As of the 2001 India census, 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
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.
Seven lakes associated with the Pandavas of Mahabharata are located above Rewalsar. Also associated with Rewalsar are the legends of Lord Shiva and Lomas Rishi. 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
The tenth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh visited Rewalsar to consult with kings of the Hill states seeking support against the Mughal EmperorAurangzeb. 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. The place is particularly sacred to Namdhari Sikhs due to its mention in Sau Sakhi as a sanctuary.
Buddhism
The famous Rewalsar lake is associated with Padmasambhava, 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. The Tsechu fair was held in Rewalsar in 2004 to commemorate the birthday of Guru Rinpoche. The fair was inaugurated by the 14th Dalai Lama and was attended by the 17th Karmapa along with 50,000 other Buddhist pilgrims. The fair was held after a gap of 12 years. 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. There is a huge 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
Rewalsar Lake
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.
Religious places
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)
On April 1, 2012, a monumental statue 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.
Naina Mata Temple
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.
Other attractions
The forest department maintains a small zoo at Rewalsar. Above Rewalsar, the 'Seven Lakes' including the 'Kunti Lake' are also of interest.
Accommodations
There is a Himachal Pradesh Tourism Hotel and some private hotels in Rewalsar.
