Bhootnath is the most important temple in Mandi and the building around which the rest of the old town arranges itself. The single-cell sikhara-roofed shrine sits at the head of the main bazaar, a few minutes' walk from the river — small, stone, blackened by centuries of butter-lamps, and rarely empty. The outer walls carry low-relief panels of Shiva, Parvati and Ganesh; the threshold stone is worn deep with five hundred years of footsteps.
The temple comes alive at the Shivratri Fair in February or March, when the deities of dozens of village temples across Mandi district are carried in procession to Bhootnath to pay homage to Shiva. The week-long festival fills the bazaar with palanquins, drummers and shawl-traders; if you can time a visit for it, it is one of the most colourful events in Himachal.