Mud huts near Mandi's Prashar Lake lure tourists

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, September 23

Mud huts have become a major attraction for tourists near Prashar lake in Mandi district.

A local youth of Darang area has set up mud huts near Prashar lake for tourism purpose. During their stay, tourists are served organic food.

Tourists these days prefer to spend their holidays at the scenic spots with pristine hills in the background and in pollution-free and peaceful environment rather than going to busy and polluted parts of the country and residing in hotels.

Karan Thakur, owner of the mud huts, told The Tribune that “the idea behind is to promote eco-friendly tourism. Mud huts are nature friendly where tourists prefer to stay. These huts remain cool in summers and become warm in winters.”

“Puja was performed on September 19 to mark formal inauguration of mud huts. The inquiries for room bookings in mud huts have increased, which is a good sign for us. Prashar lake area is a famous tourist place, where a large number of foreign and domestic tourists visit round the year,” he remarked.

He said that these mud huts provide all the comforts luring the tourists to enjoy their holidays in the lap of nature.

Prashar lake, 48 km away from Mandi town, is located at a height of 2,730 m above sea level. With deep blue waters, the lake is believed to be sacred. Sage Prashar is believed to have meditated there. There is a round, floating island in the lake which moves in all directions. Apart from this, a three-storied pagoda-like temple dedicated to the sage Prashar is situated in the vicinity of the lake. Its religious importance and panoramic view of nature that it offers have made a popular tourist spot among the tourists.