Mandi

Mandi was established in 1527 by Ajbar Sen, as the seat of the Mandi State, a princely state till 1948. Foundation of the town was laid on the establishment of Himachal Pradesh in early 1948. Today, it is widely known for the International Mandi Shivaratri Fair. Mandi is also the first heritage city of Himachal Pradesh. It also has the remains of old palaces and notable examples of 'colonial' architecture. Mandi has some of the oldest buildings of Himachal Pradesh, including Victoria Bridge, built in 1877.

It is situated 145 kilometres (90 mi) north of the state capital, Shimla in the north-west Himalayas at an average altitude of 880 m (2,890 ft) Mandi is connected to the city Pathankot through National Highway 154 and to Manali and Chandigarh through National Highway 5.