Mandi (formerly known as Mandav Nagar) is a major city and a municipal corporation in Mandi District in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is situated 145 kilometres (90 mi) north of state capital, Shimla in the north-west Himalayas at an average altitude of 880 m (2,890 ft) Mandi is connected to the Pathankot through National Highway 154 and to Manali and Chandigarh through National Highway 5. Mandi is approximately 163 km (101 mi) from Chandigarh, the nearest major city, and 395 km (245 mi) from New Delhi, the national capital. In the 2011 Indian census, Mandi had a population of 26,422. Mandi district is currently the 4th largest economy in the state. Mandi has the second highest sex ratio of 1013 females per thousand males, in the state.
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". Also, Mandi is the starting point for a trek of the region, Prashar lake trek. From Mandi, trekkers go to Bagi village, which serves as the base village for Prashar lake. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi is a premier institute located 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Mandi town.
