Introduction
Mandi is a city and a municipal council in Mandi district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is situated 145 kilometres (90 mi) north of state capital, Shimla.

History
The present District of Mandi was formed with the merger of two princely states Mandi and Suket on the 15th April 1948, when the State of Himachal Pradesh was estblished.

Geography
Mandi has an average elevation of 750 metres (2,461 feet). It is built on the banks of the Beas River, at the confluence of the Suketi Khad stream.

Etymology
Legend has it that the Great Sage 'Mandav' prayed in this area, and the rocks turned black due to the severity of his penance, so the town was referred to as Mandvya Nagari in his honour. Mandi has at least 81 ancient Shaivite temples.
Other authors believe that the name 'Mandi,' is simply derived from the common word mandi which means "market" in Hindi "and it may possibly be connected with the Sanskrit root mandaptika, meaning "an open hall or shed, It was, until the mid 20th century, on the trade route between Yarkand and Ladakh to Hoshiarpur and the Indian plains.

Demographics
As of 2005 India census, Mandi had a population of 56,873. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Mandi has an average literacy rate of 84%, higher than the national average of 65.38%: male literacy is 86%, and female literacy is 82%. In Mandi, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age. Mandi has a mixed population of Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, Buddhists and Christians.

Places of interest
Places of interest

Sunken Garden (Indira Market)
Tarna Temple, also called Shyama Kali temple
Bhima Kali Temple
Panchvaktra Temple
Kangri Dhar
Rewalsar Lake
Prashar Lake
Kamlah-Fort
Vishvakarma temple

Indian Institute of Technology Mandi
IIT MANDI (Read More) Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (Devanagari: ?????? ???????????? ??????? ????) popularly known as IIT Mandi is an autonomous university located in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. It is the youngest Indian Institute of Technology established by the MHRD, Government of India in 2009.It is the only IIT nestled in the lowermost climatic zone of the serene Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh.The institute admits students into various B.Tech.,M.S, and Ph.D.programs (as of 2010). Prof. Timothy A. Gonsalves joined as Director of IIT Mandi on Jan 15, 2010.