Manali S. O. - 175 131
Hidimba Devi Temple
Date of Introduction: ?? |
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Manali at an altitude of 2,050 m in the Beas River Valley is a hill station nestled in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh near the northern end of the Kullu Valley. It is located about 270 km north of the state capital, Shimla. The small town is the beginning of an ancient trade route to Ladakh and from there over the Karakoram Pass on to Yarkand and Khotan in the Tarim Basin. Manali is named after the Hindu lawgiver Manu. The word Manali is regarded as the changed name of "Manu-Alaya" which literally means "the abode of Manu". Legend has it that sage Manu stepped off his ark in Manali to recreate human life after a great flood had deluged the world. Manali is also often referred to as the "Valley of the Gods". The Old Manali village has an ancient temple dedicated to sage Manu. Hidimba Devi temple mostly called as the Dhungiri temple in Manali is one of the most important temples in the region. This Temple of four wooden storeys is located in the middle of a forest called the Dhungiri Van Vihar. The temple derives its name from the forest parkland near the temple. The temple was erected in 1553 and is dedicated to Goddess Halima. Hidimba Devi temple has a 24 m high tower and has three tiers of its square roofs are covered with timber tiles, while the conical roof is clad in metal. The cancellation depicts Hidimba Devi Temple. |
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Philatelic Bureau, Shimla G. P. O. - 171 001
Himalayan Monal
Date of Introduction: ?? |
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Shimla formerly known as Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh, located in northern India. It is bounded by Mandi and Kullu in the north, Kinnaur in the east, the state of Uttarakhand in the south-east, and Solan and Sirmaur to the south. Shimla is well known as a hub for India's tourism sector. In 1864, Shimla was declared as the summer capital of British India, succeeding Murree, northeast of Rawalpindi. After independence, the city became the capital of Punjab and was later named the capital of Himachal Pradesh. The climate in Shimla is predominantly cool during winters, and moderately warm during summer. Himalayan Aviary also known as Himalayan Bird Park is located in Shimla. The park is situated at a height of around 2213 meters. The Park is full of natural vegetation cover, which comprises of various rare species of plants & trees. One can see here a wide array of birds like Himalayan Monal, Peafowls, Pheasants, peacock etc. The Himalayan Monal secures a distinct position among pheasants due to its prominent build, brilliant plumage and strong association with local folklore. The Himalayan Monal with the scientific name Lophophorus impejanus is a pheasant species falling under the Phasianidae family. They are also called by other names like the Impeyan Monal or Danphe or Impeyan Pheasant. Danphe bird is declared as the National bird of Nepal and the State bird of Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand. This species comes under the genus Lophophorus and around two species out of three falling under the same genus is seen in India. The cancellation depicts Himalayan Monal. |
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Jawalamukhi S. O. - 176 031
Jawalamukhi Temple
Date of Introduction: ?? |
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Kangra district is situated in Western Himalayas between 31°2 to 32°5 N and 75° to 77°45 E. The district has varying altitude ranging from 427 to 6401m above mean sea level, with some plain areas touching Gurdaspur district of Punjab in the West and Una district of H.P. in the South. The district is bounded by the districts of Chamba to the north, Lahul and Spiti to the northeast, Kullu to the east, Mandi to the southeast, and Hamirpur and Una to the south. Jawalamukhi town of Kangra district is famous for Jawalamukhi temple. Jawalamukhi is a famous temple to the goddess Jwalamukhi, the deity of flaming mouth, built over some natural jets of combustible gas, believed to be the manifestation of the Goddess. Raja Bhumi Chand Katoch of Kangra, a great devotee of goddess Durga, dreamt of the sacred place and the Raja set people to find out the whereabouts of the site. The site was traced and the Raja built a temple at that location. The building is modern with a gilt dome and pinnacles, and possesses a beautiful folding door of silver plates. Under the gaze of the Dhauladhar range and set amidst the undulating hills that character sub-Himalayan Himachal Sati's tongue is believed to have fallen at Jwalamukhi and the goddess is manifest as tiny flames that burn a flawless blue through fissures in the age old rock. The cancellation depicts Jawalamukhi Temple. |
| Special thanks to Mrs. Jeevan Jyoti for her help in compiling this listing. |
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