Mandi District, along the left bank of the river
Beas, was formed by merging two princely states Mandi and Suket in 1948. It lies in the center of Himachal, in the foot of
Shivalik hills, at a height of 800 m above sea level. Mandi is renowned for 81 old stone temples with the enormous range of fine carvings. It also has the remains of old palaces and notable examples of colonial architecture. There are large plains with grain fields and orchards; and the hills are covered with pine trees. Frozen winter and hot summer is the climate of Mandi.
The people of Mandi,
Rajputs, have a strong belief in God and perform many religious rituals. The important places to visit are
Rewalsar Lake, Bhootnath Temple, Syamakali Temple and Kamlah Fort. Mandi is famous for its raw silk and the salt mines at Drang and Guma. The
Shivratri celebrations in the Bhootnath Temple attract tourists from all directions.
