Himachal Pradesh: Shiv Dham to be developed in Mandi

A Shiv Dham will soon be developed in Mandi town, Himachal Pradesh, as per the latest reports. Referring to this, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur stated that this step has been taken to make Mandi a popular tourist destination in Himachal Pradesh. He also mentioned that the Dham will be developed under the Asian Development Bank (ADB) project.

Latest reports suggest that the said Shiv Dham would be developed at Kangnidhar near Mandi. The Chief Minister also stated that Shiv Dham in Mandi will have replicas of 12 ‘jyotrilingia’, whereas the Mandi Lake will be developed and there are plans to introduce Beas ‘aarti’ here on the lines of Ganga aarti.
Reportedly, the Shiv Dham to be developed at Kangnidhar hilltop above Mandi town will be connected with a cable car ropeway facility, thereby making it easy for locals and tourists to travel. Further, the banks of the Beas River will also be developed besides an artificial lake.
Officials have also been asked to explore the possibility of connecting Tarna Temple with Kangnidhar Temple. Also, till the government receives funds, work on this project would be rolled out on state funds in the first phase.
The Chief Minister further added that to lessen the burden from already overcrowded tourist destinations, such as Manali, Shimla, and Dharamshala, the government had also launched a scheme by the name Nai rahein, nai manzilen to create world-class infrastructure for tourists at places that are still unexplored in this region.

While Janjehli area in Mandi district would be developed for eco-tourism, Bir Billing in Kangra district will be developed as adventure sports destination, Chansal in Shimla district for skiing and winter sports, and Pong Dam for water sports, he added.