Mandi district General information
Mandi is the central district of Himachal Pradesh, India. There is also a town called Mandi, which has a distinguished history and interesting architecture. It is also an important transportation hub for the state. Sundarnagar is one of the emerging towns of this district.
HISTORY OF MANDI
The present District Of Mandi was formed with the merger of two princely states Mandi and Suket on 15th April 1948, when the State of Himachal Pradesh came into existence. Ever since the formation of the district, it has not witnessd any changes in it's jurisdiction.
The chiefs of Mandi and Suket are said to be from a common ancestor of the Chandravanshi line of Rajputs of Sena dynasty of Bengal and they claim their descent from the Pandavas of the Mahabharata. The ancestors of the line believed to have ruled for 1,700 years in Indarprastha(Delhi), until one Khemraj was driven out by his Wazir, Bisarp, who then took over the throne. Khemraj, having lost his knogdom, fled eastward and settled in Bengal, where 13 of his successors are said to have ruled for 350 years. From there they had to flee to Ropar in Punjab, but here also the king, Rup Sen, was killed and one of his sons, Bir Sen, fled to the hills and reached Suket.
The State of Suket is said to have been founded by Bir Sen, an ancestor of the Sena Dynasty of Bengal. The seperation of Mandi from suket took place about the year 1200 AD. Upto that time, it was the single state of Suket. The then reigning chief Sahu Sen had a quarrel with his younger brother Bahu Sen, who left Suket to seek his fortunes elsewhere. Bahu Sen after leaving Suket settled at Manglan in Kullu, where his descendents lived for 11 generations. Then then chief, Kranchan Sen was killed fighting against the Kullu Raja and his Rani, who was pregnant at that time. fled alone to her father who was the chief of Seokot, who had no son. Here she gave birth to a baby boy who was named Ban, the tree under which he was born. Ban had hardly crossed the age of 15 when he defeated the chief of Kilti who used to plunder travellers.On the death of the chief of Seokot, Ban succeeded to the chiefship of Seokot. He, after some time killed the Rana of Sakor and took posesssion of his lands. he then changed his residence to Bhiu, on the banks of Beas and a few miles from the present Mandi town.
Mandi emerged as a seperate state in the begining of the sixteenth century. Down the line of descendants of Ban came Ajbar Sen, nineteenth in descent from Bahu Sen, who founded Mandi Town in 1527 AD, the capital of the erstwhile state of Mandi and the headquarters of the now Mandi District. Ajbar Sen was the first great ruler of Mandi. He was probably the first to assume the designation of Raja. He consolidated the territories that he had inherited and added to them new ones that he wrested from the hands of his neighbours. He built a palace here and adorned it with four towers. He also built the temple of Bhut Nath and his Rani constructed that of Trilok Nath.
Places of interest
REWALSAR
LOCATION: 24 kms. from Mandi.
Rewalsar is equally sacred to Hindus, Sikhs & Buddhists. It was from this place that Padam Sambhava, a zealous teacher & Buddhist missionary left for Tibet to preach his new doctrine of Buddhism. The Hindus believe that it was here that Rishi Lomas did his penance in devotion to Lord Shiva. Rewalsar is important to the Sikhs who have a Gurudwara built in commemoration of Guru Gobind Singh's visit to this place. It is a very sacred place for the Bhutanese, who are following this doctrine of religion as their State Religion. So there is a temple, gompa and gurudwara, besides the holy lake with floating islands.
JANJEHLI
LOCATION: At a distance of 67 kms. from Mandi.
It has all the elements that make it a paradise for trekkers. It offers paths under thick deodar forests, beautiful scenery, water falls and springs
PRASHER LAKE
LOCATION: 40 Kms north of Mandi
The beautiful Prashar Lake is located high in the mountains. It is here that the sage Prashar is said to have meditated. On the lake's edge is a three storied Pagoda-like temple dedicated to the sage. Capped with a roof of slate tiles, the temple has a wealth of wood carvings. An old temple, it is said to have been built by Raja Ban Sen of Mandi in the 14th century. An entire panorama of snowy mountain ranges is visible from this location.
BAROT
LOCATION: Just 40 kms. by road and 12 kms. by Haulage Trolley from Jogindernagar.
Barot packs an enormous range of out door activities. The reservoir of the Joginder Nagar Hydel Power Project is located here. A trout breeding centre, makes it a wonderful place for angling. Across the river Uhl is the Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary-home to the Ghoral, Himalayan black bear and a variety of pheasants. A trek route through thick forests links Barot to Kullu.
SHIKARI DEVI
LOCATION: There are two approaches, one through Janjehali and the other through Karsog.
Trekking Paths through woods of assorted trees and shrubs-which include several medicinal herbs-two seperate trek routes lead up to this ancient shrine which crowns the top of a hill. Hunters in the area once prayed to the goddess for success in their hunt and here perhaps, lies the origin of the name "Shikari Devi". The goddess is worshipped in the form of a stone image. Interestingly, the temple which is said to have been in existence since the time of the Pandavas, has no roof, for local legend has it, that all attempts to build one have been unsuccessful.
JHATINGRI
LOCATION: It is situated on Ghogar Dhar at an elevation of 6,600 feet. It is 12 kms. from Joginder Nagar.It is easily accessible from Urla in Mandi Pathankot National Highway.
There are beautiful deodar and blue pine forests. The spot infolds breath taking vistas of the valleys below.
KARSOG
LOCATION: Karsog is Sub-Divisional head quarter of Mandi district at the height of 350 mtrs.
It is famous for Mamleshwar Mahadev, Kamksha Devi and Mahunag temples. It is full of scenic beauty and abundance of apple orchards.
PANJAIN THACH
LOCATION: 75 Kms from Mandi via Bali Chowki.
These are two villages situated in the middle of thick forests of deodar, pine and tosh trees. Both villages offer beautiful scenery and base camps for adventure loving tourists.
GADDA GUSAINI
LOCATION:
The valley is virgin and has not been explored by many adventure loving tourists. One finds nature at its best offering beautiful surroundings, green forests and pollution free environment. Madhopur Fort was also built by former rulers of Mandi district who had kept their arms and ammunition in it. Besides the fort was used as punishment to hardcore criminals in the state. One more fort named Tungasi was built in the valley and the remains of the fort are still visibl
TATTA PANI
LOCATION: 155 kms. from Mandi and 50 kms. from Shimla.
It is a deep scenic valley and surrounded by high hills, Tattapani is famous for its hot sulphar springs - noted for therapeutic powers. 4 kms from Tattapani is a recently discovered Shiva Gufa which has created a lot of anxiety among local populace and researchers.
JOGINDERNAGAR
LOCATION: 56 kms. from Mandi.
In 1925, the enterprising Raja Joginder Sen of Mandi created an elaborate hydel power scheme near the village of Sukrabatti - which was then renamed Joginder Nagar after him. After tunnelling and piping the water over several kilometers from the river Uhl to Joginder Nagar, the power house at Shanan was built by a team of engineers. Joginder Nagar's attractions include the Machhiyal lake, the Bassi Power House, Gumma and the haulage trolley.
CHINDI RESORT
LOCATION: It is located at Chindi in Karsog Valley.
Situated over a ridge in Karsog valley with spectacular view of range of mountains on both sides, the place is famous for apple orchards and beautiful sceneries and dense forests of deodar and pine.
HIMACHAL DARSHAN PHOTO GALLERY
LOCATION: Situated at about 4 kms from Mandi towards Kullu 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.