Rewalsar (town)

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name = Rawalsar | skyline = RewalsarLake.jpg
skyline_caption = Rewalsar Lake
type = city | latd = 31.633889 | longd = 76.833333
state_name = Himachal Pradesh
district = Mandi
leader_title =
leader_name =
altitude = 1360
population_as_of = 2001
population_total = 1369| population_density =
area_magnitude= sq. km
area_total =
area_telephone =
postal_code =
vehicle_code_range =
sex_ratio =
unlocode =
website =
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Rawalsar (also spelled Rewalsar) is a town and a nagar panchayat in Mandi district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census [GR|India] , Rawalsar had a population of 1369. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Rawalsar has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 78%, and female literacy is 73%. In Rawalsar, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Geography

Rawalsar is located at an altitude of 1360 m above sea level. It is connected to Mandi by a motorable road and is about 25 km from Mandi. Lying in the Southern Himalayan belt, winters in Rawalsar can be freezing, while summers are generally pleasant.cite web | title = HP Tourism official site | url = http://hptdc.nic.in/cir0202.htm | accessdate = September 3 | accessyear = 2006]

Religion

Rawalsar is sacred to adherents of three major religions - Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.

Hinduism

Seven mythological lakes associated with the Pandavas of Mahabharata are located above Rawalsar.cite web | title = HP Tourism official site | url = http://himachaltourism.nic.in/lake.htm | accessdate = September 3 | accessyear = 2006] Also associated with Rawalsar are the legends of Lord Shiva and Lomas Rishi.cite web | title = Hindu legends about Rawalsar | url = http://vegetarian-restaurants.net/India-Guide/IndianStates/Himachal-Pradesh/Himachal-Pradesh.htm | accessdate = September 3 | accessyear = 2006] There is also a famous Krishna temple in the town.

ikhism

The tenth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh visited Rawalsar to consult with kings of the Hill states seeking support against Aurangzeb. He stayed at Rawalsar for a month. Raja Joginder Sen of Mandi built a gurudwara at Rawalsar in 1930 to commemorate the Guru's visit.cite web | title = Guru Gobind Singh's visit to Rawalsar | url = http://www.indialine.com/travel/himachalpradesh/rewalsar/ | accessdate = September 3 | accessyear = 2006] The place is partiularly sacred to Namdhari Sikhs due to its mention in "Sau Sakhi" as a sanctuary.cite web | title = Sacred to Namdharis | url = http://www.allaboutsikhs.com/gurudwaras/gurudwara-rawalsar-distt-mandi.html | accessdate = September 3 | accessyear = 2006]

Buddhism

The famous Rawalsar lake (Tso Pema to Tibetans) is associated with Padmasambhava (also known as "Guru Rinpoche"), who is recognized as the second Buddha of this age. One version of a legend has it that the king of Mandi had Padmasambhava burnt alive after rumours that the Guru had attempted to teach his daughter the Dharma, which was not accepted then. The pyre burned for a full week, with great clouds of black smoke arising from it, but after a week, a lake appeared at the spot where he was burnt and Padmasambhava manifested himself as a 16 year old boy from within a lotus in the middle of the lake. The king, repenting his actions, married his daughter with Padmasambhava. It was from Tso Pema that Padmasambhava went to Tibet to spread Vajrayana Buddhism.cite web | title = One version of the Buddhist legend | url = http://www.himachalpradesh.us/mandi/index.php | accessdate = September 3 | accessyear = 2006]

The Tsechu fair was held in Rawalsar in 2004 to commemorate the birthday of Padmasambhava. The fair was inaugurated by the Dalai Lama and was attended by Urgyen Trinley Dorje Karmapa along with 50,000 other Buddhist pilgrimscite web | title = Article in The Tribune | url = http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040302/himachal.htm#13 | accessdate = September 3 | accessyear = 2006] . The fair was held after a gap of 12 years.cite web | title = Article in The Tribune | url = http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040229/himachal.htm#6 | accessdate = September 3 | accessyear = 2006]

There are other versions that mention that the lake associated with Padmasambhava's birth was located in Pakistan or Afghanistan.cite web | title = Another version of the Buddhist legend | url = http://www.muktinath.org/buddhism/padmasambhava.pdf | accessdate = September 3 | accessyear = 2006] However, Rawalsar came to be known as a sacred place for Buddhists and two monasteries — the Drikung Kadyud Gompa and Tso-Pema Ogyen Heru-kai Nyingmapa Gompa are located here.cite web | title = Buddhist monastries in Rawalsar | url = http://vegetarian-restaurants.net/India-Guide/IndianStates/Himachal-Pradesh/Himachal-Pradesh.htm | accessdate = September 3 | accessyear = 2006]

Rawalsar Lake

The lake around which the town of Rawalsar is established has a maximum depth of 6.5 metres. The lake is oligotrophic in nature. It is rectangular in shape, with the catchment area situated to its north and west.cite web | title = Study of Rawalsar Lake | url = http://www.geowiss.uni-hamburg.de/i-bioge/english/projekte_e/himalaya_e.htm | accessdate = September 3 | accessyear = 2006]

References

External links

[http://sss.vn.ua/india/himachal/rewalsar/indexen.htm Rewalsar photo gallery]