Mandi

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 Mandva 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, it is often called the 'Varanasi of the Hills'. The town has remains of old palaces and notable examples of 'colonial' architecture. HPTDC runs a hotel here.

General information:
Area: 3950 sq. km

Population 9.01 lakh

Clothing: Cotton clothes in Summer and woolen to heavy woolen in winter.

Language: Hindi, Punjabi, English are understood and spoken by the people engaged in tourism trade.

Approach:

Rail The nearest railway stations are Joginder Nagar and Shimla by narrow gauge train, Chandigarh and Kalka by broad gauge train which are connected by regular bus services.

Road: Mandi is approachable by road from Shimla, Chandigarh, Pathankot and Delhi. There are regular bus services linking it to the other towns like Manali, Palampur and Dharamshala.

Distances from Mandi