The historic town of Mandi (800m) is situated along the banks of the river Bears. It has long been an important commercial centre, and the sage Mandvya is said to have meditated here. This, one time capital of the princely State of Mandi is a fast developing town that still retains much of its original charm and character. Today, it is a district headquarters. Mandi is renowned for its 81 old stone temples and their enormous range of fine carving and is often called the 'Varanasi of the Hill'. The town also has the remains of old palaces and notable exemples of colonial architecture. Mandi is the gateway of the Kullu valley and acts as the base for several exciting excursions.

How to Get There

The nearest airport is at Bhunter 59 km away. The broad-gauge railhead is at Pathankot, at a distance of 210 km. From Pathankot the narrow gauge railway connects Jagindernagar which is 56 km from Mandi. From Chandigarh one can drive directly to Mandi via Ropar, Swarghat and Bilaspur, the distance is 203 km. The drive takes around 5 hours.

Climate
In winter, the temperature can hover around freezing point when heavy woolens are required During summer, the climate is hot but pleasant and cottons are recommended.

Places of Interest in and Around Mandi

BHOOTNATH TEMPLE :
Practically synonymous with Mandi and located in its very heart this is as old as the town itself and dates back to the 1520s. In March, the festival of Shivratri is a major event and the Bhootnath temple is its focus. For an entire week the town celebrates the arrival of hundreds of local deities on elaborately decorated palanquins.

SYAMAKALI TEMPLE :
Also called the temple of Tarna Devi on Tarna Hill which rises above the town. In the 17th century this was built by Raja Shyama Sen after particularly trying time when the godess gave him success.

Other Temples In Mandi Town :
Within the town is a varitable roll-call of shrines. Apart from the emotions they evoke, they also have a wealth of classical architecture and ornate sculpture. Many of these are devoted to Lord Shiva, at the Triloknath Temple he is depicted as the lord of the three words, at the Panchvaktra he has five faces, expressing his five aspects. At the Ardhanarisvara Temple, Lord Shiva appears in composite form with the right half as male and the left half as female symbolising the male and female principles of cosmic evolution.

There are several exquisite temples along the college road and the banks of the Beas are lined with many more. At the Gyarah Rudra Temple, the day the famous Amarnath darshan takes place, the temple is decorated to resemble the Amarnath Cave. The other places of interest within Mandi are the Rani Amrit Kaur Park, the District Library Building and the Vijay Kesari Bridge.

Pandoh :
16 km from Mandi, an earth and rock fill dam is located here.

Sundernagar (1175m):
24 km from Mandi is this attractive town where the balancing reservoir of the Beas-Sutlej ink canal is located. The road has the canal on one side and lush green field on the other which makes drinking along it a real pleasure. The Mahamaya Temple is on the top of the hill.

Prashar Lake (2730m):
40 km north of Mandi is this beautiful lake, with a three stayed pagoda like Temple dedicated to the sage Prashar.

Janjehli (2200m):
67 km from Mandi. A scenic place surrounded by thick forests and springs. It is also the base of some excellent treks.

Shikari Devi (2850m):
15km from Janjehli there is an ancient temple of Shikari Devi.

Shopping :
A variety of traditional handicrafts including silver jewellery and stone carving can be purchased at Mandi.