Pritha called me to check if we can plan a day trip somewhere on 5th (Saturday) when I was watching movie in PVR. I replied OK and we planned Lakhamandal trip which was also there on my travel map. We decided that she will come to Gulmohar at 7.15 so that we can positively leave by 7.30 on my Royal Enfield Classic 350 ( I fondly call it Cleopatra). Thus we were off to Lakhamandal on dot. The distance to Lakhamandal is about 120 kms from Gulmohar. The weather God was with us and the Sun was off duty. we enjoyed the bike ride up the hill to Mussoorie and then down to Aglar river bridge. On the way we stopped to take photographs and we captured photos of white eye and Himalayan Bulbul. By 10 AM we reached Nainbagh after covering about 75 kms diatance. Breakfast was hot Alu ke paranthe. After satisfying our hunger we were again on road and we reached Lakhamandal by 12.15...
The temple here is dedicated to Shiva and it was built around 6th/7th century. In the archaeological excavation here many shiv lings have been found and thus the name of place was given as lacs of lings or Lakhamandal...One of the Shiva Linga is made of some graphite stone with very nice polish that you can see your image when water is poured over it. As per legends, in Hindu epic Mahabharta, Lakhamandal is the same place where Duryodhan planned to kill all five Pandvas by making bthem to stay in 'Laksha Griha"..the house made of lakh....a highly combustible solid material.
Lakhamandal comes in Jaunsar area which is believed to be original Aryan race. Polyandry and polygamy was prevalent here till very late however now people do not practice these customs any more.
After seeing the temple complex we came to the house of Pandit Mahimanand and spent some time with him and his family and also had chai there. Then we returned back by same route. We had a stop over on river Aglar and enjoyed playing with flowing water. By 6.30 PM we were back to Gulmohar. The trip was wonderful and both I and Pritha enjoyed it more than 100%.....
