Manu Temple, Manali : Only Manu Temple in India

A rare Hindu temple in India, the Manu temple is a significant shrine that hallmarks the history of humanity, dedicated as it is to the great Saint Manu who is said to be the creator of the world and the creator of the work Manusmriti.  Manusmriti is supposed to have laid down the founding laws of Hinduism. It was in this place that the sage dwelt and meditated. 

This Indian temple is made up of wood and stone and marble is used for flooring. The temple has many doors on two sides through which fresh air and light passes inside the temple to keep it bright and well lit every time.

This Hindu temple is dedicated to Vaisvata Manu, a son of Sunand the lawgiver. Vaisvata Manu is believed to be the 7th Manu and the progenitor of humanity.

The temple stands tall on the bank of the  glorious Beas river. It is the only temple dedicated to Saint Manu. Manu has arrived at Manali and made the place his abode. 

The Manu temple has remained as one of the primary tourist attractions in Manali since time immemorial. 

History of  Manu Temple :

Sage Vaivasvata Manu is believed to be the first king to rule the earth after saving mankind from the great flood. He was warned of the great flood by the Matsya Avatar of Hindu lord Vishnu as well as advised to construct a gigantic boat.

As narrated in the Matsya Purana, Lord Vishnu’s Matsya Avatar initially appeared as a small carp to King Manu while he was washing his hands in the river. The small carp requested King Manu to save him. Honoring the carp’s request, King Manu placed it in a water jar. Soon the carp grew too big to fit into the jar and King Manu shifted it into a bigger bowl. The carp kept growing bigger, and King Manu had to shift it from the bowl to a well and then into a reservoir.

The carp now a fish kept growing bigger and bigger, King Manu had to shift the fish back into the river.Very soon even the river seemed insufficient for the fish as it had grown to gigantic proportions and King Manu had to shift the fish into the ocean. That is when the huge fish transformed into Lord Vishnu and informed King Manu of an all-destructive deluge that will soon flood the entire world.

King Manu built a boat big enough to house his family, 9 kinds of seeds and animals and birds to repopulate the earth once the deluge was over.  It is believed that post the deluge, King Manu stepped on the earth and meditated at the very spot where Manu Temple is situated. King Manu later on came to be known as Sage Manu who is also ascribed to the Manusmriti (Laws of Manu).

The Laws of Manu forms the basis of Hinduism. The Manusmiriti text presents itself as a converse given by the Sage Manu to an assembly of Rishis who beseeched him to guide them in how to face natural calamities and establish peace and discipline in the society. The dialog between Sage Manu and other Rishis was captured and preserved and came to be known as Manusmriti.

               Manu is said to be the creator of the human race and in fact Manali gets its name from Manu Alava, meaning the home of Manu. You can opt to take a scenic walk up the hill to the temple, it takes about half an hour is well worth the effort. In fact, on the sixth day of Phagun, a huge fair dedicated to Manu Maharaj is held called Phagi and is open to all. Some sources say that the temple marks the spot where Manu Maharaj first placed his foot while getting off the boat that carried him during the world-destroying flood.