Bijli Mahadev - An easy one day trek around Kullu-Manali for some exceptional aerial views with clouds moving around huge Himalayan Mountains

Interestingly hiking is becoming more popular and that's what we are hearing a lot from our readers and fellow travelers. And especially those treks are in more demand which are comparatively easier and can be done in a day. Bijli Mahadev is one of the best one day treks to do around Kullu-Manali. It's a magical place which can be reached through beautiful hike through deodars and when you are at the top, you see some brilliant aerial views of the surrounding Himalayan ranges. This Blogpost will share more about this trek, how to reach base of Bijli Mahadev and how to prepare well so that you can deal well with unpredictable weather. 

Bijli Mahadev is a wonderful place on hill top from where whole Kullu Valley, Manikaran, Malana, Bhuntar and bunch of Apple Orchids can be seen. Above photograph shows layers of mountains on one side the top of Bijli Mahadev. Bijli Mahadev is located at approx 14 km from Kullu across the Beas river and it can be reached by a rewarding trek of just 3 km.

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Bijli Mahadev is one of the sacred temples around kullu town of Himachal Pradesh. Bijli Mahadev temple is located at an altitude of approximately ~2,460m in the Kullu Valley. Bijli Mahadev is one of the ancient temples in India and dedicated to Lord Shiva (Mahadev). 

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Here is the very first view on reaching Bijli Mahadev. You are seeing a yellow path on right side of the photograph, which is a road connected through some small villages and apple orchids. It connects this Bijli Mahadev with Naggar. This road is not recommended if there are rains or if there is a probability of rains.

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Story associated with Bijli Mahadev Temple : 

Here is the road I was talking about. It's a nice walk from Bijli Mahadev. There is a very interesting story associated with Bijli Mahadev temple in Kullu - One in a while, thunderstorms break the shivlingam placed inside the the temple. And then this Shiva lingam is connected back with butter. This butter is collected by priest of the temple from surrounding villages. 

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Bijli Mahadev Temple is about lord Shiva. The views from the Bijli Mahadev temple are spectacular. The mountains around Bijli Mahadev look out at the famous Parvati valley, which is another wonderful region of Himachal Pradesh to explore. We were lucky to experience the place on a clear morning when the entire valley was lit up in shades of blue & white clouds all around us. 

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Let's quickly talk about how to reach Bijli Mahadev from Kullu, Manali or Naggar. 

Reaching the Bijli Mahadev Trek is very easy. Bijli Mahadev village is among the best places to visit in Kullu region of Himachal Pradesh. 

By Bus : Buses for Kullu are easily available from main cities around Himachal Pradesh, like Delhi, Chandigarh etc. From Kullu take a taxi till base of the trek and then enjoy your day around nature. 

By Flight : Kullu region also has an airport in Bhuntar and can can take taxi from there. Interestingly Bhuntar airport is visible from top of Bijli Mahadev hill.  

Drive your own car : There is a small parking area at the base of Bijli Mahadev and roads are pretty good. 

Related Blogpost - How to reach Manali and main places to see around Kullu, Himachal Pradesh

 

Few local people sitting on an edge of Bijli Mahadev which is giving a view of Malana Village and Kasol region... Shivratri is a very special occasion for Bijli Mahadev temple when it's decorated beautifully and folks from different parts of Himachal Pradesh come here to celebrate the festival & take blessings of Bijli Mahadev. Over the period of time, people from other states of India also come here to witness the beauty of the place during Shivratri and specially who worship lord Shiva. 

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Other side of Bijli Mahadev which has dense forest of Deodars on a steep hill. The Bijli Mahadev Trek is ideal for beginners and for those who don't want to plan too much for trekking. The hike is quite comfortable. So keep a day with you, walk at your own pace. Reach on top, spend good time in nice weather. Ensure that you have caps, raincoats etc. Cap for saving yourself from harsh sun on the top of the hill and raincoat to deal with unpredictable weather. 

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Friends walking around Bijli Mahadev and enjoying the chilly/fast winds here. The weather around Bijli Mahadev temple & surrounding hills is pleasant for most of the year. The days are mild, while the nights are extremely cold. During the day, the sun can be very harsh but mostly wind is flowing so that saves a bit from Sun's harshness. The Kullu region enjoys summer, monsoon and winter each year. The summer season lasts between the month of March and June when the temperature ranges between 25 and 35  degrees Celsius. From July to September, the region experiences the rainy season and this season is little tricky given the terrains. It can be very messy during monsoon. Heavy downpour accompanied by thunder and lightning are common in the region. Landslides also happen frequently. The winter months in the region lasts from September to February when the temperature falls below zero degrees. Locals don't mind going up in any season, but usually summer makes you appreciate the place well. 

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Radio Transmission Anteena near Bijli Mahadev Temple. from this place you see Bhuntar Airport in other side of the valley. 

Related Blogpost - Bagha Sarahan - An unimaginable & stunning hill station with least known green meadows surrounded by some huge waterfalls, water-streams & snow capped mountains in Kullu region of Himachal Pradesh

 

A view of Beas River and Bhuntar Airport from Bijli Mahadev. The Bijli Mahadev trek is a relatively easy one and is most suitable for beginners or anyone who is not into trekking. 

 

Closer view to Bhuntar airport from Bijli Mahadev @ Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, INDIA

While checking more about the story associated with Bijli Mahadev temple, here is what I found in one of the news websites so want to consider it credible - "Every year, either the Shiva lingam or the presiding deity’s sacred wooden staff gets mysteriously hit by lightning bolts. Naturally, the lingam breaks up into pieces as a result, but the priest customarily puts it all together by using cereal and pulse flour along with unsalted butter. After a few months, the lingam takes a solid shape like before. According to the local belief, the reason why lightning strikes the lingam or the staff 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."

 

A closer look to Manali Highway and green fields around it... This has been shot from a an edge of Bijli Mahadev...

Another legend associated with Bijli Mahadev temple is - "A legend surrounding this temple states that a demon, named Kulanta, used to live in the Kullu valley. He took the form of an enormous snake and reached Mathan village of Lahaul-Spiti. Driven by evil intentions, Kulanta wanted to flood the whole village. Therefore, the demon snake stationed himself in a way that he obstructed the flow of the Beas river. Lord Shiva took note this, and immediately set out to deal with him. After engaging in a fierce battle with Kulanta, Shiva slayed the demon. After the snake’s death, his entire body turned into a huge mountain. Perhaps, that is why the valley came to be known as Kullu after Kulanta’s death.
Another legend has it that this site is related to the puranic incident that involved Lord Shiva killing the invincible demon Jalandhar." source - TOI

 

Closer view to Beas River from Bijli Mahadev @ Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, INDIA

 

Another shot of Kullu Valley from Bijli Mahadev... Here we can see Beas river flowing on one side of Bhuntar airport. Sorry for low quality of these photographs. These were clicked many years ago when we didn't have smartphones. These are probably clicked with very low resolution cameras in Nokia phone. 

 

Eagle flying on top of Kullu but still at lower heights as compared to Bijli Mahadev. 

 

See this man standing on the edge @ Bijli Mahacdev, Kullu, Himachal Pradesh... Its very surprising to see these cattles having their food with very easy walk on these steep hills.

It was a lovely experience under clouds with cool winds and having amazing views on three sides. Views to Kullu Town, valley, Apple Orchids, Bhuntar Airport, Beas river, Malana, Manikaran and Kasol Region etc.

Video below give you some glimpses of the hike, space around the temple. 

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