The historically eminent, spiritually significant and amazingly panoramic Mandi is spread out along the banks of River Beas. A commercial hub and a former capital of the princely state, the heritage town retains its historic charm and character. The town was founded in 1526 AD and at the creation of Himachal Pradesh on 15 April, 1948 it made the district headquarter by merger of the princely states of Mandi and Suket.

Besides the river ghats and among the town’s streets are over 80 stone built temples that are decorated with religious motifs and well chiselled idols of gods and goddesses. Lord Shiva as the main deity of Bhootnath, Trilokinath, Panchvaktra and other important temples has ordained Mandi as the ‘Varanasi of the Hills’ as ‘Choti Kashi’.

For its temple architecture, old palace and rich traditions, Mandi is so often considered as the cultural capital of the state. A weeklong festival of Shivratri, held every year in February-March, is when the entire town wears a decorative look. Over 200 village deities (Devtas) with their followers from near and far visit Mandi for Shivratri where stalls laden with local merchandise are set up; exhibitions, sporting events and entertaining cultural programmes in the evenings are held to complete the festive moments of the fair.

Language

Hindi, Punjabi and English are understood and spoken by the people engaged in tourism trade. Residents of Mandi usually use Mandyali, the local dialect, in their every day communication.

Clothing Essentials

In summer, Mandi can get hot and sticky like the Indian plains, making cotton clothing the preferred choice, but in winter the mercury can dip to sub 5-degree Celsius and heavy woollen clothing is essential.