Mandi is a major town and a municipal corporation in Mandi District in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.
It is situated 145 kilometres north of state capital, Shimla in the north-west Himalayas at an average altitude of 880 metres and experiences pleasant summers and cold winters. Mandi is connected to the Pathankot through National Highway 20 which is almost 220 km long and to Manali and Chandigarh through National Highway 21 which is 323 km long. Mandi is approximately 184.6 km from Chandigarh, the nearest major city, and 440.9 km from New Delhi, the national capital. In the 2011 Indian census, Mandi city had a population of 26,422. Mandi district is currently the 2nd largest economy in the state next to Kangra. Mandi, in the state is having second highest sex ratio of 1013 females per thousand males.
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.