Mani Mahesh Temple, Bharmour, Himachal Pradesh The Manimahesh Lake is situated 26 kilometres from Bharmour in the Budhil valley, one of the chief pilgrimage spots in Himachal Pradesh. The lake is situated at an altitude of 13,000 feet at the foot of the Kailash peak (18,564 ft). Located in Bharmour, District Chamba, the Mani Mahesh Temple is situated within the sacred Chaurasi complex, surrounded by fragrant cedar trees. It is the largest Nagara-style temple of the Middle Pratihara period in Bharmour and is similar in style to the earlier temples of Chamba town, built around 920–940 C.E. A carved inscription dated to 1417 C.E. is found on a small white marble slab inside the temple. The temple is built on a raised jagati, or platform, made of roughly carved stones. It is dvianga in plan, with two projections, the Bhadra and Karna. The jangha walls are triratha in plan, with projected Varandika-type niches topped by miniature shikharas. Like the temples of Ganesha and Lakshana Devi at Chamba, the temple faces east. Dedicated to Mani Mahesh, worshipped here as a Shivalinga, the temple houses several images of gods and goddesses, including a brass image of Nandi, Durga with a child in her lap, and Ganesha. An ancient Ashtadhatu Nandi associated with the temple is placed below the platform under a modern shed. An inscription in Sharda characters, dating to the 7th century C.E. and mentioning Raja Meru Varman as its patron, is found on the Nandi. Sources Archaeological Survey of India Manimahesh Yatra