The Hidimba Devi Temple, locally known as Dhungri Temple, is Manali's most iconic landmark and one of the most unusual temples in Himachal Pradesh. The four-tiered wooden pagoda rises from a clearing in the old Dhungri cedar forest just west of the town centre, its carved wooden roofs stacked like a dark pine tree against the sky. Built in 1553, it predates most of Manali's other structures by centuries.
The temple is dedicated to Hadimba (Hidimba), a forest deity identified with the yaksha character from the Mahabharata. The main shrine sits over a natural rock formation rather than a sculpted idol, and the doorway frame is densely carved with scenes from Hindu mythology and local folk imagery. Remove footwear before entering; the inner sanctum is small and intensely devotional. The surrounding forest of towering deodar cedars amplifies the atmosphere — this is a genuinely ancient and atmospheric place, not merely a photogenic heritage site.