Panchvaktra Temple
temple · 273 m away
monument5 min from Mandi
Victoria Bridge, Mandi — the 1877 suspension bridge over the Beas
Victoria Bridge is a suspension bridge of 1877 over the Beas at Mandi, linking Purani Mandi and the town. A heritage landmark 5 minutes from the centre.
What it is
Victoria Bridge is a suspension bridge across the Beas at Mandi, built in 1877 under Raja Vijay Sen. It links Purani Mandi, the old town on the far bank, with the present Mandi town, and Wikipedia counts it among the oldest buildings in Himachal Pradesh. Its stone towers are built like small castles, with turrets and an arched gateway through which the deck passes, and Wikipedia compares the design to the old hanging Chelsea Bridge in London.
Photos: Mark Snape from England (CC0) · Jeevanshuverma (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Aranya Kar (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Getting there
About 2 km and 5 minutes by road from the centre of Mandi, by our routing. The bridge was closed to vehicles after the New Victoria Bridge, also called Sardar Patel Bridge, opened beside it in 2019. We could not confirm whether pedestrians may still cross, so ask locally. The new bridge is a short distance away and gives a view of the old one either way.
What to look at
The towers and their turrets, the cables and the red deck, and the river running green below. The town climbs the slope behind the near tower, which is why photographs from the bank show the bridge against a wall of houses. At night the tower is lit, as the Commons photograph in our gallery shows.
Why it is kept
Wikipedia says the Government of Himachal Pradesh built the new bridge so that this one could be kept as a heritage structure after 142 years of service. In 2020 the state and the town held a thanksgiving ceremony for it, and the state's tourism ministry promised that it would be maintained and repaired. For the history of the town it served, see Mandi, whose old temples stand along the same river.
Around it
Trilokinath Temple, Ardhnareshwar Temple and Panchvaktra Temple are the old stone temples nearby. Things to do in Mandi lists them with distances, and how to reach Mandi covers the roads.
Plans that include this
All 1 plans that stop here →Nearby places
Questions people ask
When was Victoria Bridge in Mandi built?
In 1877, under Raja Vijay Sen of Mandi, with help from Britain. It links Purani Mandi, the old town on the far bank, with Mandi town. Wikipedia says it resembles the hanging Chelsea Bridge of 1858 in London, which was first called Victoria Bridge.
Can you still cross Victoria Bridge at Mandi?
It was closed to vehicles after the New Victoria Bridge, also called Sardar Patel Bridge, opened beside it in 2019. We could not confirm whether you may still walk across, so ask in Mandi first. It stands near the town, so you can see it from the new bridge or the banks either way.
How far is Victoria Bridge from central Mandi?
About 2 km and 5 minutes by road, by our routing. The bridge stands on the Beas below the old part of the town, so it combines easily with the three old temples of Mandi, which are all within a few minutes of the town centre.