Himachal Mandi Jan Kalyan Sabha

Mandi is a small, Beautiful, green, hilly district of Himachal Pradesh. Main Mandi Town is little coweded area and is covered by Vyas River which itself provides a beautiful scenery for this beautiful town. Mandi also called as Dev Bhumi or Choti kashi is land of Gods and fairs & festivals are an important part of hill culture. Almost every village here is associated with fairs, temples and festivals.

Mandi district (earlier known as Mandavya Nagar) is one of the central districts of Himachal Pradesh. The river Beas flows through the town and hills, which makes this town more scenic. It has a serene ambiance though the modern development has made its inroads here in terms of infrastructural developments. The town is an important commercial hub of the state. It is a major transit route to Kullu-Manali and other adjoining places from both NH-21 (Chandigarh-Manali highway) and NH-20 (Pathankot-Mandi highway). Sundarnagar is one of the emerging towns of the district. Mandi has an educated middle class and people converse in Mandyali, one of the Pahari languages of Himachal.

Approach

• Train: 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.
• Airplane: The nearest airport is at Bhuntar in Kullu District, about 50 km from the district.

Mandi tourism

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 headquarters. Mandi is renowned for its 81 old stone temples and their enormous range of fine carving. Because of this, it is often called the "Varanasi of the Hills`.

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. 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 and entire week the town celebrates the arrival of hundreds of local deities on elaborately decorated palanquins.

Getting There -

By Air

The closest airport from Mandi is Bhuntar, which is around 59 kilometers away in Kulu district.

By Rail

The closest railhead is in Kiratpur which 125 kilometers away from the town of Mandi.

By Road

Mandi is connected to Chandigarh by National Highway 21. The distance between Mandi & Chandigarh is 200 kilometers. Government buses are available throughout the day to Chandigarh. It takes about 5–6 hours to commute to Chandigarh by bus and around 3–4 hours if a private vehicle is taken. Mandi is also connected to Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh. The distance between Shimla & Mandi is about 147 kilometers. The total time taken to commute between Shimla & Mandi is about 5 hour.

History of District Mandi