Introduction
Far away on the other side of Uttarakhand lies a tiny but a very gorgeous village which is popularly called as the Last Village of India, Mana which tells stories of the Mahabharat Age along with the divine river and pristine views of the stunning Himalayas. This is just 26kms from the Indo-China Border called Mana Pass and just 6km from a very popular Chardhams, Badrinath.
About Mana
This is a very small village in the Chamoli district in Uttarakhand at an altitude of 10,500 ft which is very close to the Himalayas, hence experiences very cold climate with heavy snowfall throughout the year. There are a very few houses in this village with a population of around 1000, which is mostly dependent on tourism itself. During the winter, the entire village settles down at lower villages due to heavy snowfall in this region.
Historic Importance
The villagers of this village are culturally associated with activities of Badrinath temple and annual fair of Matha murthi. There is a small cave in Mana, named Vyas Gufa and it is believed that Maharshi Vyas composed Mahabharata in this cave.
One more cave is called Ganesh Gufa and tourists visit both caves regularly. It is believed that the village is the birthplace of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Mahabharata epic. It is also believed that Pandavas had to pass through this village on their journey to heaven. Bheem, the strongest of the five brothers, build a rock bridge in order to cross the Sarasvati river and hence there is a famous bridge called as Bheem Pul.
How to Reach
Unlike Kedarnath which has to be reached by trek, one can easily reach Badrinath through roads from Haridwar/Rishikesh/Dehradun. The road from Joshimath is a bit tricky but even the ones who can’t trek can also easily reach this holy place. Once you reach Badrinath, you can easily take a taxi to reach Mana which is just 4-5 kms. The taxis go until the entrance of the village, further ahead you have to explore the village on foot.
By Air
The nearest airport to reach Badrinath is Dehradun, but many prefer Delhi. Once you reach either of these, direct buses to Badrinath frequently are available from Haridwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun, Badrinath and nearby cities to Badrinath. All these buses start early in the morning and reach Badrinath by late evening. No buses usually travel at night.
Train
This is the most economical and convenient option. Many direct trains from all over India are available till Haridwar, Rishikesh and Dehradun. One can also reach Delhi and then to Haridwar by train. One can reach here and take the early morning bus starting from 4AM. The ones who reach Delhi can come to Haridwar by bus or train and catch the early morning bus.
Bus
Direct buses are available by various operators to Haridwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun from various parts of North India and can reach early morning here to catch the bus to Badrinath. From Haridwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun govt and private buses run till Badrinath early morning, which can be even booked online. These are normal buses and don’t expect Volvo and luxurious buses. The distance is 315kms and takes almost 12-14 hours depending on delays.
Private Vehicles
One can also reach Badrinath by private vehicles and there is a spacious parking space in available. The distance from Delhi is 550kms, though the road is good until Rishikesh, later one is unpredictable. Then can head towards Mana.
Stay
There are no much stay options in Mana, except a few homestays. So its recommended to reach here in the day and come back by evening.
Stays are available in Badrinath ranging from ashrams, hostels, state bhavans, good hotels, but they get crowded and also expensive on holidays/weekends.
Ganesh Bhavan, Badrinath – 9520508941
Sandeep Hotel Owner, Badrinath – 7017634924
Helicopter
There is an option for pilgrims to book helicopter from this site. The starting point is Dehradun and the cost per person is 75,000 Rs and should be booked before online. This is a one day package which includes other benefits like VIP darshan as well. One can also enquire about 2 days package and visit Mana along with Badrinath.
Breathtaking Views of Himalayas
This was the best part of visiting this beautiful village. You see green patches of grass around, with tall gigantic snow capped mountain of Himalayas along with pretty pristine blue Saraswathi river makes it a proper Himalayan Village far away from the noisy polluted cities. There are many bridges across tis river in Mana and one can spend their time in complete spending time on the banks of river enjoying the magnificent views.
The Last Village Trend
As its popularly named as the Last Village of India or even First Village of India, the tea shops, the post office, the bank also actually refer themselves as so. You can see this trend everywhere in the village and I remember seeing the same trend in Chitkul as well.
Food Options
The amenities are pretty basic though far developed as far as the weather and conditions are concerned. Few hotels and small restaurants are available in the temple area. Due to the remote location, the facilities are decent and its actually good to see that this area is developing and pilgrims are getting better facilities in the coming days.
Network
This is the best part of this trek. Jio has made a special effort to provide best connectivity to all Chardhams to boost travel and also the main reason was the 2013 floods where the pilgrims were left clueless about what was happening and network connectivity would have saved a lot of lives. The network strength is very good, not sure about Airtel.
ATM and Fuel Pumps
There are many ATMs around the temple premises in Badrinath not in Mana, but not sure about the availability of the cash all the times. Also there was a Petrol Pump being constructed right near the bus stand in Badrinath and might have finished by now. There are fuel pumps on the way to Badrinath from Rishikesh, make sure you full up your tanks without fail.
Weather
This would be the most challenging part of the dhams here and hence the temple is closed for 6 months. It would be totally bright and suddenly it would start snowing or raining. Even the roads in these areas in the mountains are already narrow, so landslides, roadblocks are common. Even in the roads, if it rains, it rains too heavily, also before you reach the temple, it snows very much sometimes, even in feets. Travelling in these terrain areas is very challenging. Make sure you are ready for all of these challenges.
Time to Visit
As the temple is open from April to November. Once it starts the crowd would be crazy, even after snowfall season, there would be feets of left out snow. Till may end the crowd would be very high. It’s not recommended to travel at this time.
The period from June to August is the season of crazy rain. When I say rain, you can’t even imagine. Also the floods in 2013 took place in June itself. The rain is extremely unpredictable and too high. Though the crowd is comparatively lesser.
The seasons from September to November are the best season to visit here. The rain is lesser and snowfall starts from mid October. The crowd is decent, the weather is pretty decent.
Things to Visit Around
Mana Pass
Just 26 kms away from Mana, which is Indo-China border, this was once the Highest Motorable Road in the world at a height of 18,478 ft, but now Umling La has surpassed it. There are also many lakes on the way to Mana Pass, but its closed for tourists and can be only visited with a special permit. But the views around are stunning and just amazing. This is also the place where River Saraswathi originates.
Joshimath
This town is popularly called the “Sinking Town” on the way to Badrinath. Everyone who has to travel Badrinath, has to go through here. The Narsingh Temple here is the most famous temple having a great history. Also one can reach Auli from Joshimath.
Badrinath
This is one among the 4 major Chardhams of India. As the temple can be reached by road unlike Kedarnath which has to be reached by trek, it attracts lot of pilgrims around the world. (Read detailed information about Badrinath here). Anyone who plans to visit Mana has to pass through Badrinath without fail.
Auli
This is another very popular tourist destination of India. This is very famous place for heavy snowfall and Skiing in India. There is a ropeway to Auli from Joshimath, not sure of the status right now.
Treks
There are many treks in Uttarakhand, which start around Mana. The famous Satopanth Trek actually starts from Mana. The Hemkunt Sahib(Valley of Flowers) also starts near Joshimath. Mana pass is also the key col for climbing Chaukhamba peak.
Deo Tal
Deo Tal is a sacred lake atop Mana Pass, it is considered very holy since this lake is believed to be the origin of the Mythical Saraswathi River. You can also see Rajas Tal and Nag Tal before Deo Tal on either side of the road. Deo Tal is just 3 kms before Mana Pass Zero Point.
Conclusion
This is everything you need to know before planning your trip to Badrinath. There is much more to be added with respect to cost incurred, ideal plan to visit Badrinath, nearby places to visit, things to keep in mind, other pilgrim centres to visit nearby and many other things, which I would cover in the upcoming blog. Comment down if you wish to add anything to this information and have any doubts about the same. This information is based on my visit to Uttarakhand and other pilgrim centres of Uttarakhand in October 2023.
