page_title: Karsog
section_title: Tourism
hierarchical_section_title: Karsog / Tourism
caption_attribution_description: Nature, Scenery, Forests, Agriculture Between Shimla and Mandi Himachal Pradesh India
context_page_description: Karsog is a small town and nagar panchyat situated in the lap of the Himalayas, near Shimla, at a height of 1,404 metres. It is in the 7th Karsog subdivision of the Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh in India. It lies in the Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas bordering the Shimla and Kullu districts.
context_section_description: Karsog is famous for its temples, including the Mamlesh-war Mahadev, Kamaksha Devi, MahunNag, Someshwar Mahadev Somakothi temples.
  Accessible from the state capital Shimla, the tracks around Karsog and Chindi are among the most picturesque areas of Himachal Pradesh. 
  There are wide valleys crisscrossed by streams and carpeted with fields of assorted vegetables and grain. From fertile floors, orchards and thick forests rise to touch snow-covered peaks. 
  The small villages and their age-old architecture give expression to the phrase ‘picture perfect’. Legends and folklore abound, and every one of the temples is a repository of local culture and an example of remarkable building skills.
  Named after the local deity, Chandika (Chindi) Mata, the tiny village of Chindi rests along a highway that services Shimla, Karsog and Mandi. A little further ahead, at the village of Bakhrote, is the bifurcation to Kullu and Manali along a less traveled but thoroughly delightful route. In some ways, the area harks back to old ‘hill stations’ before they became over-built messes – a few scattered houses, the little bazaar or two, patches of forests and wide open views. 
  From the hotel at Chindi, the rise of Khoo Dhar is accessed through the Karsog bazaar. This large flat hilltop presents a 360 degrees view of the area. The Karsog valley lies below, to the north is the peak of Shikari Devi. Some of the other well-known ranges and mountains visible from Kunhoo Dhar are the Pir Panjal, the Hanuman Tibba, the rises around the Jalori Pass, the bare Chawasi Tibba, Narkanda’s Hattu Peak and the Shali Tibba. The villages of Churag, Chindi, and Mahunag form a part of the foreground and the other sightseeing places of Dhamoon and Sairi Bangla ( Bungalow ) are also visible. Kunhoo Dhar has a large pond and big ground while a low rise holds the small temple dedicated to both Kamakshya ( Kamakhya ) Devi and Nag Dhamooni. Local tradition has it that this was the site of the original palace of the former princely state of Suket – in whose territories these tracts once were. 
  The village of Karsog is surrounded by wide steps of fields and holds the main bazaar of the valley. Agriculture is the mainstay of the area and it is well known for its wheat, corn, rice and a variety of lentils and beans. The valley is crisscrossed by several brooks and the ‘twin’ Amla ( Imla ) and Bimla streams. From the Karsog bazaar, the village of Mamel is a bare couple of kilometres and has the temple of Mamleshwara Mahadev. Local belief has it that the temple dates to the times of the epic Mahabharata when it founded by the Pandava brothers. And drawing on India’s other great epic, the Ramayana, it is regarded that after King Ravana of Lanka was killed by Bhagwan Rama, his soul could not be free till an image of Bhagwan Shiva was installed here—which was done by Rama with the use of supernatural powers. The sages Parshurama and Brighu are also believed to have meditated at the spot. 
  Using sleepers of considerable girth, the temple is an attractive wood and slate structure and it is believed that the sacred fire in the temple has been kept burning from times immemorial - and that the level of the ashes never increases. There is an unusually large drum in the temple with rhinoceros hide. Also shown on request, is a large grain of wheat supposedly dating to the mythological times of the Satya Yuga. Some recently excavated shivalingas have been installed by the side of the temple.
  A little further down lies the village of Kau and the temple of Kamakshya Mata. The goddess in this temple is seen as manifest at the spot, due to the meditations and sacrifices of Lord Parashurama. Today, the remarkable expression and the intensity of the eyes of the principal image cast in ‘ashtadhatu’, the eight primary metals, is striking. The deity is depicted as the Mahishasuramardini—the slayer of the demon Mahisha, who stalked the world in the shape of a buffalo. Rebuilt in the original genre, the temple is an example of local woodworking skills. Small chambers hold other images and the ‘bedchamb
caption: Karsog Valley (3)
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