In a city perched in a hilly state on the banks of a river better known than itself, you would imagine Mandi to be a small little stopover town to its bigger, shinier siblings of Himachal. And you would perhaps be right. But Mandi does manage to retain its charm over the visitor, particularly its 81 stone temples, old palaces and colonial architecture. But what attracts crowds by the hordes is the international Shivratri fair held annually in the city in February.
A commercial capital and a fast-developing town, footfalls to Mandi are on the increase, not in the least because of its stunning architecture that still stands as a testament to its history.
Sights to See
Pangna Fort
In a pleasant and open valley of Pangna a village, this tower-like structure on a fifty- foot stone platform overlooks the little village, in all its old-world grandeur. Just 60 feet high, it is built in typical hill architecture which uses only wood and stone. The wood carvings are decorative even after centuries of wear and tear.
Kamlah Fort
This one practically calls out to trekkers, standing as it does on formidable terrain. Named after a local saint, the fort stands on jagged ranges of Sikandar Dhar. Kamlahgarh contains six forts: Kamlah, Chawki, Chabara, Padampur, Shamsherpur and Narsinghpur. At a height of 4,772 feet, the fort surrounds several small villages.
Sunder Nagar
Famous for its temples, Sunder Nagar is 26 km from Mandi and at a height of 1,174 metres on the raised edge of a fertile valley, and is known for its shady walks amidst towering trees and the Sukhdev Vatika and Mahamaya temple. A more recent feather in its historical cap is Asia’s biggest hydro-electric project, the Beas-Sutlej project, irrigating nearly one-fourth of the northern plains of India, a project that has brought unprecedented prosperity to Sudernagar.
Excursions
Karsog valley
Famous for its apple orchards and dense forests, the Karsog Valley is situated at a distance of 125 km from Mandi and is also accessible from Shimla (100 km) via Tattapani. The place Tattapani is famous for hot water springs on the side of Satluj river.
Janjehli
At a distance of 85 km from Mandi, Janjehli is an as yet un explored tourist spot, and a paradise for hikers, offering treks up to a height of 3,300 metres. After covering 32 km by a motorable road up to Gohar, the rest of the journey can only be made on foot. In the midest of thick forest s Bajahi, with a rest house to stay overnight. From here Janjehli is a scant 20 km away. The famous temple of Shikari Devi is about 15 km from Janjehli. In this valley tourists can also visit Kamrunag temple and the sacred lake there.
Prashar Lake
This lake lies 45 km north of Mandi, with a three-storeyed pagoda-like temple dedicated to the sage Prashar, who it is believed, meditated on the banks of this lake. Framed by snow-capped peaks and looking down on fast-flowing river Beas, the lake can be approached via Drang. The site of an annual fair in June, it also serves as a base for camping sites from where numerous treks originate.
Rewalsar
About 25 km from Mandi is the Rewalsar lake, famous for its floating islands of reed. Legend goes that all of them can be moved by breeze – or through sheer force of prayer. Held sacred by Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhist alike, Rewalsar is believed to have been the place from where the great teacher, Padmasambhava used his powers to take flight to Tibet. It was under Padmasambhava’s influence that Mahayana Buddhism took root in Tibet. At Rewalsar waters, his spirit is said to reside in the tiny island of floating reed that drift over the waters.
Apart from three Buddhist monasteries at Rewalsar, there is also a Gurudwara (holy place of the Sikhs) that was built in 1930 by Raja Joginder Sen of Mandi to commemorate the month-long stay of the Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh in 1738. Rewalsar has three Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva and sage Lomas. The Lake of Kunt Bhayo above Rewalsar is also a famous tourist spot, as are six other lakes of legend, which are associated with the escape of the Pandavas from the burning wax palace which has been mentioned in the epic, the Mahabharata.
Getting there
Rail The nearest railway stations are at Joginder Nagar, Chandigarh and Kalka, 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.
Getting Around
Mandi is a small enough town that you could get by on foot, but for excursions outside the city, take a bus or hire a private taxi.