The present Mandi town was the capital of the erstwhile Mandi State and it was set up by Raja Ajbar Sen in the year 1527 CE. Since ancient times this town was an important trade and commercial centre between Indian plains and Ladakh, Yarkand and Central Asia. Mandi is also known for its old temples, built along the Beas and Suketi river fronts, and mostly dedicated to Shiva and the Shakti and their enormous range of exquisite carvings attract the eyes of any beholder and its surroundings present a panoramic view of the town thereby earning the title of 'Varanasi of the Hills' or 'Chhoti Kashi of Himachal'.

Chhering Dorje joined ASI as Deputy Superintending Archaeologist in May 1979 and retired in 2013 as Joint Director General. He had the experience of working in different fields of archaeology particularly in conservation and heritage management projects in the different states. He had a number of articles and papers published in research journals. He was also a Fellow of Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla (2016-17).

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