Rewalsar, India

Last updated

Rewalsar
town
RewalsarLake.jpg
India Himachal Pradesh location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Rewalsar
Location in Himachal Pradesh, India
India location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Rewalsar
Rewalsar (India)
Coordinates: 31°38′02″N76°50′00″E / 31.633889°N 76.833333°E / 31.633889; 76.833333
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
State Himachal Pradesh
District Mandi
Government
  Body Nagar Palika
Elevation
1,360 m (4,460 ft)
Population
 (2001)
  Total1,369
Languages
  Official Hindi
Time zone UTC+5:30 (IST)
Vehicle registration HP- 82
Guru Rinpoche overlooking Rewalsar Guru Rinpoche overlooking Rewalsar.jpg
Guru Rinpoche overlooking Rewalsar
Entrance to Gompa and massive statue of Guru Rinpoche on hill behind. Rewalsar Entrance to Gompa and massive statue of Guru Rinpoche on hlll behind. Rewalsar.jpg
Entrance to Gompa and massive statue of Guru Rinpoche on hill behind. Rewalsar
Statue of Padmasambhava in Rewalsar Guru Rinpoche in mist 2.jpg
Statue of Padmasambhava in Rewalsar

Rewalsar or Tso Pema in Tibetan is a small town and a pilgrimage place in a nagar panchayat in Mandi district in India. It is located in the state of Himachal Pradesh. The local name for Rewalsar is Tri Sangam. Rewalsar Lake is a tourist spot in the area.

Contents

Demographics

As of the 2001 India census, [1] Rewalsar had a population of 1369. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Rewalsar has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 74.04%: male literacy is 78%, and female literacy is 73%. In Rewalsar, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Geography

Rewalsar 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 Rewalsar can be freezing, while summers are generally pleasant. [2]

Religion

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

Hinduism

Seven lakes associated with the Pandavas of Mahabharata are located above Rewalsar. [3] Also associated with Rewalsar are the legends of Lord Shiva and Lomas Rishi. [4] There is also a famous Krishna temple in the town.

The Hindu history of Rewalsar is found in Skanda Purana. A Hindu sage named Lomas was searching for place to worship. He traveled and climbed the top of Drona mountain, from the top saw a lake surrounded by trees, flowers and birds. He decided to meditate at the bank of the lake, written as Hridayeshwar in Skanda Purana. He meditated here, and Lord Shiva and Goddesses Parvati blessed him by imparting the secrets of this place where all the Devas and Ganas are in the form of flowers, and trees.

Sikhism

The tenth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh visited Rewalsar to consult with kings of the Hill states seeking support against the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. He stayed at Rewalsar for a month. Raja Joginder Sen of Mandi built a gurudwara at Rewalsar in 1930 to commemorate the Guru's visit. [5] The place is particularly sacred to Namdhari Sikhs due to its mention in Sau Sakhi as a sanctuary. [6]

Tibetan Buddhism

123 ft. (37.5 m) statue of Padmasambhava in mist at Rewalsar. Guru Rinpoche in mist 2.jpg
123 ft. (37.5 m) statue of Padmasambhava in mist at Rewalsar.

The famous Rewalsar Lake, or Tso Pema to Tibetans, is associated with Padmasambhava (also known as Guru Rinpoche), recognized as a second Buddha. One version of a legend has it that the King Arashadhar of Mandi had Padmasambhava burnt alive after rumours that the Guru had attempted to teach his daughter, Princess Mandarava 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, with Mandarava in his arms. The king, repenting his actions, married his daughter to Padmasambhava. It was from Tso Pema that Padmasambhava went to Tibet to reveal Vajrayana Buddhism, [7] [8] after Padmasambhava and Mandarava went to Nepal.

Rewalsar is a sacred place for Tibetan Buddhists and there are two Buddhist monasteries; the Drikung Kagyu Monastery and Tso-Pema Orgyen Heru-kai Nyingma Monastery. [9] More than 50 nuns also live in the sacred caves, practicing in retreat. Buddhist practitioners are drawn to the Sacred Caves, as are tourists, coming from India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, and the west. The present head of the Drukpa Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, Gyalwang Drukpa, was born here in 1963.

There is a Colossus (37.5 m or 123 ft) of Padmasambhava that was consecrated, blessed and inaugurated by the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet on 1 April 2012.

The Tsechu fair was held in Rewalsar in 2004 to commemorate the birthday of Padmasambhava, Guru Rinpoche. The fair was inaugurated by the 14th Dalai Lama and was attended by the 17th Karmapa Orgyen Trinley Dorje along with 50,000 other Buddhist pilgrims. [10] The fair was held after a gap of 12 years. [11]

Interests

Rewalsar Lake

Big bell, Rewalsar, Himachal Pradesh, India in 2010 Big bell. Rewalsar.jpg
Big bell, Rewalsar, Himachal Pradesh, India in 2010

The lake around which the town of Rewalsar is established has a maximum depth of 16.5metres. The lake is oligotrophic in nature. It is rectangular in shape, with the catchment area situated to its north and west. [12]

Spiritual sites

At Rewalsar there are three Hindu temples. These are dedicated to the Hindu sage Lomasha, to Krishna and to Shiva.

There are three Tibetan Buddhist monasteries located at opposite ends of the lake, and a shrine to Mandarava. Rewalsar Lake itself is a spiritual site created by the practice of Mandarava and Padmasambhava.

Also, there is a Gurdwara which was built in 1930 by Raja Joginder Sen of Mandi. It commemorates Guru Gobind Singh's visit, when he sought to evolve a common strategy with the hill rulers against the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

Colossus of Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche)

On April 1, 2012, a monumental statue (37.5 m or 123 ft) of Padmasambhava was consecrated, blessed and inaugurated by the 14th Dalai Lama. The building project, spear-headed by Wangdor Rinpoche took nearly 10 years to complete, with the foundation alone taking 3 years to construct. It was constructed almost entirely by hand by tradespeople from the immediate Rewalsar area as well as master artists from Nepal and Bhutan. [13]

Naina Mata Temple

The Hindu temple of Naina Devi sits upon the hilltop, which provides views of the town and the surrounding hills. The 'seven lakes' as well as various Buddhist temples are on the way to the temple. A PWD guest-house is located besides the temple.[ citation needed ]

Other interests

The forest department maintains a small zoo at Rewalsar. Above Rewalsar, the 'Seven Lakes' including the 'Kunti Lake' are also of interest.

Accommodations

There is a Himachal Pradesh Tourism Hotel, and private hotels in Rewalsar, while guest houses are located near the lake.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Padmasambhava</span> 8th-century Buddhist lama

Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche and the Lotus from Oḍḍiyāna, was a tantric Buddhist Vajra master from medieval India who taught Vajrayana in Tibet. According to some early Tibetan sources like the Testament of Ba, he came to Tibet in the 8th century and helped construct Samye Monastery, the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet. However, little more is known about the actual historical figure other than his ties to Vajrayana and Indian Buddhism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dilgo Khyentse</span> Buddhist Vajrayana master, scholar, poet, and teacher (1910–1991)

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Tashi Paljor was a Vajrayana master, Terton, scholar, poet, teacher, and recognized by Buddhists as one of the greatest realized masters. Head of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism from 1988 to 1991, he is also considered an eminent proponent of the Rime tradition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche</span> Tibetan Lama (1930–2002)

Chagdud Tulku was a Tibetan teacher of the Nyingma school of Vajrayana Tibetan Buddhism. He was known and respected in the West for his teachings, his melodic chanting voice, his artistry as a sculptor and painter, and his skill as a physician. He acted as a spiritual guide for thousands of students worldwide. He was the sixteenth tülku of the Chagdud line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje</span> Tibetan Lama (1904–1987)

Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche Jigdral Yeshe Dorje was known simply as Dudjom Rinpoche. He is considered by many Tibetan Buddhists to be from an important Tulku lineage of Terton Dudul Dorje (1615–1672), and was recognized as the incarnation of Terton Dudjom Lingpa (1835–1904), a renowned treasure revealer. He was a direct incarnation of both Padmasambhava and Dudjom Lingpa. He was a Nyingma householder, a yogi, and a Vajrayana and Dzogchen master. According to his secretary Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal and many others, he was revered as "His Holiness" (Kyabje) and as a "Master of Masters".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ayu Khandro</span> Tibetan Buddhist terton and teacher

Ayu Khandro, also known as Dorje Paldrön, was a Tibetan yogini, practitioner and terton of Tantric Buddhism in Eastern Tibet. An accomplished Dzogchen meditator, she is known for her extensive pilgrimages throughout Tibet, long periods of dark retreat practice, the gongter of the practice of the yidam Senge Dongma, various forms of Chöd, and her lifelong dedication to spiritual practice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pema Lingpa</span> Bhutanese Buddhist saint (1450–1521)

Pema Lingpa or Padma Lingpa was a Bhutanese saint and siddha of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. He is considered a terchen or "preeminent tertön" and is considered to be foremost of the "Five Tertön Kings". In the history of the Nyingma school in Bhutan, Pema Lingpa is second only in importance to Padmasambhava.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamzhing Monastery</span> Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Bumthang District, Bhutan

Tamzhing Lhündrup Monastery in Bumthang District in central Bhutan is a Nyingma gompa in Bhutan. Its temple and monastery are remarkable for their direct connection to the Bhutanese tertön and saint, Pema Lingpa (1450-1521) and his tulkus. It is now the seat of Sungtrul Rinpoche, the current speech incarnation of Pema Lingpa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rewalsar Lake</span> Lake in Himachal Pradesh, India

Rewalsar Lake, also known as Tso Pema, is a mid-altitude lake located in the mountains of the Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh, India. It is located 22.5 km south-west from the town of Mandi, at an elevation of about 1,360 metres (4,460 ft) above sea level, with a shoreline of about 735 m. Rewalsar Lake is a sacred spot for Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists, and sacred to Tibetan Buddhists for the Vajrayana practices of Padmasambhava and Mandarava, which are credited for the lake's creation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandāravā</span> Female guru-deity in Tibetan Buddhism

Mandāravā was, along with Yeshe Tsogyal, one of the two principal consorts of great 8th-century Indian Vajrayana teacher Padmasambhava, a founder-figure of Tibetan Buddhism. Mandarava is considered to be a female guru-deity in Tantric Buddhism or Vajrayana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pema Tönyö Nyinje</span>

Pema Dönyö Nyinje is the 12th Tai Situpa, a tulku in Tibetan Buddhism, and one of the leading figures of the Karma Kagyu school. He is the head of Palpung Monastery.

Orgyen Kusum Lingpa (1934-2009) was a Tibetan terton and Nyingma lineage holder within Tibetan Buddhism. His name means "Holder of the Sanctuary of the Trikaya of Oddiyana Padmasambhava."

The Khamtrul tulku lineage is part of the Dongyud Palden section of the Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche</span> Tibetan Buddhist monk and scholar (1938–2010)

Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche, also known as "Khen Rinpoche," was a teacher, a scholar, a lama, and a Dzogchen master in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. He was considered by Penor Rinpoche to be one of the most learned living Nyingma scholars. Palden Sherab founded the Orgyen Samye Chokhor Ling Nunnery, the first nunnery in Deer Park (Sarnath).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">12th Gyalwang Drukpa</span>

The 12th Gyalwang Drukpa, Jigmet Pema Wangchen, is the head of the Drukpa Lineage school, which is one of the independent Sarma (new) schools of Tibetan Buddhism. In Drukpa, druk means 'dragon' which is a symbol of love and peace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paro Taktsang</span> Tibetan Buddhist temple complex in Bhutan

Paro Taktsang, is a sacred Vajrayana Himalayan Buddhist site located in the cliffside of the upper Paro valley in Bhutan. It is one of thirteen Tiger's Nest caves in historical Tibet in which Padmasambhava practiced and taught Vajrayana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gandhola Monastery</span> Tibetan Buddhist monastery near Kyelang, Himachal Pradesh, India

Gandhola Monastery is about 18 kilometres (11 mi) before Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh, India on the road from Manali, Himachal Pradesh. It is located on a hill above Tupchiling Village at the sacred junction of the Chandra and Bhaga rivers, which together form the Chenab River. The village is at 3,160 m (10,370 ft) and is famous for its 7-storey tower fort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buddhism in Himachal Pradesh</span>

Buddhism in the Himachal Pradesh state of India of has been a long-recorded practice. The spread of Buddhism in the region has occurred intermediately throughout its history. Starting in the 3rd century BCE, Buddhism was propagated by the Maurya Empire under the reign of Ashoka. The region would remain an important center for Buddhism under the Kushan Empire and its vassals. Over the centuries the following of Buddhism has greatly fluctuated. Yet by experiencing revivals and migrations, Buddhism continued to be rooted in the region, particularly in the Lahaul, Spiti and Kinnaur valleys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mata Kuan Rani Temple</span>

The Mata Kuan Rani Temple, or 'Princess of the Well Temple', is situated near the bank of the Beas River in the town of Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, India. This is the place where the princess Mandarava was imprisoned by her father.

Chimé Rigdzin Rinpoche, popularly known as C. R. Lama, was an Indian lama of Tibetan Buddhism who was the lineage holder of the Northern Treasures tradition in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Himachal Pradesh</span>

Tourism in Himachal Pradesh relates to tourism in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. This is popularly renowned for its Himalayan landscapes and popular hill-stations. Many outdoor activities such as rock climbing, mountain biking, paragliding, ice-skating, trekking, rafting, and heli-skiing are popular tourist attractions in Himachal Pradesh.

References

  1. "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
  2. "HP Tourism official site". Archived from the original on 3 September 2006. Retrieved 3 September 2006.
  3. "HP Tourism official site". Archived from the original on 23 August 2006. Retrieved 3 September 2006.
  4. "Hindu legends about Rawalsar" . Retrieved 3 September 2006.
  5. "Guru Gobind Singh's visit to Rawalsar" . Retrieved 3 September 2006.
  6. "Sacred to Namdharis". Archived from the original on 3 January 2008. Retrieved 3 September 2006.
  7. "One version of the Buddhist legend" . Retrieved 3 September 2006.
  8. "Rewalsar, District Mandi". Himachal Pradesh Government. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  9. "Buddhist monasteries in Rewalsar" . Retrieved 3 September 2006.
  10. "Article in The Tribune" . Retrieved 3 September 2006.
  11. "Article in The Tribune" . Retrieved 3 September 2006.
  12. "Study of Rawalsar Lake". Archived from the original on 11 June 2007. Retrieved 3 September 2006.
  13. "Wangdor Rimpoche: Padmasambhava Project". www.customjuju.com. Retrieved 29 July 2018.

Media: