The most popular temple of Mandi is the Bhootnath Temple. Raja Ajbar Sen built it in 1526 A.D, the year, which marks the beginning of the establishment of the new capital of the Mandi State , i.e. New Mandi Town.

This temple is in ‘Shikhar’ (in the case of Shiva it signifies ‘Kailash’, Shiva’s holy mountain and as far as Vishnu temple is concerned it stands for ‘Meru’) style. As we enter the temple we first see the ‘Nandi’ (the ox that Shiva rides), which is facing Lord Shiva of the sanctum. Further there is a rectangular hall which contains the ‘Yajnakunda’ (sacrificial/offering fireplace) and its ‘Vibhuti’ (ashes) is put on the forehead with great reverence by the priests and devotees. On the right side of the hall is a very big drum, the sound of which is deep, pleasing and reverberates in the entire temple. Next to this hall is the main sanctum sanctorum. Here ‘Shivlinga’ (phallus of Shiva) and ‘Mahayoni’ is worshipped.

Above Shivlinga is a ‘Jalahari’ (vessel, generally of copper) from the bottom of which water trickles down on the Shivlinga. The devotees accept this sacred water with much sanctity and reverence. The ‘Shikhar’ style of the architecture is on the sanctum sanctorum and above this is ‘Samalak’ (a feature in the form of the ribbed myrobalan fruit or its flattened varieties) with a ‘Kalash’ (it symbolizes ‘Soma Jar’- the jar of immortality. It is the pinnacle of the ‘Shikhar’ structure and is ornamentally decorated, generally plated with gold) above it.