Two of the most amazing physical and spiritual experiences of my life were in Dharamshala and Rewalsar. I met Ling Rinpoche and he introduced me to Maitreya Heaven which has stayed with me ever since and in Rewalsar, Padmasambhava came to me as Saint Germain to tell me that Padmasambhava and Saint Germain are the same being. And beyond that I already knew Merlin the Magician was also an incarnation of Saint Germain and realized then that Padmasambhava was a young Merlin before he went back to England to put King Arthur on the throne of England and start the Knights of the Round Table and all that. So, in 1999 I first went to Glastonbury where Arthur and Guinnevere were buried at Glastonbury Abbey in the middle of town. I didn't know about Glastonbury Abbey until 2011 when I went there with my two daughters one of their boyfriends and my wife. In 1999 I felt the power of the place and went up on Glastonbury Tor which once was the Isle of Avalon when Merlin and King Arthur were alive because it rained more then so there was a lake with an island then. But now, it's all farmland with sheep a lot in that area now instead. I experience the clarity of Saint Germain and Francis Bacon there which is a very intellectually clear awareness. It reminds me a little of how I feel when I'm at Mt. Shasta with that same power of clear thinking spiritually.
I visited both Tibetan Gonpos there which are: the Drikung Kagyu Gompa and Tso-Pema Orgyen Heru-kai Nyingmapa Gompa.[11] and I met the Lamas and monks of both lineages.
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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 ...
State: Himachal Pradesh
District: Mandi
Elevation: 1,360 m (4,460 ft)
Rewalsar Lake is a mid-altitude lake located on a mountain spur in the Mandi district, 22.5 km south-west from Mandi, in India. Its elevation is about 1,360 m ...
Surface elevation: 1,360 m (4,460 ft)
Shore length1: 735 m (2,411 ft)
Location: Mandi district
Basin countries: India
Rewalsar, India
Rewalsar
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|---|---|
town
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 | |
 
Rewalsar
Location in Himachal Pradesh, India
| |
| Coordinates: 31.633889°N 76.833333°ECoordinates: 31.633889°N 76.833333°E | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Himachal Pradesh |
| District | Mandi |
| Government | |
| • Body | Nagar Palika |
| Elevation | 1,360 m (4,460 ft) |
| Population
(2001)
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| • Total | 1,369 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Hindi |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Vehicle registration | HP- |
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.
Demographics[edit]
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[edit]
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[edit]
Hinduism[edit]
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 of mountain he 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[edit]
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]
Buddhism[edit]
The famous Rewalsar lake ('Tso Pema' to Tibetans) is associated with Padmasambhava (also known as Guru Rinpoche), who is 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 with Padmasambhava. It was from Tso Pema that Padmasambhava went to Tibet to spread Vajrayana Buddhism.[7][8]
The Tsechu fair was held in Rewalsar in 2004 to commemorate the birthday of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava). The fair was inaugurated by the 14th Dalai Lama and was attended by the 17th Karmapa along with 50,000 other Buddhist pilgrims.[9] The fair was held after a gap of 12 years.[10]
Rewalsar came to be known as a sacred place for Buddhists and there are two Buddhist monasteries also known as Gompas; the Drikung Kagyu Gompa and Tso-Pema Orgyen Heru-kai Nyingmapa Gompa.[11]
There is a huge (37.5 m or 123 ft) new statue of Padmasambhava that was consecrated, blessed and inaugurated by the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet on 1 April 2012.
The present head of the Drukpa Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, Gyalwang Drukpa, was born here in 1963.
It is also home to more than 50 nuns living in the holy caves in retreat and prayers. The Holy Caves are visited by buddhist pilgrims as well as tourists from around India, Nepal, Bhutan and China etc.
Tourist attractions[edit]
Rewalsar Lake[edit]
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]
Religious places[edit]
At Rewalsar there are three Hindu temples. These are dedicated to the ancient Hindu sage Lomas, to Krishna and to Shiva. There are two Tibetan Buddhist monasteries located at opposite ends of the lake. Also there is a Gurdwara 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.
Statue of Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche)[edit]
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[edit]
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 attractions[edit]
The forest department maintains a small zoo at Rewalsar. Above Rewalsar, the 'Seven Lakes' including the 'Kunti Lake' are also of interest.
Accommodations[edit]
There is a Himachal Pradesh Tourism Hotel and some private hotels in Rewalsar.
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