Holy Pilgrimage – Himachal Pradesh State –( Wooden Temples in Himachal Pradesh ) at 11:11 PM

Holy Pilgrimage – Temples in Himachal Pradesh State

 

 

 

Wooden Temples in

HIMACHAL PRADESH

 

Although the architecture in Himachal Pradesh is especially interesting among wooden architecture in India, studies into it have not made enough progress. I visited the area in 1991 for the first time. Since then I have gradually gain more information and traveled deeper into the Himalayas. This page is a record of my travels in the summer of 2001 by jeep opening with small report from 1998, and closing with the chapter of William Simpson. ________( from "Kenchiku Tokyo" January - July 2002 )

The Kullu Valley along the Beas River has a beautiful landscape continuing to the northernmost town of Manali and its road is well maintained. Due to border and religious disputes in the Kashmir region, the number of tourists and summer visitors has sharply dropped and they now flow into the Kullu Valley. Manali in particular has greatly prospered in recent years, seeing an abundant increase in hotels.
However, the town of Kullu still retains a tranquil and pleasant appearance, being the best base to visit wooden temples in this region. One can quickly arrange a taxi at an agreed rate at the office of the taxi union facing the Maidan (central garden-like square).

PARASHAR RISHI TEMPLE

One of the centerpieces in this journey was the Parashar Rishi Temple close by the small Lake Parashar 2,700m above sea level, which I had not been able to visit the previous time because of the collapse of the mountain road en route, caused by torrential rain. This time, I could reach the temple in fine weather, still spending close to four hours by car from Kullu.
The temple of the Multi-Tiered Tower type, far larger than expected, stands on a basin by the lake on the crest of the mountains, from which one can get a magnificent view all around. This three storied wooden temple has carvings of primitive figures everywhere on the walls and columns. Its first construction is said to be in the 14th century. In spite of far more difficulty getting there than to the same type of temples at Diyar (Dhiyar) or Khokan, it is worth visiting it. 

 

YOGINI TEMPLE at CHAINI

There are many temple towers, or temples of the Square-Tower type, treated in the pages of ‘Wooden Architecture in India’ in this website, in the Sutlej Valley between Shimla, the capital city of the state of Himachal Pradesh, and Recong Peo, the capital of Kinnaur district in the state.
I once thought that the prototype of this temple type was the Gondla Fort located beyond the Rohtang Pass of an altitude of 4,000m in the north of Manali, but it is too far from the Sutlej Valley for that to be possible.
The most prominent temple tower is the Yogini Temple at Chaini, which the Indian scholar O. C. Handa visited and made a sketch of. However, its proportion was too excessive and any no photos had been published, furthermore when I went to the old town of Chini (current Kalpa) in Kinnaur district, I found nobody knew this temple, therefore I assumed that this temple must have been lost, or else Handa’s sketch must have been outrageously exaggerated.

 

Maheswara Temple, Sungra (SUTLEJ VALLEY)

 

Among the numbers of wooden temples it is most deeply astonished with the Maheshwara temple at Sungra, which had become darker through the elements during the five years since my last visit. It had lost its excellent fresh and clean appearance, entirely made of plain wood, even for its roofing.
It might be an inevitable tendency that timber roofing is substituted with slate, recently more likely with galvanized sheet iron, for the reason of maintenance. However, what is more regrettable is the current fashion to paint the old timber of wooden temples in full color.

The Himalayan primitive wood carvings, painted in red, blue, yellow on every part, give an impression of vulgarity or the feeling of comics instead of the sacredness of religious architecture. It is probably the influence of the South Indian manner of temple painting, especially in Tamil Nadu. It is lamentable to see such conditions in the Himalayan administration for cultural protection.
How bitter to see that, corresponding to the invention of traffic convenience for both people and information, a traditional architecture, which is suitable to the region, is being destroyed. I heartily pray that the gaudy painting of wooden temples in Himachal Pradesh will be stopped soon. As they are, they stand in harmony with the view of natural scenery, environed with snow-covered mountains and deodar trees. 

CLASSIFICATION OF TEMPLE TYPES

IN HIMACHAL PRADESH

Many scholars and travelers, such as A.F.P. Harcourt, Penelope Chetwode, Mian Goverdhan Singh, and Ronald M. Bernier, have classified and named the wooden buildings in Himachal Pradesh.

o        GABLE ROOF TYPE (or 'Chalet' type) : Temples with a Gable or Gambrel roof (gabled hipped roof)
- Lakshana Devi Temple, Bharmaur, built in c.700
- Shakti Devi Temple, Chatrarhi, 8-9th century
- Sandhya Gayatri Temple, Jagatsukh, 17th century, repaired recently
- Dochamocha Devi Temple, Gazan, 18th century (?), repaired recently
- Gautam Rishi Temple, Goshal, unknown date
- Bantia Devta Temple, Janog, unknown date
- Chamunda Devi Temple, Mindal, 17th century, repaired recently

o        MULTI-TIERED TOWER TYPE (or 'Pagoda' type) : Similar to Japanese and Nepalese Multi-tiered tower type
- Parashar Rishi Temple, by Parashar lake, 14th century
- Manu Rishi Temple, Shainshal, c.17th century
- Triyugi Narayan Temple at Diyar (Dhiyar), 17-18th century
- Adi Brahma Temple, Khokhan, 1753
- Hidimba Devi Temple, Manali, after 1553
- Tripurasundari Temple, Naggar, rebuilt in 1990
- Adi Purkha Temple, Tihri, 14-15th century

o        COMPOUND TYPE (Gable Roof + Multi-tiered Tower) : A wooden version of the [Garbhagriha + Mandapa] composition in a stone temple
- Mahadeva Temple, Behna, 16-17th century
- Jageshwara Temple, Dalash, unknown date
- Maheshwara Temple, Sungra, unknown date
- Durga Temple, Manan, unknown date
- Dhaneshwari Devi Temple, Nithar, unkown date
- Bijata Devta Temple, Bihar, unknown date

o        SQUARE-TOWER TYPE (Temple Tower) : Originated in Himalayan folk houses (1F for animals、2F storage、3F residence)
- Rairemool Devi Temple, Khadaran, unknown date
- Badrinatha Temple, Kamru, unkown date (originally a fort)
- Bhimakali Temple, Northern Sarahan, (originally a fort), 18-19th century
- Bijat Temple, Southern Sarahan, unknown date
- Yogini Temple at Chaini (originally a fort), 17-18th century
- Piri Devi Temple, Jubbal, c.17th century

Although the ages of their constructions are based on works by O.C. Handa and others, it is difficult to fix them exactly, since in actuality a wooden building is constantly repaired and often rebuilt because of the intense damage it suffers if even its roofing is timber. It is also not clear how much detail is contained in the records of each temple, we must await the researches and reports of local historians.
Recently the ornamentalization of temples is proceeding in fashion, placing small complex roofs on ridges, for example.
Among these temple types, the Temple Tower (Square-Tower type temple) is the most problematic. A grand scale one was generally used as a keep of a fort too. They are supposed to have either kept only the function of a temple after the independence of India along with the extinction of small princely states, or been abandoned and collapsed. On the other hand, many of them have been used as a Bhandar (sacristy), combined with another temple of the Gable Roof type or the Compound type. It indicates that form does not necessarily accord accurately with function in Himachal.
As a Square-Tower type building, which has not converted to a temple, there remains the fort of Gondla in the Lahaul district beyond the Rothang Pass in the north. As it is recorded that Buddha statues of Tibetan Buddhism were enshrined in this building, a mixture of Buddhism and Hinduism was performed there.
Although the religious mixture is also seen in the Kinnaur district in the east, a Temple Tower does not exist beyond Labrang, clearly showing that the origin of the Square-Tower type temple is not in the sphere of Tibetan Buddhism. The influential relation with the westward, particularly with Central Asia and the Middle East, should be investigated.

THE DURGA TEMPLE AT PANGUNA
Ascending the town to the center, there is a square tower of seven floors standing on a park-like hill in the atmosphere of an ancient citadel. It is  actually a castle-cum-temple of the small princely state that dominated this area.
Such small princely states have lost their governmental functions since the independence of India 56 years ago, and in most cases the citadels were completely converted into Hindu temples. The erstwhile lord of Panguna, the Sen Family, resides in another town nowadays.
Although the Durga Temple at Panguna has slightly changed its outer appearance by the additions of a slated lean-to and a porch, its fine square tower itself keeps its original state, including the curved gabled roof and balconies. According to the doctor who guided me to the temple and the Pujari (Hindu temple priest) who came to open the door of the temple, it was constructed about 300 years ago.
Its outer wall is, as usual, a structure of piled horizontal timber frames filled with limestone. For those looking at such a system for the first time, the wooden architecture without vertical columns must be unanticipated and quite strange. That is a unique device for the purpose of resisting the horizontal stresses brought about by comparatively frequent earthquakes in the Himachal region, combining heavy cut stone with long pieces of timber as a horizontal component.
This temple is an uncommon example, in which corner timber is not directory piled up, having horizontal timber supported by a large number of window jambs.
The temple enshrines the goddess Durga in the top floor as the principal deity, not in the form of a statue but of Mohras (face-images), characteristic in Himachal Pradesh.

 

GABLE ROOF TYPE TEMPLES
IN THE KULLU VALLEY

The whole belt along the road along the Beas River upstream to the Rohtang Pass at an altitude of close to 4,000 m is called the Kullu Valley based on its central town. Starting for the north out of my regular hotel in Kullu, Hotel Sarvari, the road soon diverges into the right and left banks of the river. This time I took the left bank, stopping in at the temples of Bijli, Kais, Naggar, Gazan and Shuru before reaching the town of Manali, which had recently developed greatly as a summer resort.
After refueling there in preparation for crossing over the Rohtan Pass, our jeep first went toward Goshal.
Wading across the Beas River after going northward about 6km from Manali, one can reach the village of Goshal, which consists of old orderly houses on its sloping land. In spite of being attracted by these houses, as the dusk was gathering, I hastened through the village to find the small-scale but excellent gabled wooden temple, the Gautam Rishi Temple, accompanied by some small shrines at the foot of the mountain.
It is a simple single-room type temple based on a rectangular plan. Its thick ridgepole with crests on the top of the roof and the large protruding eaves remind us of Japanese Shinto shrines.
Among the classified temple types in the Himachal region, the Gable Roof type can be considered as the simplest and most primeval. Although the form of gable or gambrel roofed single floor building is broadly found in folk houses, there is a difference, in that the entrance is at the lower roof side in the folk houses, while it is on the gable side in the temples.
The roof of the Gautam Rishi Temple has recently been changed from timber to slate.
When looking at its façade, whose atmosphere is all the more solemn for its simplicity, it can be  noticed it was the same one as the sketch in Hermann Goetz’s book "The Early Wooden Temples of Chamba" (1955), in which the name of the temple is not given. Goetz picked this temple as an example of the Himalayan wooden façade that conveyed the architectural style of the later Gupta Dynasty. Certainly the carvings of humans, deities, and foliage on manifold frames around the portal are always seen in Indian stone temples, which started in the 5th century of the Gupta age.

Hindu temples in the lower land in India usually have carvings of Ganga and Yamuna (personified goddesses of the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers) on both sides of the portal as the sources of life in the Indian plain, but the temples in the Himachal region do not have them because of little relation with those rivers, and often have carvings of Nagas (snakes) instead. Though that of the Gautama Rishi Temple is a small relief, a neighboring small shrine exclusively has large carvings of Nagas on both sides of the portal.

What does it indicate? In the Kashmir and Himachal regions, the worship of the Naga Devta (snake god) has been performed since ancient times, before the advent of Hinduism. Naga was thought to be a formidable king of the underground world, controlling indispensable water for agriculture (e.g. rivers, lakes, rain and cloud).
As Hinduism gradually became dominant, indigenous faiths like this were incorporated into Hindu legends. Naga Devta was personified and turned into a Rishi (sage) in the “Veda” literature. Gautam Rishi (Sage Gautam) enshrined in the temple at Goshal was also originally a Naga, hence carvings of Naga on the portals. Many temples of this sort are to be found in this region, such as the Parashal Rishi Temple at Lake Parashal.
The Gautam Rishi Temple has heavy wooden pillars as thick as 60 to 70cm at four corners with equally heavy beams above. Though the walls are a ‘Kath-kuni’ structure consisting of alternate stone and timber, the general method in the Himachal region, this whole temple is fundamentally made in the ‘post and beam structure,’ which was indiscernible in Goetz’s sketch, and all the more so due to the fact that the temple is covered with ocherous mud plaster. Moreover, the roof of this temple is not curved but rectilinear. All these facts show the clear distinction from gabled buildings in southern Himachal Pradesh.

 

Chamunda devi Templ ,

(GABLE ROOF TYPE TEMPLES
IN THE PANGI VALLEY)

 

 On the hill at an altitude of 2,750m, at a long exposure, it was impossible to get enough time to research in detail.
Since an inscription tells us that King Pritivi Singh endowed the land of Mindal in 1641, the temple seems to have been first built at that age too.
In the Pangi region, the sloping roofs of Hindu temples have become extremely steep owing to heavy snowfall, making the shape of gables a near equilateral triangle. Their eaves protrude so little because the stone Garbhagriha (sanctuary) is surrounded with a wooden ambulatory and all of them are covered by the large gable roof. The façade generally has two columns supporting the bottom beam of the gable.
While the aforementioned temples in the Kull district resemble Japanese Shinto shrines, the temples in this region recall Greek temples. The early Greek temples are assumed to have been built of wood, the facade of the Megalon style had two columns between two end walls, and the Peripteral style of temples had colonnades surrounding a Naos (sanctuary) made of sun-dried brick; with this there are many similarities to the gabled temples in the Pangi region.
It is also common to insert carved panels in the tympanum (gable). Are they perhaps truly the vestiges of the fusion of Greek and Indian architecture in ancient times in the Himalayas? It is deeply interesting.
It is greatly regrettable that the three tiers of carved panels at the gable of the Chamunda Devi Temple were recently painted in full color. The gable panels are so vulnerable to the elements, due to the lack of deep eaves, that they are often replaced by new ones. Therefore, the current panels of this temple may be new. Among those carved panels, some large figures wearing a costume of the Naga tribe of Nagaland state in eastern India attracted my attention. Although it is not clear if the worships of Naga in the two remote regions have the same roots, these figures were probably carved under the consciousness of it.

This temple is dedicated to a goddess called Chamuda Devi. The worship of a Devi (goddess) is also a characteristic of the Himachal region. In contrast to that, most Hindu temples in the Indian plain enshrine either the god Shiva or the god Vishnu, the majority of Himachal temples are dedicated to goddesses. It is the worship of the ‘earth goddess’ also performed since ancient times, and later incorporated into Hinduism, which identified those goddesses with Durga (Parvati), wife of Shiva.

 

A COMPLICATED TEMPLE AT BACHHONCH

 National Highway  towards  south, on a forest road full of deodar trees, towards Rohru, from Rohru to the last town, Shimla, through Shimla district, was a journey that showed the most various fruits of wooden architecture, along with the Kullu region. Prior to Rohru, there is  a peculiar temple enshrining Baoindara Devta (god).
As clarified,  wooden temples in the Himachal region are classified under four types, the Gable Roof type, Multi-tiered Tower type, Compound type, and Square Tower type. Nevertheless, as the state of Himachal Pradesh, the area of which is 1.3 times as large as Kyushu Island in Japan, has several hundred or more than a thousand temples, many temples cannot be fitted into these classifications. The Bachhonch Temple is one of them, showing an unexpected, peculiar form.
Though overall it is a Square Tower type temple, its square ‘Dhol-maide’ tower, with horizontal timbers inserted into the masonry walls based on a rectangular plan, is surprisingly surmounted off-center by a small Compound type wooden temple building. The Compound type is a temple of a Garbhagriha (sanctuary) of the Multi-tiered Tower type connected with a Mandapa (hall) of the Gable Roof type, regarded as a wooden version of a stone Shikhara style temple in the Indian plain.
Since such a composition makes an imbalance, putting the center of gravity to one side, the architects placed an entrance balcony on the other side and added outer steps to it, making up a quite admirable formation.
It is enigmatic as to why they made such an unprecedented composition, as this site was not a fortress in the first place and there was absolutely no need to raise the temple so high. Did they spend such a huge amount of time and money piling up this much stone only in order to satisfy their desire to realize an artistic formation? Moreover, why did they force people to go up and down the steps each time they wished to worship the god?
Although the temple is said to have been first built about 500 years ago, the current building is not so old. As wood decays through exposure to the elements, a wooden building is repaired or reconstructed at least once in every several decades.
When I visited, the temple was just in the midst of being repaired, replacing all rotting blackish wooden parts with new ones and re-roofing completely.
During each past repair, wooden parts would have undergone some change, even if stone parts would have been remained intact. There is a possibility that the Multi-tiered Tower of Bachhonch Temple might not have built at the outset.
Temples in the Himachal region are not simply remains of the past. It is thanked   to the living religion of Hinduism, old components of temples are constantly maintained, new buildings are added, and even new temples are constructed. The development of technology and the economy usually guide temple architecture into more decorative directions.
Among recently built wooden temples, one can see temples stranger-looking than the Bachhonch Temple, appearing one after another.
Penetrating approximately 17km deeper into the western mountains from Rohru, I found an extreme example of that kind. When the temple at Pujarli village came into sight, I was quite astonished by it soaring as if it were a brilliant castle keep in a splendid shape.
The Brahman who guided me in the compound said that the temple had already existed when his ancestors migrated here in the 18th century, so the temple has a history of at least 300 years.
While the oldest shrine is a single story building of the Gable Roof type, the newest shrine, which was reconstructed just the previous year, has a singular figure, which does not fit into any classification. It might have originally been a pair of square towers standing in parallel (one of which was a Bhandar?) but their wooden superstructures have exceedingly intricate roof, to an extent as far as one can imagine.
Such a dazzling formative tendency towards sculptural superfluity must reflect the taste of current Himachal people; I cannot help but shudder when imagining how the temple will be gaudily painted in full color in the near future.
On the other hand, as well as from artistic desire, the temple form can also be transformed due to the economy. About 7 km from Pujarli, across a valley, is the village of Narain, where I found an example of this in the Narayan Devta Temple that had also just been renovated.

While the old Square-tower type temple at Narain, now unused, has a simple but forceful expression with boldly protruding eaves, the new temple has a tender formation with far more intricate lines. Closer inspection taught me that no stone is used in the walls of the extended building, being entirely made of wood. Because of the higher cost of stone than wood here, villagers cut down on expenditure.
Since, in the same manner, thick beams are not used, they made a line of columns stand on the edge of the cantilevered upper floor, just like poor buildings in American westerns in the age of development. The difference in artistic effect between the old and new temples is quite obvious.

There is a wooden castle fort of a small princely state here, in which a descendant family still lives. As opposed to other castles that I had already encountered, this castle did not have a square tower but a double-headed tower building instead, so to say a Himalayan version of the Notre Dame in Paris, soaring in front of the square.
The castle is a vast continuous building enclosing a long and narrow courtyard, standing wholly on three storied heavy masonry walls. The basement-like windowless rooms inside the stone walls would have served as prison cells in the past.
It is strange that the top rooms in the gambrel roofed twin tower had windows only on the courtyard side, but are closed toward the square. They do not seem to have been watchtowers in case of wars.
Incidentally, it is a building so familiar to us Japanese, as its slated roofs, looking like Japanese tiled roofs, have concave curves and, moreover, gambrel roofs, letting us imagine that there would have been such forts even in Japanese villages in the medieval period.
In a salon-like large timber room, to which the present head of the family guided me, every part of the walls and ceiling was carved meticulously in the form of naïve folk art.

As hundreds of wooden temples are not preserved as cultural treasures, they alter their semblance little by little every year. Even so, many of them retain the indigenous architectural tradition. The reason might be the intense faith to the religion by the people living in the villages in Himachal Pradesh.

 

Manikaran Temples, Himachal Pradesh

Manikaran (Punjabi: ਮਨੀਕਰਨ) is located in the Parvati Valley between the rivers Beas and Parvati, northeast of Bhuntar in the Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh. It is at an altitude of 1760 m and is located about 45 km from Kullu.
This small town attracts tourists visiting Manali and Kullu to its hot springs and piligrim centres. An experimental geothermal energy plant has also been set up here

Religious centre

Manikaran is a pilgrimage centre for Hindus and Sikhs. The Hindus believe that Manu recreated human life in Manikaran after the flood, making it a sacred area. It has many temples and a gurudwara.^[1] There are temples of the Hindu deities Rama, Krishna, and Vishnu.^[2] The area is well known for its hot springs^[3] and its beautiful landscape.
According to legend, when the Hindu God Shiva and his consort Parvati were walking in the valley, Parvati dropped one of her earrings. The jewel was seized by Shesha, the serpent deity, who then disappeared into the earth with it. Shesha only surrendered the jewel when Shiva performed the cosmic dance, the Tandava and shot the jewel up through the water. Apparently, jewels continued to be thrown up in the waters at Manikaran until the earthquake of 1905.

Hindu belief

The legend of Manikaran states that while roaming around, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, once chanced upon a place that was surrounded by mountains and was lush green. Enamoured by the beauty of the place, they decided to spend some time there. It is believed that they actually spent eleven hundred years here.
During their stay here, Goddess Parvati lost her mani in the waters of a stream. Upset over the loss, she asked Shiva to retrieve it. Lord Shiva commanded his attendant to find out the mani for Parvati, however, when they failed, he was extremely angry. He opened his third eye, a tremendously inauspicious event which led to disturbances in the universe. An appeal was made before the serpent god, Sheshnag, to pacify Lord Shiva. Sheshnag hissed thereby giving rise to a flow of boiling water. The water spread over the entire area resulting in the emergence of precious stones of the type Goddess Parvati had lost. Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati were happy at the outcome.
The name Manikaran is derived from this legend. The water is still hot and is considered extremely auspicious. A pilgrimage to this place is thought of as complete. It is also believed that there is no need to pay a visit to Kashi after visiting this place. The water of the spring is also supposed to have curative powers. The water is so hot that rice can be cooked in it.

The Hindu Temples at Manikaran

Lord Ramchandra Temple

The temple was constructed by Raja Jagat Singh in the 17th century. Though there is no historical evidence backing, still the idol of Shri Ram installed here is believed to have been brought straight from.

Temple of Lord Shiva

This temple is hugely revered as it belongs to Lord Shiva. However, an earthquake in 1905 caused damage to the temple and it was slightly tilted. The importance of Manikaran is also judged from the fact that devtas of Kullu valley pay regular visit to this place on specified dates.

Sikh belief

According to the Sikhs, during third Udasi, his founder Guru Nanak came to this place in 15 Asu 1574 Bikrami with his disciple Bhai Mardana. Mardana felt hungry and they had no food. Nanak sent Mardana to collect food for the langar (the Community Kitchen). Many people donated atta (flour) to make Roti(bread). The one problem was that there was no fire to cook the food. Nanak asked Mardana to lift a stone and he complied and a hot spring appeared. As directed by Nanak, Mardana put the rolled chappatis in the spring to his despair the chappatis sank. Nanak then told him to pray to God saying that if his chappatis float back then he would donate one chappati in His name. When he prayed all the chappatis started floating duly baked. Nanak said that anyone who donates in the name of God, his drowned items float back.

 

Mata Kuan Rani Temple, Himachal Pradesh

The Mata Kuan Rani Temple, or 'Princess of the Well Temple', is situated near the bank of the Beas River in the town of Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, India.

Description and History

The slate-roofed temple over a deep well is dedicated to the 'Princess of the Well' and celebrates the time when, according to legend, Princess Mandarava (man da ra ba me tog), the Princess of Zahor (or Sahor), which is usually identified with Mandi, though some scholars place it in eastern India), became a consort of Padmasambhava (Tibetan: Guru Rinpoche).
Mandarava, the daughter of King Arshadhara and Queen Mohauki,  is said to have been born a prodigy and an 'Awareness Dakini' (yes-shes mkha'-'gro) and was very beautiful. She refused all offers of marriage and fed her father the flesh of a Brahmin (a terrible offence), left the palace, and took on the robes of a beggar. She was ordained by the famous Buddhist scholar Śāntarakṣita, who is also said to have been a native of Zahor, and came to terms with her father who provided a palace for her meditation. When Padmasambhava came to Zahor from Orgyen, she fell for him and became his disciple.
The king became incensed and condemned them both to death in a fire which raged for seven days. After the smoke cleared there was a lake with a lotus in it, Rewalsar (Tibetan: Tso Pema or 'Lotus Lake'), which is situated about 24 km from Mandi. This convinced the king of the wisdom and power of Padmasambhava and he requested teachings from him and gave his daughter permission to pursue her religious destiny.
The temple is sacred to both Tibetan Buddhists and Hindus, and was commonly visited by Tibetan pilgrims and traders before the invasion of Tibet by the Chinese when the borders were closed with India.
Mandi has more than 300 old and new temples. Because of the large number of temples and its location along River Beas, Mandi is also known as 'Chhoti (Small) Kashi'. Most of the temples are dedicated to Lord Shiva and the Goddess Kali. There are many classical temples which the Archaeological Survey of India has declared 'protected monuments' due to their historical significance, the primary ones being: the 'Panchvaktra Temple', situated at the confluence of River Bea and Suketi Khad, 'Ardhnareshwar Temple', which is one of very few temples of its kind in India. 'Triloknath Temple' is located on the right bank of the Beas River. The Mata Kuan Rani Temple, consisting of a slate-roofed temple over a deep well which is dedicated to the 'Princess of the Well' and celebrates the time when, according to legend, Mandarava, the Princess of Sahor (Mandi), became a consort of Padmasambhava. The king became angry and condemned them both to death in a fire which raged for seven days. After the smoke cleared there was a lake with a lotus in it, 'Rewalsar' or Tso Pema (Tibetan: 'Lotus Lake'

Transport to Mandi

Local transport in Mandi is generally by auto-rikshaw, bus or private vehicles. Tourist taxis are also an option. The taxi station is located right in front of Seri Stage. Auto-rikshaws are the main means of transport in Mandi and are available almost 24 hours.

The nearest airport to Mandi is the Bhuntar Airport, at a distance of about 75 km from Mandi city. Mandi is connected to 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.
Munish Resorts, Visco Resorts and Regent Palms Hotel are the most famous resorts in Mandi. Some other hotels are Raj Mahal, Amar Atithi, Ashoka Holiday Inn, Hotel Evening Plaza, Mandav Hotel(HPTDC), Surbhi Hotel, Hotel Yamini. Most people come to Mandi through Delhi or Chandigarh.^[61]
From Delhi The distance between Delhi and Mandi is about 475 km. This distance can be covered in approximately 12 hrs by bus.
The alternative to reach Mandi from Delhi is to travel by train up to Kiratpur Sahib by Delhi-Una Himachal express (4553). From Kiratpur, there is a bus. All the buses going from Delhi and Chandigarh to Mandi have to pass through Kiratpur.^[62]
From Chandigarh From Chandigarh there are buses to Mandi and Manali. The buses from Delhi pass through Chandigarh and some buses start from Chandigarh itself. The distance between Chandigarh and Mandi is 200 km. This distance can be covered in approximately 6 hrs by bus. By taxi, it may take around 5 hrs.^[63]
By Air The nearest airport to Mandi is the Kullu Airport at Bhuntar, at a distance of about 75 km from Mandi city. This is a small domestic airport—only small aircraft fly to Kullu. Flights to Kullu are restricted only from Delhi, and Shimla. From Delhi, flights to Kullu take about 90 minutes by Indian Airlines or Kingfisher Airlines.^[64]
By Rail There is currently no railway, but one is proposed. See Bilaspur-Mandi-Leh Railway for the proposed railway passing this area. The nearest Railway Station currently is the Jogindernagar Railway Station almost 50 km away from the city

 

 

Om Tat Sat

                                                        

(Continued...)                                                                                                                              

(My humble  salutations to the great devotees ,  wikisources  and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection )