Bijli Mahadev Temple

Bijli Mahadev — the 'lightning Shiva' — sits on a ridge at around 2,400 metres, with one of the great panoramic views in the Kullu valley. On clear days you can see the Beas and the Parvati valley meeting below, with snow peaks stretching away to the north and east.

The climb is about three kilometres on a stepped path from the road end at Chansari, taking 90 minutes to two hours one way. Go early; clouds usually build by midday and the view is the whole point.

things to do sight
A story
A 60-foot wooden pole rises above the temple. Local belief says it is struck by lightning every twelve years, shattering the stone Shiva linga inside; the priests then reassemble the fragments with butter, and the cycle continues. The story is so widely held that scientists from Indian institutes have studied the site to test it.