Rewalsar – Unity of Faith

Rewalsar is a place less heard of in Himachal Pradesh. Travellers visit Shimla, Manali and very few make it to Rewalsar. A 12-hour bus ride from ISBT Kashmiri Gate, Delhi led me to Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. The low temperatures and fresh air become evidence once you cross Chandigarh and reach Himachal Pradesh.

After reaching Mandi, Rewalsar is another 1 hour and there are frequent buses from HRTC Mandi to Rewalsar. The journey towards Rewalsar is filled with mountains, rustic Himalayan houses, and step cultivation that adds another aura to the scenery. One will forget and not realize how fast time flies amongst nature.

The bus reached near a lake and took a left and it was Rewalsar already. Since I was travelling from Mumbai, I decided to stay back at Rewalsar for a day and relax. After freshening up, I decided to take a walk around Rewalsar. In Rewalsar, one is supposed to talk clockwise which is followed to the T around the lake.

There are a lot of monasteries in Rewalsar and it filled with Buddhist vibes. Monks, Female nuns, children learning the Dhamma. Monks from all age group chanting and taking rounds around the lake. A little later, I saw a Hindu temple and a big Shiva Trishul to left side of the lake. There are around 3 temples, out of which one is dedicated to Saint Padmasambhava. There’s a garden ahead facing the lake, but does not have a facade to walk by the lake. It’s a nice place to sit down and soak in all the positive energy Rewalsar offers. End part of the garden is filled with prayer flags tried to trees and only enhance the charm and Buddhist vibes.

Moving forward, there’s a tiny Rewalsar zoo which has a good no. of deers, antelopes, porcupine and 3 Himalayan bears. The entry fees is Rs.5 and it is closed on Mondays. It’s a good place to get rid of boredom, if on a solo trip. I also found a Gurudwara and that’s when I felt Rewalsar was such a peaceful amalgamation of different faiths, unity in faith. The Gurudwara has a langar and one needs to cover their head with cloth when entering the Gurudwara.

There are a lot of shops while walking around the lake for one’s shopping. Ranging from general stores, wine shop, eateries, street vendors selling shawls and jackets to places where you can buy prayer flags. Places shut a little early in Rewalsar around 7 pm, so eating and shopping early helps.

Next day morning, before heading to my next destination, I decided to visit a few more places in Rewalsar. There’s a huge statue of Swami Padmasambhava which is barely 15 minutes walk. The panoramic view of Rewalsar from this statue is stunning and is a must-visit. There’s a lake called Lake Arjun uphill and has a huge Hanuman statue next to it. This place is considered sacred and you’ll find plenty of fishes in it with clean water reflecting the landscape. 20 minutes from there, is a Naina Mata temple which is dedicated to Goddess and also has an all day langar.

Last place, I managed to visit was the Buddhist caves of Rewalsar. Being a Monday, a lot of monks had gathered and were replacing old prayer flags. There were groups of families chanting prayers and it just felt a different vibe altogether. It was a place to sit and reflect as it is said that some Buddhist monks stayed and meditated there. It was already noon and I decided to leave back for Mandi. Although Rewalsar falls in Himachal Pradesh, it’s different. Rewalsar’s Buddhist and peaceful vibes will help you connect and come closer to Spirituality.