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Mandi,
Himachal Pradesh |
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General Information about Mandi
Area: 3950 sq. km
Population: 9.01 lakh
Clothing: Cotton clothes in Summer and woolen to
heavy woolen in winter.
Language: Hindi, Punjabi, English
Information about Mandi
The historic town of Mandi is built along the banks of
the river Beas. It has long been an important commercial
centre and the sage Mandva is said to have meditated
here. This one time capital of the princely state of
Mandi is a fast developing town that still |
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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, it is often called
the 'Varanasi of the Hills'. The town has remains of old
palaces and notable examples of colonial architecture.
Tourist Attractions in Mandi
The various tourist attractions in Mandi are Rewalsar Lake,
Prashar Lake, Joginder Nagar, Sunder Nagar, Janjehli.
Prashar Lake
The Prashar lake lies 40 kms. north of Mandi, with a three
storied pagoda like temple dedicated to the sage Prashar.
Joginder Nagar
The large hydro-electric project in Joginder Nagar is a living
tribute to man who has harnessed and tamed the wild and
roaring river for his betterment. Here an electric trolley
takes the visitor up the steep, rocky face of 2,500
metres-high(8,202 ft) mountain and drops sharply on the other
side to Barot, where the reservoir is located. The railway
line goes up to the power station, the water rushing down from
the reservoir at Barot in the Uhl river through penstock pipes
going down nearly a thousand meters (3,280 feet). For tourists
who go up to Barot by the trolley there is a comfortable rest
house of the Electricity department. Bassi power station is
five kilometers from Joginder Nagar and next to it, is
Machinhar where fishing is not permitted as it is considered a
sacred spot, but it is a popular as a feeding spot for fish. |
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Rewalsar Lake
About 25 kms. from Mandi, and 14 kms. from Ner Chowk is
the Rewalsar lake, famous for its floating islands of
reed. It is believed that all seven of them can be moved
by prayer or breeze. There are three shrines here, a
Buddhist Monastery, where elaborate rituals are
performed, a Sikh Gurudwara and a Hindu Temple. It was
from this place that the sage Padma Sambhava, a zealous
teacher of Buddhism, left as a missionary to preach the
doctrine of "the enlightened" in Tibet. Lying in a
mountain hollow, the lake is held sacred to all three
communities. Boating facilities are also |
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available in this lake.
Sunder Nagar
Famous for its temples, 26 kms. from Mandi towards Shimla and
at a height of 1,174 meters on the raised edge of a fertile
valley, the beautiful town of Sunder Nagar is known for its
shady walks amidst towering trees. On top of a hill and
visited by thousands of devotees every year, is the Sukhdev
Vatika and temple of Mahamaya. The biggest hydro-electric
project in all Asia, the Beas-Sutlej project, irrigating
nearly one-fourth of the northern plains of India, has brought
unprecedented prosperity to Sunder Nagar. The Beas-Sutlej link
colony is the biggest colony in Himachal Pradesh.
Janjehli
At a distance of 67 kms. from Mandi, Janjehli is a paradise
for hikers, offering treks up to a height of 3,300 meters.
After covering 32 kms. by a motorable road up to Gohar and
rest of the journey on foot, you reach Janjehli. In the midest
of thick forests (15 km from Gohar) is Bajahi. There is a
beautiful and well furnished rest house to stay overnight.
From here Janjehli is 20 kms. away through bridle path.
How to reach Mandi
By Rail
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.
By 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. |
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