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| Mandi is situated on the banks of the river Beas.
It has a rich culture and history represented by its temples which
are a major tourists draw. Mandi is an important trading centre situated
on the Pathankot-Kullu road. The town is also the gateway to Himachal's
most famous valleys - Kullu, Manali, Lahaul and Spiti. Mandi is also
on the Kullu-Shimla road via Bilaspur. It is the headquarter of the
district. The entire town has a huge sprinkling of temples. |
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Mandi : General Information |
| Altitude :- |
754 meters. |
| Headquarter :- |
Mandi ( altitude 754 meters
) |
| Location :- |
Mandi is situated between
31°13'50'' and 32°04'30'' North Latitude and between 76°37'20''
and 77°23'15'' East Longitude. It is bounded by Kangra on the
North-West, Hamirpur and Bilaspur in the West, Arki tehsil of Solan
district on the South-West and Kullu district in the East. |
| Access by Air :- |
The nearest airport is Bhuntar around
62 km. |
| Access by Rail :- |
Nearest narrow gauge railway line between
Pathankot and Jogindernagar 55 km. |
| Access by Road :- |
Almost each and every part of the state
is linked by roads. The Himachal Road Transport Corporation is running
its buses covering the whole state. There is huge network of HRTC
to cater the needs of the people. |
| Distance :- |
Manali 110 km., Delhi 460 km., Dalhousie
360 km., Dharamshala 125 km., Pathankot 215 km., Chandigarh 210 km.
and Shimla ( via Bilaspur ) 150 km. |
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Famous Places around Mandi :- |
| Rewalsar Lake and Kunti Sar Lake :- Shaped quite
like a square and with a shoreline of 735 meters. It is an important
pilgrimage. This lake is known for its floating island. There is a
story behind the formation of this lake. The legend goes that princess
Mandarva, the daughter of king 'Arshadhara' of Zahor ( tibetian name
of Mandi ) resolved to announce her loyal ties and dedicated herself
to the religious order. The king agreed and she took her bows before
a Buddhist scholar named 'Shantarakshita' ( believed to be the brother
of Padmasambhava ). Padmasambhava having observed that she was a dedicated
pupil, came through the air from 'Uddiyana' and appeared in person
to give her teachings. A cowherd who saw all this spread the words
that he had seen the princes with Charlatan. The news aroused King's
wrath. He thought that his daughter has broken the vow by flirting
with a man. |
| On King's order, the princess was put in a deephole
in the earth full of thorns and Padmasambhava was taken out to a secluded
place, tied to a wooden pyre which was then set on fire. When the
smoke did not clearoff for a week, the King visited the spot and found
to his surprise that the place had turned into a Lake with Lotus in
the centre. Padmasambhava had menifested himself. Repenting king offered
him his kingdom and princess Mandarva was married to him. Rewalsar
is known as 'Padmacan' to the Buddhist which means 'Lotus Possessing'
and is considered the place, where the spirit of Padmasambhava rests.
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| The lake is also associated with Nag cult or serpent worshipping.
The lake water is believed to be flowing underground from Rewalsar
to 'Nagchala' ( a place 10 km from Mandi on the Mandi-Shimla National
Highway ). The Hindus believe that it was here that the 'Lomas Rishi'
held his penance in devotion to lord Shiva. Overwhelmed, Shiva gave
the rishi, the seven floating islands in reward. This is a very sacred
place. |
| Prashar Lake :- This lake is situated in a cup
like valley. A temple of great scenic beauty is also here. With deep
blue waters, this beautiful lake is held sacred to the sage Prashar
(rishi). A three-tiered Pagoda-like temple dedicated to the sage lies
by the lake - and he is regarded to have meditated here. No other
temple in the Western Himalayas can rival the grandeur of the settings
of Prashar Rishi. A fair is held here in the in the month of June
every year, where people gather from all neighbouring villages. This
lake is fed by small mountain streams. |
| Barot :- A nice picnic spot situated at a distance
of 33 km. from Mandi on Mandi - Pathankot Highway. It is famous for
Trout Fishing and a ropeway that attracts the Tourist. |
| Shikari Devi Temple :- Tranquility for trekkers
at a height of 3,332 metres above sea level. Captivating sunrise and
sunset from the temple is soul stirring. You can reach the place from
Karsog via Bakrot ( Chindi ) or via Gohar ( Budhakedar ). |
| Sundernagar :- Beautifully fertile
valley receives the tired traveler with open arms at a distance of
25 km from Mandi on the National Highway. Waters of two giant rivers
- Beas and Satluj have been wedded here to give birth to Asia's biggest
Hydel Project generation electricity for the country. Devi Temple,
Sukhdev Vatika and the temple of Mahamaya are the well known places
of worship. |
| Jogindernagar :- ( 57 km. ) Jogindernagar
is the terminus of narrow gauge line from Pathankot-Jogindernagar.
A journey from Jogindernagar to Barot in the interior of Mandi district,
on the haulage trolley is thrilling. Bassi power station is 5 km.
and next to it is 'Macchial' considered to be a sacred spot. It is
worth a visit on account of Shanan Hydel Project built by the Britishers
Pandoh Dam, Slapper Hydel Project, Rock Salt Mines at Gumma and Darang
are other attractions around the main town. |
| Tatta Pani :- Resting deep in a scenic
valley and surrounded by hills. It is located on the right bank of
river Satluj at an altitude of 656 meters. This natural sulphur spring
is pure and has curative power for various kings of bodily ailments.
The water level of the spring keeps changing with the fluctuation
in the water level of the river. Tatta-pani means hot water. |
| Chidi :- This little hamlet in an
apple growing area is blessed with breathtaking beauty. There are
numerous small temples of considerable antiquity not too far away.
Chindi, easily approachable via Tatta Pani from Shimla. It is 107
km. from Mandi. |
| Janjehli :- At a distance of 67 k.m.
from Mandi,Janjehli is a paradise for hikers, offering treks up to
a height of 3,300 metres. After covering 32 k.m. by a motorable road
up to Gohar and rest of the journey is on foot. In the midest of thick
forest, forests (15 km from Gohar) is Bajahi.There is a beautiful
and well furnished rest house to stay overnight, from here Janjehli
is a scant 20 km away through bridle path. |
| Kamru Nag Lake :- Resting resort
for trekkers at a height of 3,334 metres above sea level on Mandi
- Karsog road. |
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