Magnificent Mandi, the important historical, cultural and religious centre nestles on the bank of the river Beas. It was the capital of the erstwhile princely state of Mandi and also a major commercial centre. It is said that there were about 360 forts in the erstwhile kingdom of Mandi. Today, only ten of them can be seen.
Mandi, popularly referred as the ‘Varanasi of hills’ as there are 81 exquisitely carved temples. The most important are of Bhutnath, Triloknath (built in 1520), Panchvaktra and Shyamkali at Tarna Hill. Mandi is also associated with saint Mandva, who is believed to have meditated here.
The town is famous for its unique celebrations of Shivaratri festival. The celebrations last for eight days and during this time images of the deities of the nearby temples are brought in colorful procession to the shrine of Lord Bhutnath (Shiva).
Around Mandi
Rewalsar (25 kms):
The holy lake with floating islands is equally sacred to Sikhs, Hindus and Buddhists. A Buddhist monastery, Gurudwara and a temple are built on the banks of the lake. It is believed that sage Padma Sambhava, a Buddhist preacher, went to Tibet from here to preach the doctrine of “the enlightened”. Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru visited Mandi and a Gurudwara was built to commemorate his visit.
Parashar Lake (40 Kms):
The serene lake surrounded by mountains is located near a small village called Baghi. The three storied pagoda like shrine of sage Prashar is said to be built by Raja Ban Sen of Mandi in the 14th century amidst tranquil surroundings.
Sunder Nagar (26 Kms):
The beautiful town is noted for its scenic splendor and the temples of Sukhdev Vatika and Mahyama.
Janjehli:
This paradise for adventure seekers is located at a height of 3,300 meters, about 67 kms. from Mandi. The landscape here is a delight for hikers and trekkers.
Joginder Nagar:
It is 56 kms. from Mandi and is famous for the large hydro-electric project. The reservoir is located at Barot, which can be reached by an electric trolley. The ride in the trolley is breathtaking as it takes the visitor up the steep rocky face of 2,500 meters-high mountain and then drops sharply on the other side to Barot. The water rushes down from the reservoir at Barot in the Uhl rover through penstock pipes going down nearly a thousand meters (3,280 ft).
Karsog:
The scenic spot amidst apple orchards is famous for the mamleshwar Mahadev, Kamksha Devi and Mahunag temples.
Chindi:
The picturesque resort is 94 kms. from Shimla on the Mandi highway via Tattapani. Sites worth visiting around Chindi are – Mahunag temple (18 kms.) ; Mamleshwar Mahadev temple (13 Kms.) ; Kamaksha Devi temple (19 kms.) ; Pangna Killa / temple (8 kms.) and Shikari Devi temple (18 kms.)
Tattapani:
The hot sulphur springs are located 155 kms. from Mandi and 50 kms. from Shimla in a scenic valley.
HOW TO REACH
By Air: The nearest airport is at Bhuntar (Kullu) about 63 kms. away.
By Rail: The nearest rail head is Joginder Nagar (55 Kms.) and Shimla by narrow gauge train, Chandigarh and Kalka by broad gauge train.
By Road: Mandi is will connected by road with Shimla, Chandigarh, Pathankot and Delhi. There are regular bus services linking it to the other towns like Manali, Palampur and Dharamshala.
