Mandi Town

Mandi stands where the Beas is joined by the Suketi, on the old salt-trade route to Ladakh. The town was the seat of the Mandi state and keeps dozens of stone temples from the 16th and 17th centuries — the Bhutnath, Panchvaktra, Triloknath and Ardhanareeshwara among them — which earned it the nickname 'Chhoti Kashi', little Varanasi. The Sunken Garden (Indira Market) and the old palace sit near the central Seri Manch. Mandi's Shivratri fair, held in the town for a week, gathers the deities of the surrounding valleys and is one of the largest festivals in Himachal.

1. Mandi is on NH-3 (the Chandigarh–Manali highway), about 150 km from Chandigarh.
2. It is a major bus junction with services to Shimla, Kullu, Manali, Pathankot and Delhi.
3. Nearest airport is Bhuntar (Kullu), about 60 km; Joginder Nagar is the nearest narrow-gauge railhead.

October to March for comfortable weather; the valley is hot in May–June. Shivratri (Feb–Mar) is the big draw.

• The Shivratri week fills the town — book rooms well ahead and expect road diversions.
• The old temples are spread through the bazaar; a short walking circuit covers most.
• Mandi is often just a highway stop — allow half a day to actually see it.

Individual pages for these are added as they are reviewed.