Mana (Uttarakhand), May 17: Mana, a tribal village situated near Badrinath, is emerging as a tourist destination in Uttarakhand.

Mana is the base point to visit Vyas Gufa (cave), Ganesh Gufa, Bhim Pul (bridge) and Vasundhara Falls, places linked to the Hindu epic Mahbharata.

Many of the devotees visiting Badrinath come to Mana to offer prayers at these places.

Another interesting attraction at Mana is India's last tea shop in the region overlooking the narrow valley through which the river Ganga's main tributary, the Alaknanda flows.

"I had come to Badrinath, so I came to Mana. I felt really good when I had tea at the Last Tea shop. I am very happy and I truly believe that this is the best place in the whole world to visit," said Avdesh Kumar, a tourist from Lucknow.

The sparsely populated village in the upper reaches of Himalayas is mainly inhabited by the Bhotias, a tribe of the Indo-Mongolian race, having a unique heritage and culture.

The tribals live in Mana during summer months raising some short duration crops. They shift along with their cattle to lower reaches in late October, as the area remains covered under heavy snow for six months.

One of the major hereditary occupation of Bhotia tribals is making of tribal handicrafts.

The tribal village and the culture of Bhotia's is yet another attraction for the visitors at Mana.

"We treat this place as a major attraction for the tourists. It's a tribal area and has a different culture and style. So we believe that it should be preserved and we are working on the same," said Prakash Kant, Tourism Minister, Uttarakahand.

A quaint, mystic place hanging by the clouds in a picturesque setting, Mana wins the hearts of its visitors. (ANI)