Country India Language spoken Area 23 km2 | State District Mandi Founded Ajbar Sen Literacy 83.5% | |
Mandi ( ), Mandi, formerly known as Mandav Nagar, also known as Sahor (Tibetan: Zahor), is a major city and a municipal council in Mandi District in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is situated 153 kilometres (95 mi) north of state capital, Shimla. Located in the north-west Himalayas at an average altitude of 1,044 metres (3,425 ft), the city of Mandi, experiences pleasant summers and cold winters. Mandi is connected to the Pathankot through National Highway 20 which is almost 220 km(140 mi) long and to Manali and Chandigarh through National Highway 21 which is 323 km(201 mi) long. Mandi is approximately 184.6 km (114.7 mi) from Chandigarh, the nearest major city, and 440.9 km (273.9 mi) from New Delhi, the national capital. According to the 2011 Indian census, Mandi city has a population of 1,92,370 . It is one of the largest city of Himachal Pradesh with a total area of 23 km2. City is currently the 2nd largest economy in the state next to Kangra. Mandi is the third-largest by population in state, next to Shimla and Solan. Mandi, in the state is having second highest sex ratio of 1013 females per thousand males.
Contents
- Map of Mandi Himachal Pradesh
- Aerial view of mandi town himachal pradesh
- Shopping and marketplace in mandi himachal pradesh
- History
- Geography
- Economy
- Culture
- Places of interest
- Mandi Himachal Pradesh cuisine
- References
Map of Mandi, Himachal Pradesh
It serves as the headquarters of Mandi District and Zonal Headquarters of central zone including Districts namely Kullu, Bilaspur, and Hamirpur. As a tourist place, Mandi is often referred to as "Varanasi of Hills" or "Choti Kashi" or "Kashi of Himachal". People of Mandi proudly boast that while Benaras (Kashi) has 80 temples, Mandi has 81.
Aerial view of mandi town himachal pradesh
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) is a premier institute located in the city. This one time capital of the princely state of Mandi is a fast developing city that still retains much of its original charm and character. The city was established in 1527 by Ajbar Sen, as the seat of the Mandi State, a princely state till 1948. Foundation of the city was laid on the establishment of Himachal Pradesh in early 1948. Today, it is widely known for the International Mandi Shivaratri Fair. The city also has the remains of old palaces and notable examples of ‘colonial’ architecture. The city had one of the oldest buildings of Himachal Pradesh.
Shopping and marketplace in mandi himachal pradesh
History
The present District of Mandi was formed with the merger of two princely states, Mandi State and Suket State, on 15 April 1948, when the State of Himachal Pradesh was established. Until the mid 20th century, Mandi was on the trade route between Yarkant County and Ladakh to Hoshiarpur and the Indian plains, served as commercial hub and trade centre.
Geography
Mandi is built on the banks of the Beas River, at the confluence of the Suketi Khad stream. Sikandar Dhar, Ghugar Dhar and Dhar Kot are some of the prominent hills and mountains found near the city. Mandi is located in 31o72N latitude and 76o92E longitude. It has an average elevation of 1044 metres (3,425 feet). It lies on the Midlands of the Himalayan range. There is great variation in the climatic conditions of Himachal due to extreme variation in elevation. The climate varies from hot and sub-humid tropical in the southern tracts to cold, alpine and glacial in the northern and eastern mountain ranges with more elevation.
Economy
Mandi is the fastest developing city of Himachal Pradesh with the 2nd largest economy in the state and the most important major city of central part of Himachal, located on cross junction of National Highway-20, 21 and 70. It acts as a gateway to Kullu, Lahaul, Leh Ladakh, area of Jammu & Kashmir. Being District headquarters and Zonal headquarters, the entire District and state depends upon the city for trade & commerce, services and civil administration. The economy of the region is predominately agrarian as around 79% of the total population is dependent on agriculture and activities allied to it, for earning their livelihood.
Culture
The people of Mandi are informally called Mandyalis. Mandeali language is generally used at local level for communication. Sepu Wadi is the official and main cuisine of Mandi. Dham(Lunch) is generally organised in local marriages, functions and parties. Himachal Darshan Photo Gallery is situated at about 4 km from Mandi near Sauli Khad on the Chandigarh-Manali National highway. This art gallery contains a beautiful collection of photographs of exotic locations of the entire state and reflects the social & cultural heritage of the people of Himachal Pradesh.The Himachal Darshan Photo Gallery established on 24 April 1997 is a symbol of undaunted and unparalleled entrepreneurship shown by Birbal Sharma, a professional Photographer cum journalist. District Library is located in Emerson House(District Court). Clothing in Mandi was Kurta-Pyjama for Boys and Sari-Suits for girls but with the Western Culture arriving to India, Mandis youth have started wearing Western styles. However, there are still large numbers of people who wear the traditional clothing of Himachal Pradesh. Banthra is the main folk dance performed in theatrical shows in Mandi and is the official folk dance of the District.
Mandi is also famous for the Mandi Shivaratri Fair, a fair held for seven days in the month of March every year. The celebration of Shivratri of Mandi is said to have started in the year 1526 to commemorate the foundation of present-day Mandi. Before this, the capital of Mandi was on the right bank of the river Beas, which is now known as Old Mandi(Purani Mandi). Mandi hosts a half marathon every year.
Once when the tenth guru of the Sikhs was on a visit to Mandi, the king of Mandi invited him to stay at the royal palace. The guru accepted the invitation to stay in Mandi but not with the king. He put up outside the town in a secluded place, which had once been the hermitage of a rishi (Indian sage). The guru was touched by the king’s devotion and prophesized that Mandi would ever remain safe and if any enemy tries to harm it, bolts from heaven would crush the invader. He considered Mandi the safest place on the planet. V.G.C. mandi hp Youth festival group 4 (one act play, skit, mime and mimicary)
Places of interest
Rewalsar Lake It is 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 available. Sundernagar Famous for its temples, at a height of 1,174 metres on the raised edge of a fertile valley, the town of Sundernagar is known for its shady walks amidst towering trees. On top of a hill, 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 Sudernagar. The Beas-Sutlej link colony is the biggest colony in Himachal Pradesh. Bhootnath Temple Practically synonymous with Mandi and located in its very heart, this is as old as the city 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 and entire week the city celebrates the arrival of hundreds of local deities on elaborately decorated palanquins. Syamakall Temple Also called the temple of Tarna Devi situated 2–3 km from centre of city, this is high on Tarna Hill which rises above the city. In the 17th century this was built by Raja Syama Sen, after a particularly trying time, when the goddess gave him success. Other Temples in Mandi Within the city is a veritable roll-call of shrines. Apart from the emotions they evoke, they also have 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 form 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. Aut Tunnel
Aut Tunnel is located in Mandi District on National Highway 21 (India). It is the longest road tunnel in India with length of about 3 km.
Victoria Suspension Bridge It was built in 1877 A.D. which separates Jawahar Nagar (Khaliar), Old Mandi (Purani Mandi) from Main City.
Janjehli At a distance of 80 km from Mandi City, Janjehli is a paradise for hikers, offering treks up to a height of 3,300 metres. After covering 32 km by a motorable road up to Gohar and rest of the journey is on foot. In the midst 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. Chindi and Karsog are also nice places for meditation. Janlehli is also popular for adventure activities like-trekking, night safari, mountneering, skiing etc. At the distance of 10 km from janjehli the Shikari Mata temple is situated. The temple is all about Goddess "Shikari Devi" and people visits here in masses to accolades for their well being. It is a beautiful and scenic place.
Prashar Lake Prashar Lake lies 49 km north of Mandi, with a three storied pagoda-like temple dedicated to the sage Prashar. The Lake is located at a height of 2730 m above sea level. With deep blue waters, the lake is held sacred to the sage Prashar and he is regarded to have meditated there. Surrounded by snow-capped peaks and looking down on the fast flowing river Beas, the lake can be approached via Drang.
Mandi, Himachal Pradesh cuisine
The day to day food of Himachalis is very similar to the rest of the north India. They too have lentil, broth, rice, vegetables and bread. As compared to other states in north India non-vegetarian cuisine is more preferred. Traditionally, Himachali cuisine is dominated by red meat and wheat bread. Thick and rich gravy, with aromatic spices, is used in abundance as the base of many dishes. Now, steamed momos (dumplings) and noodles are also readily available and popular with travellers who want to graduate to Indian food slowly. Some of the specialities of Himachal include Manee, Madira, Pateer, Chouck, Bhagjery and chutney of Til.