Mandi

 city, place with historical importance, interesting place, taluka headquarter, district headquarter

Tehsil Mandi Sadar, District Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, Bharat

Also spelled Mandi Town
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.
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.
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.
According to the 2001 Indian census, Mandi city has a population of 60,387. 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.