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Destination > Mandi |
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Mandi |
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The
historic town of Mandi (800 m) 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 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. The temples of
Bhutnath, Trilokinath, Panchvaktra and Shyamakali are among
the more famous ones. The week long international
Shivratri fair, Mandi is scheduled to be held from 13th
-19th February, 2010 and in this fair the
activities like cultural programmes in the evenings,
exhibitions, sports etc. are the major attractions for the
tourists as well as locals.
General information:
Area: 3950 sq. km
Population 9.01 lakh
Clothing: Cotton clothes in Summer and
heavy woolen in winter.
Language: Hindi, Punjabi, English are
understood and spoken by the people engaged in tourism
trade.
Approach:
Rail The nearest railway station is at
Joginder Nagar, Chandigarh and Kalka by broad gauge
train which are connected by regular bus services.
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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Places
to Visit |
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Pangna Fort |
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In a
pleasant and open valley of Pangna a village in Karsog
Tehsil of Mandi District stands the Pangna fort. It is a
tower-like structure on a fifty foot stone platform
overlooking the little village spread on its either side.
The seven storeyed tower-like fort-palace has an old-world
grandeur. It is just 60 feet high and is built in typical
hill architecture in which only wood and stone are used. The
woodcarvings are decorative and look new and fresh even
after so many centuries of wear and tear. In the open
courtyard there is a Mahamaya temple.
Pangna fort-palace has two incidents attached to it because
of which the rulers abandoned the palace: one about the
recovery of an idol and second the imprisonment of a
princess in one of its rooms on false allegations.
Climate: hot in summers, cold in winters
Location: In Karsog valley of Mandi
district but it is nearer from Shimla
Accommodation: HPTDC Hotel Chindi, HPPWD
Rest house at Pangna (just in the fort premises), HPTDC and
other accommodation in Karsog town.
Reaching there: Driving from Shimla to
Karsog via Tattapani, there is a bifurcation : the main road
goes to Karsog while the other goes to Pangna village, 10 km
from the bifurcation.
Places of interest: Karsog Valley and a
large number of temples around, Shikari Devi temple, Chindi
and many other.
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Kamlah Fort |
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This
fort stands on formidable terrain but it can be trekkers’
delight. Named after Kamlah Baba, a local saint, the fort
stands on jagged ranges of Sikandar Dhar. Kamlahgarh
contains six forts: Kamlah, Chawki, Chabara, Padampur,
Shamsherpur and Narsinghpur. Raja Hari Sen, gauging the
significance of the strategic location of Sikandar Dhar
started to build the fort around 1625, which his son Suraj
Sen completed and fortified.
The
fort stands at a height of 4772 feet and around it there are
some villages – Chamba, Naun, Kamlah, Kathed, Shamsherpur,
Jamandhar and others. The main entrance to the fort is
almost labyrinthine. The fort remained invincible for
centuries; but it fell in 1840, into the hands of Bentura,
Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s general. It was restored to Mandi
kings in 1846.
Location: Kamlahgarh is around 80 kms from
Mandi town on Sarkaghat-Joginder Nagar via Dharampur road.
Reaching there: by road up to Dharampur
bifurcation and climb up thereafter.
Other places of interest: Kamalah Baba
shrine; Janetri Devi shrine.
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Prashar Lake |
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This
lake lies 45 km north of Mandi, with a three storied pagoda
like temple dedicated to the sage Prashar.
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