Rewalsar Lake
Rewalsar Lake, known to Tibetan Buddhists as Tso Pema, is sacred to Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists alike, at about 1,360 m near Mandi in Himachal Pradesh.
Himachal Pradesh⛰ 880 m2 itineraries
Mandi
Mandi at 880 m: the "Varanasi of the Hills," its old Shaivite temples, Rewalsar Lake, Prashar Lake — and copyable itineraries for one to two days.
Itineraries you can copy
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Day plan · First visitClassic
One day in Mandi — the temple circuit
A single-day Mandi loop: Trilokinath, Ardhnareshwar and Panchvaktra — three ASI-protected Shaivite temples in the "Varanasi of the Hills." Free, copyable plan.
Best Mar–Apr · Sep–Nov
See the plan →
1 night · 2 days · First visitClassic
Two days in Mandi — temples, Pandoh and Rewalsar
A two-day Mandi plan: three ASI-protected temples on day one, then Pandoh Dam and Rewalsar Lake — sacred to three faiths — on day two. Free, copyable plan.
Best Mar–Apr · Sep–Nov
See the plan →Mandi is a major town on the Beas river in Himachal Pradesh, founded in 1527 by Ajbar Sen as the seat of the Mandi princely state. It's often called the "Varanasi of the Hills" or "Chhoti Kashi," known for a dense cluster of old Shaivite stone temples that the Archaeological Survey of India has protected for their historical significance.
Panchvaktra Temple, at the confluence of the Beas and the Suketi Khad, and Ardhnareshwar Temple, one of very few temples of its kind in India, sit close to the town centre alongside Trilokinath Temple. Further out, Rewalsar Lake — sacred to Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs at once — and Pandoh Dam on the Beas make for real day trips, and Prashar Lake, at 2,730 m with a floating island, is the classic trek starting from Mandi itself.
A day covers the three close-in temples and Pandoh Dam; a second reaches Rewalsar Lake further out. See the one-day plan and the two-day plan for both, and things to do in Mandi for the same stops laid out with costs and timing.
Photos: Gannu03 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Harminder singh saini (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Timothy A. Gonsalves (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Places worth the drive
Prashar Lake
Prashar Lake, at 2,730 m near Mandi, holds a genuine floating island and a pagoda-style temple to the sage Parashar — the classic trek starting from Mandi town.
Pandoh Dam
Pandoh Dam, holding back the Beas River near Mandi with earth and rock embankments, was completed in 1977 and diverts the river for hydroelectric power.
Trilokinath Temple
Trilokinath Temple in Mandi holds a three-faced Shiva murti, giving it the name "Lord of Three Worlds," on the right bank of the Beas River.
Panchvaktra Temple
Panchvaktra Temple, at the confluence of the Beas and the Suketi Khad in Mandi, is an ASI-protected shrine to a five-faced form of the god Shiva.
Ardhnareshwar Temple
Ardhnareshwar Temple in Mandi is one of very few temples in India dedicated to Ardhanarishvara, the composite half-Shiva, half-Parvati deity form.
On the map
Open the Mandi map →The places a Mandi day reaches, with the road time from town. Each opens on the map with its plans and pages beside it.
Before you go
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Things to do in Mandi — 6 worth the visit, and what each costs
Six things to do in Mandi sorted by distance from town, with measured drive times, what each one costs, and the best time of year to see them.
How to reach Mandi — the Chandigarh and Bhuntar roads
Getting to Mandi via Chandigarh in about three hours, via Bhuntar airport in under an hour and a half, or by HRTC bus — and what each route involves.
The best time to visit Mandi
Mandi by season, using its own IMD weather record: when the summer heat peaks, when the monsoon hits hardest, and the clearest windows for the town's temples.
Questions people ask
Why is Mandi called the Varanasi of the Hills?
Because of its dense cluster of old stone Shaivite temples — the town is said to hold around 81 of them, several protected by the Archaeological Survey of India for their historical significance, giving it the nickname Chhoti Kashi, or 'Kashi of Himachal.'
How many days do you need in Mandi?
One day covers the three close-in temples and Pandoh Dam. A second day reaches Rewalsar Lake, sacred to Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs alike, further out. Prashar Lake is usually its own separate trek rather than a day-trip add-on.
Is Mandi hot in summer?
Yes, genuinely — unlike Himachal's higher hill stations, Mandi's own IMD record shows highs reaching 33.8°C in June, at a much lower altitude of 880 m. Come prepared for warm weather rather than a cool mountain escape.
Photographs by Wikimedia Commons contributors (CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA), resized; each picture is credited on its own page.