Monumental Heritage of Mandi: A Brief Introduction

The present Manditown was the capital of the erstwhile Mandi State and it was set up by Raja AjbarSen in the year 1527 CE. Since ancient times this town was an important trade and commercial centre between Indian plains and Ladakh, Yarkand and Central Asia. Mandiis also known for its old temples, built along the Beas and Suketi river fronts, and mostly dedicated to Shiva and the Shakti and their enormous range of exquisite carvings attract the eyes of any beholder and its surroundings present a panoramic view of the town thereby earning the title of ‘Varanasi of the Hills’ or ‘ChhotiKashi of Himachal’. This one-time capital of the princely state is a developing town that still retains much of its original charm and character. Here an attempt has been made to illustrate the important features by way of photographs and line-drawings of the monumental heritage preserved by the local inhabitants of the area for centuries which will serve as a guide for serious scholars for carrying out detailed research in the respective field on the one hand and would be found useful for the lay visitors to the town on the other.