Mandi

Mandi stands on the Beas in the Himalayan hills. Its name means a market, and the town became a centre on the route between the Punjab plains and the uplands of Ladakh and Yarkand. Its temples include Bhootnath and Trilokinath, both associated with the early rulers of the town.

The hill state of Mandi traces its ruling line to Bahu Sen. In the early sixteenth century Raja Ajbar Sen founded the present town around Bhootnath temple and moved his capital there from the older settlement. He is also credited with building the nearby Trilokinath temple. In 1648 a goldsmith named Bhima is said to have made the sacred image of Madho Rai, a form of Vishnu revered as Mandi's presiding deity.