visit

 May - June is the ideal time to visit but you can also go in last week of October but it become in accessible from mid November. During monsoon though the place receive less rainfall but the road condition may be bad due to landslide upto Badrinath.


Suggested Itinerary 

Day 1 - Badrinath to Mana village on the way Keshavprayag, Ghanteswari Temple, Vyas Gupha,

             Bhim Shila.

Day 2 - Mana - Vasudhara falls - Mana ( Round trek 10 km) & Badrinath by car.

# Day 3 - Vasudhara falls - Chakratheertha ( Trek 10km)

# Day 4 - Chakratheertha - Satopanth -Chakratheertha ( Round trek 10 km, including glacial walk)

# Day 5 - Chakratheertha - Vasudhara falls - Mana

Accommodation

 Its very hard to find any proper accommodation or hotel in Mana as there are few hundreds of people live but one or two homestay can be available. 

Its better to drive down for 3 km to Badrinath where numerous modes of accommodation are available like Hotel Devlok, Yatri Niwas,    Tourist Rest House of GMVN, Yoga Badrinath, Jagirdar G/House, Bharat Sevashram Sangha, Badrinath Temple G/House etc.

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