The historic town of Mandi (800 m.) is built along the banks of the river Beas. 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 head quarter.

Mandi is renowned for its 81 old stone temples and their enormous range of fine carving. The town also has the remains of old palaces and notable examples of `colonial' architecture. Mandi is the gateway to the Kullu valley and acts as the base for several exciting excursions.

How to get there

The nearest airport is at Bhuntar 59 km away. The broadguage railhead is at Pathankot, a distance of 210 km From Pathankkot the metre guage railway connnects Jogindernagar which is 55 km from Mandi. From Chandigarh one can drive directly to Mandi via Ropar and Bilaspur, the distance is 203 km - the drive takes around 5 hours. Luxury bases from Delhi and Shimla, and bound for Kulu-Manali go via Mandi.

Climate
In winter, temperatures can hover around freezing point when heavy wollens are required. During summer, the climate is hot and cottons are recommended. Place 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 deites on elaborately decorated palanquins.

Symakali Temple: Also called the temple of Tarna Devi, this is high on Tarna Hill which rises above the town. In the 17th century this was built by Raja Syama Sen after a particularly trying time when the goddess gave him success.

Other temples in Mandi town

Within the town is a veritable 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 worlds, at aspects. At the Ardhanarisvara temple, Lord Shiva appears in a 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 deay 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 Disctrict Library Building and the Empress Bridge.