MANALI
Wooden pagoda-style temple set in a cedar forest, dedicated to Bhima's wife from the Mahabharata - genuinely atmospheric early morning before tour groups arrive around 10 AM. Photographers in traditional Himachali/yak costumes charge ₹100-200 per photo outside; agree on the price and number of shots before posing.
Built in 1553 CE on the orders of Raja Bahadur Singh, this cave-shrine is dedicated to Hidimbi Devi, wife of Bhima from the Mahabharata, who is said to have meditated at this spot before marrying him. The wooden pagoda-style tower rises over a natural rock believed to bear her footprint, and the structure is one of the oldest surviving examples of Himachali Kath-Kuni-influenced temple carpentry. It stands in the Dhungri deodar forest and remains the patron shrine of the local Manali royal family, still central to the annual Dhungri Mela festival held each May.
