Mana Village Archives - ALL GUD THINGS

Rising up to the sun rays hitting snow clad peaks of barren mountain, sipping hot lemon ginger tea admiring the mother nature; eating delicious breakfast under deep blue sky, the scenic stroll around lush green meadows,non-stop family talks and chairlift journey to the meadows are some of the golden moments which I can recall from my recent trip to Auli and stay at the Auli Resort – The Royal Village.

Views of Auli from the Auli resort- The royal Village — Panoramic View of Auli from Auli Resort

Auli Resort- The Royal Village is a cool environment-friendly holiday resort and is located at one of the most picturesque locations. It lies within the complex of GMVN (Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam), giving the panoramic view of majestic Himalayan ranges.

After a long drive and trip to Badrinath Dham and the Mythical Mana Village, we thought of rejuvenating our body and soul with the fresh air and serene beauty of Auli.

At Auli Resort

As soon as you reach Auli base, GMVN resort welcomed us. But somehow it didn’t attract us and far away the rowed yellow log huts with the green background were too enticing. That was the Auli resort – the royal village. It’s hardly a 100 meters drive or walk from GMVN.

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Reception

The reception is simply done with a seating and few Himalayas and trekking books are around, in the shelves. The staffs behind the desk are super friendly and they helpful you while checking in and assist you to your rooms. They too guide you about local sightseeing and how weather changes in Auli. Read here for the different shades of Auli in summers.

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Auli Resort

There are 12 luxurious huts in two rows lined one behind another on the mountain slope, each having its own patio facing towards the snow covered mountain peaks. The Auli resort is a perfect place to soak in the mountain atmosphere.

Rooms/ Huts

The rooms are designed keeping in mind the extreme winters at Auli and they are comfortable for summers too. The maximum temperature in Auli goes around 16 degree Celsius in summers and in winters the lowest can be up to -8-degree celsius.

The Auli resort huts are colorful, clean and cozy. The hut in which we had put up was painted in purple and white and there was a separate space for bedroom, dressing room, and washroom.

The room has all basic amenities like television, chairs, room heater and tea-coffee maker. And yes! The views from the window of the hut were just not Wow but spectacular –Almost half of the Auli was visible.

Restaurant and Food at Auli Resorts

One cannot stroll or enjoy without food and there is no worry when you are at Auli Resorts – The Royal Village. They have a variety of Indian, Chinese, continental and some local dishes in their menu. We tried Indian, Chinese and Uttarakhand’s local food. Everything was just scrumptious.

The dining area behind the reception is clean. It has wooden roofs, giving the typical feel of a place in mountains.

Dining Area at Auli resort — Dining Area at Auli Resort

Sightseeing at Auli

The Hanuman Temple: It lies just after a refreshing trek of 15-20 minutes from the royal village Auli Resort.
The Panoramic View of Snow clad Mountain Peaks: From the resort itself complete panorama of majestic Himalayan peaks is visible and the prominent are Nanda Devi, Chaukhamba, and Panch Chuli.
Gurso Bugyal Meadows: The Meadows lies 3kms from Auli resorts and are spread amidst forests of oak and conifers. They turn lush green in summers and are snow covered in winters. So, if you love winters sports you surely cannot miss visiting Auli as a winter destination in Uttarakhand. One can try skiing, ATV rides, and others sports here.
Ride by Chairlift till meadows and highest artificial lake:

Parking at Auli Resort

There are enough parking spaces available around Auli Resorts.

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Conclusion

I will say the Auli resort lives up to the name of Auli and is a complete value for money. We paid Rs. 3000/- per night. The colorful huts, delicious food, impeccable services, and beautiful views – everything is perfect here. The place not only relaxes your mind and body but make you feel in the abode of heaven.

Rating of Auli Resort

I rate it 4.5 out of 5

Some Additional Info

One can get the huts booked at Auli resort from MakeMyTrip, Tripadvisor or Booking.com.
The Gondola Chairlift is only 100 meters away from the Auli resorts.
The resort arranges day treks, only on prior information.
Auli resort is a good place for families, friends, and couples.

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The last Indian Village! Isn’t that sentence a fascination in itself? It is and I was actually flying with happiness when I saw this board just 3 km ahead of Badrinath Dham. And look at those blue views at the entrance of the charismatic Mana village.

The excitement was not because of the first visit to the last inhabited village. In fact, earlier too; I had visited the last inhabited Village; Chitkul at Indo-China border in Himachal. I was excited there also but the Mana village experience was altogether different. The village has a mythical history along with the natural beauty. In fact, after traveling to so many areas of Uttarakhand now the belief is that whole of Uttarakhand is so so different from Himachal. The whole state is still not that commercial and has retained its natural beauty with the original trails.

Mana Village

The Mana Village lies at 3118 meters and can be reached either by the smooth motorable road or by a scenic walk along the clean Alaknanda River.

The village is crammed with cobblestone roads. The slanting roofed stone houses with wooden windows bask the village on either side of the road. Some houses too have a small kitchen garden around them.

The origin of habitats can be traced back to Mongolian tribes. Currently, it is occupied by the last generation of Bhotia community. The ladies of this community are masters in knitting and weaving while men run small shops and take tamed goats for grazing. They too are seen playing carom, cards etc.

Handicrafts made by the Bhotia Community Women of Mana Village — Mats, Carpets, Caps woven by women of Bhotia Community at Mana Village

The inhabitants of the Mana village are migratory and they move to nearby places like Joshimath in the months from November – April when the weather gets too hostile.

Closed Houses during Hostile weather conditions at Mana Village — Locked House at Mana Village

Okay! Here comes the real thing. Mr. Barfani Baba: He stays in this cave throughout the year, even when everyone else from the village migrates during extreme cold. He actually posed for the picture.

Mythical History of Mana Village

The Mana Village has a Mythical past and its traces can be found in the epic Mahabharata. It is believed that Pandavas crossed this village on their journey to heaven. While crossing the village; Bheem one of the strongest brothers of Pandavas laid a rock bridge; known as Bhim Shila to cross the River Saraswati. This is believed to be the place of origin of River Saraswati and there is a Goddess Saraswati Temple too.

Bhim Shila at Mana Village — Bhim Shila (Actually a single piece rock bridge)

Further, there is a Vyas Gufa (Vyas Cave) at Mana Village, where Saint Veda Vyasa has composed the whole Mahabharata. And Ganesha Gufa, where Lord Ganesha penned down the whole epic dictated by Saint Veda Vyasa.

After Crossing Bheem Shila, keep walking on the trail and you will reach the hill top pointing towards the end of the road. I don’t know its a myth or truth but there is a saying that Pandavas might have eloped from this path to heaven. (The way to Swarg)

View from the Hilltop at Mana Village — Hilltop views on one side, and end of the road (From where Pandavas might have eloped)

Views from Hilltop at Mana Village (another side)

From here ahead the trail becomes stony, steeper and goes 6 Kilometer ahead till Vasudhara Waterfall. The last of this trail take you to Satopanth Tal and Satopanth Glacier, which is in total 22 km trek from Badrinath. This trek is considered to be a tough grade and one need porters and guides for completing it.

Satopanth Tal, Trek from Mana Village — Source: IndiaHikes

Apart from this, the Last Indian Mana Village too has many shops claiming themselves as last Shops, serving coffee, tea, maggi and some more snacks. There is fun having tea here with those mesmerizing views.

Some Additional Info on Mana Village:

One has to park the vehicle outside the Mana village.
The best time to visit village is during early morning like 6 a.m, as there is no rush and can capture sunrise shots.
Porters carry pilgrims in the baskets/Palkis on their back till Bheem Shila, so give them the way when they whistle.
Buy some locally weaved stuff to help the community grow.
Click pictures after taking permission from the people.
Carry jacket along as it gets windy anytime when you climb up the slope.
Do keep some small denomination currency with you, as the locals are in shortage of change.
Mana Village is also famous for Potatoes and Kidney Beans.
There is an army helipad on the way to Mana Village, worth admiring.

Uttarakhand government has declared this place as a tourist village destination, so be a contributor wherever it is possible for you.

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Have you been to Mana Village and Satopanth? If yes, then let us know what we missed on and should explore next time. If you like it share it and pin it here.

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Review: Auli Resort – The Royal Village