Mandi Hotels

Description:
Named after the sage of yore and built in a patch of woodland, Himachal Tourism’s Hotel Mandav is located close to the bus stand. The water of the Beas flow below, and the hotel’ windows overlooks Mandi town, its old temples and the wide concourse, the Paddal Maedeh. Tarna Hill which rises above the town, faces the hotel.
The historic town of Mandi (800m) is situated along the banks of the river Beas. It has long been an important commercial centre, and the sage Mandvya is said to have medicated here. This one time capital of the princely state of Mandi is a fast developing own 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 and is often called the ‘Varanasi of the Hill’. The town also has the remains of old palaces and notable examples of colonial architecture. Mandi is the gateway of 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 an entire week the town celebrates the arrival of hundreds of local deities on elaborately decorated palanquins.
SYAMAKALI TEMPLE:- Also called the temple of Tarna Devi, this is high on Tarna Hill which rises above the town. In the 17th century this was built by Raja Syama Sen after particularly trying time when the goddess gave him success.
OTHER TEMPLES IN MANDI TOWN:- Within the town is a variable roll-call of shrines. Apart from the emotions they evoke, they also be a wealth of classical architecture and ornate sculpture. Many of these are devoted to Lord shiva, at the Triloknath Temple he is depicted as the lord of the three worlds, at the Panchvaktra he has five faces, expressing his five aspects. At the Ardhanarisvara Temple, Lord Shiva appears in a composite from with the right half as male and the left half as female-symbolising the male and female principles of cosmic evolution. There are several exquisite temples along the College road, and the banks of the Beas are lined with many more. At the Gyarah Rudra Temple, the day the famous Amarnath darshan takes place, the temple is decorated to resemble the Amarnath Cave. The other places of interest within Mandi are the Rani Amrit Kaur Park, the District Library Building and Vijay Kesari Bridge.
PANDOH:- 16 km from Mandi, an earth and rock fill dam is located here.
SUNDERNAGAR (1175m):- 24 km from Mandi is this attractive town where the balancing reservoir of the Beas-Sutlej link canal is located. The road has the canal on one side and lush green field on the other which makes driving along it a real pleasure. The Mahamaya Temple is on top of the hill.