“Dedicated to the Monkey God - Lord Hanuman.”
Even the direction boards have named this place as ‘Manki’ Point, when it should really have been called ‘Monkey’ Point. This hilltop point is about 6 km from Kasauli market and is located inside the Air Force Station. Hence the entry is allowed only from 9.30 am to 5 pm and you have to show your ID proof to the authorities at the AFS gate. No cameras, cell phones, or electronic item of any kind is allowed to be taken inside. You may leave them in your vehicle, or deposit them in a locker on payment of a nominal fee. Hence you cannot take any snaps after you enter.
However, Manki Point is still worth a visit because of the beautiful views from the hilltop, as well as darshan of Lord Hanuman inside the temple dedicated to him. We spent some time in the temple listening to the bhajans and devotional songs sung by the devotees. The hilltop is in the shape of a giant footprint of Lord Hanuman, who is said to have used the hilltop as a stepping stone on the way to Lanka carrying the ‘Sanjeevani Booti’. There is now a helipad here.
After entering the AFS gate one has to climb a steep flight of stairs which can take from 20 to 30 minutes depending on your level of fitness. The staircase is covered by shades and trees, and there are benches to sit on, so that you can rest and gather your breath. Beware of the monkeys, most of them are friendly, but an aggressive one may attack your goody bag, if you are alone or try to retaliate.
There is very little parking space available near the AFS gate. This place gets so many visitors during the weekends that maneuvering becomes difficult near the parking area. We actually witnessed a traffic jam for half an hour. On the next day, which was a Sunday, the authorities closed the road from the market to the AFS for the tourists, and all of them had to walk the 12 km to the Point and back!
However, Manki Point is still worth a visit because of the beautiful views from the hilltop, as well as darshan of Lord Hanuman inside the temple dedicated to him. We spent some time in the temple listening to the bhajans and devotional songs sung by the devotees. The hilltop is in the shape of a giant footprint of Lord Hanuman, who is said to have used the hilltop as a stepping stone on the way to Lanka carrying the ‘Sanjeevani Booti’. There is now a helipad here.
After entering the AFS gate one has to climb a steep flight of stairs which can take from 20 to 30 minutes depending on your level of fitness. The staircase is covered by shades and trees, and there are benches to sit on, so that you can rest and gather your breath. Beware of the monkeys, most of them are friendly, but an aggressive one may attack your goody bag, if you are alone or try to retaliate.
There is very little parking space available near the AFS gate. This place gets so many visitors during the weekends that maneuvering becomes difficult near the parking area. We actually witnessed a traffic jam for half an hour. On the next day, which was a Sunday, the authorities closed the road from the market to the AFS for the tourists, and all of them had to walk the 12 km to the Point and back!
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
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