A tale of two Manalis
Holiday
By Manpreet Singh

IN Manali you don’t find apple-laden orchids and leisurely grazing yaks. A little away in Old Manali, they are in plenty. This difference is aptly put by Gillian Wright, author of "The Hill Stations in India" as, "Across the river lies Old Manali, the original village which seems centuries behind the not-very-modern Manali of hotels."

True, from Manali as you walk just about 3 km in the tall pine tree shades towards Old Manali, you step into a different world, serene setting of snow-capped peaks and lush hills on your three sides, and small Manalsu river flowing fast on its way into the Beas.

Following troubled times in the Kashmir valley, Manali, situated at an altitude of above 6,000 feet, has become a favourite alternative amongst the tourists over the last few years. The area has developed at a swift pace and the tourist traffic has increased manifold.

Most Indian tourists, including occasional holidayers with their families, stay-put at Manali, a crowded, commercialised marketplace of hundreds of restaurants and hotels. After a short local sightseeing tour and perhaps a visit to the Rohtang Pass and a bit of hasty shopping, they return home.

For sure, they miss experiencing the calm and leisurely lives lived by the Old Manali residents, far away from the constant clatter of traffic. The place has a rich ambience of countryside, life, largely unsullied by the aggressive onslaught of technology. For instance, a majority of the guest houses in the area don’t even have a television set.

There are a large number of guest houses and tourist lodges in Old Manali; a decent, clean double-bed single-room with attached toilet and hot shower is available from Rs 100 to Rs 200, even during the season time. During off season a Rs 100 room can be booked at half the rate. The countryside atmosphere of the place is distinctly marked by the native women busy in their agricultural chores during the day. Massage men, flute players, shoe-shines and herbal sellers also take rounds throughout the day on the zig-zag foot trails.

"There are plenty of tourist lodges in the area to meet any accommodation demand as most of the people have turned their houses, in the lower vicinity, into guest houses. But Old Manali is mainly a favourite with the foreign tourists than with the Indians", says Pyare Lal, owner of a small guest house in Old Manali.

Old Manali is mainly dominated by the foreign tourists’ presence — they come from all over the world, mostly the backpackers. Of late the maximum number of tourists taking to this place are from Israel, says a local shopkeeper, and adds: "Many of the tourists (foreigners) stay at Old Manali for months together, lazing away their time. The place is cheap and the climate suits them".

The other and darker side of Old Manali is that many foreigners indulge in drugs. A group of them can be easily found any time during the day, busy smoking marijuana in the chilams in the corner of a restaurant. Says Himansh Bakshi, a young shopkeeper in Old Manali selling foreign brand cigarettes; "Bhang and charas are available in the area. This is an open secret. Most of the foreign tourists here come from poor classes and indulge in hedonistic lifestyle, due to their currency advantage over the Indian rupee." So, it is not without reason that Old Manali is also known as Hippies’ heaven.

With longstanding foreigners’ presence in the area, a large number of small restaurants — Chinese, Tibetan and continental — and a number of ‘German bakeries’ have come up in the area. The service in these places is personal and slow, perfectly suiting the holiday mood. A glass of ice cold tea, mint tea or Tibetan herbal tea is worth the trial, for taste and novelty.

These restaurants are open till late in the night, with soft music playing constantly, mixing with the murmuring sound of the Manalsu river flowing nearby. But for the river’s sound and less crowd, the place is quite comparable with Paharganj of New Delhi, which is known as the little ‘Mecca’ of foreign tourists. With even the male foreigner keeping long pony tails, you may be faced with the gender confusion, as one Indian tourist put it. Distinguishing a male from a female is quite a tough job.

Old Manali is quite sufficient in meeting its tourist needs and demands. A number of antique and garment shops dot the area. Recently, a small cybercafe has come up, where foreigners wait in queues to send in their experiences to home through instant e-mail.

If you happen to go to Manali next time, or for the first time, take a walk into the Old Manali, too. It is sure worth it!