Campus guide · IIT Mandi · Himachal Pradesh
IIT Mandi's campus covers 503 acres in the Kamand valley of Himachal Pradesh, on the left bank of the Uhl river. It is split into a North and a South campus, its 14 hostels are named after Himalayan lakes, and the nearest airport is 42 km away. Students describe the setting as beautiful and the town as far. This is the sourced guide: size, hostels, getting there and what daily life is like.
How big is the IIT Mandi campus?
IIT Mandi's own NIRF 2026 sustainability filing lists the total campus area as 503 acres for 2023-24 and 2024-25 (IIT Mandi NIRF SDG 2026). When the land was cleared in 2011, "The campus will be spread over a total area of 501 acres, of which 308 acres is forest area" (Economic Times, 2011). Wikipedia's 538 acres has no primary source behind it.
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Campus area | 503 acres | NIRF SDG 2026 |
| Location | Left bank of the Uhl river at Kamand and Salgi villages | IIT Mandi |
| Founded | 2009 | Annual Report 2024-25 |
| From Mandi bus stand | About 23 km to North Campus, 40–45 minutes | IIT Mandi: how to reach |
| Nearest airport | Bhuntar (Kullu), 42 km; Chandigarh 169 km | IIT Mandi: how to reach |
| Hostels | 14 (10 boys', 4 girls') | IIT Mandi hostels page |
North Campus and South Campus
The campus has two halves. The 2024-25 annual report says North Campus "currently accommodates around 1,650 students and 220 faculty/staff members" and South Campus "accommodates around 2,070 students and faculty/staff members". A road joining the two is planned. Students on r/IITMandi explain the split in practice:
"In South campus, masters students reside (Mtech, M.Sc, PhD) and fourth year BTech. In north campus, Mba, BTech first second third year and some post graduates too. You can go from North to South or vice versa anytime during the day but have to come back to your respective campus before 10:30 PM. Campus buses are provided, every 15-30 minutes" (r/IITMandi)
IIT Mandi hostels: the full list
"There are 14 hostels including 10 boys’ hostels and 4 girls’ hostels in the campus. Each hostel has students from all years and disciplines. The hostels are named after lakes of India" (IIT Mandi hostels page).
| Campus | Boys' hostels | Girls' hostels |
|---|---|---|
| North | Dashir, Surajtaal, Suvalsar, Ganga, Saraswati, Yamuna | Gaurikund, Beaskund |
| South | Manimahesh, Nako, Prashar, Rewalsar | Renuka, Chandrataal |
Source: IIT Mandi hostels page. Ganga, Saraswati and Yamuna are rivers rather than lakes.
Messes are named after trees (Cedar, Maple, Gulmohar, Pine, Oak) and canteens after Himalayan birds (Magpie, Sunbird, Monal, Drongo). A 270-student hostel was completed in 2024-25, and a 1,377-bed boys' hostel was due for completion by March 2026, per the annual report. IIT Mandi charges for air conditioning separately from hostel fees; see our IIT hostel guide.
How to get to IIT Mandi
From the institute's travel page: "IIT Mandi North campus is approximately 23 Km from Mandi bus stand. It takes 40-45 minutes to reach IIT Mandi campus from Mandi bus stand", and a cab from the bus stand costs 800 to 1,000 rupees (IIT Mandi: how to reach). Mandi town is 402 km (about 8 hours) from Delhi and 164 km from Chandigarh by road. The nearest airport is Bhuntar in Kullu, 42 km away; the nearest railway stations listed are Anandpur Sahib and Kiratpur Sahib. Institute buses run between the campuses and Mandi on a published timetable.
What students say
"Trekking is the fun part, campus is surrounded by the mountains where you can go for trek with your friends. ... The library is open all night." (r/IITMandi)
"Campus Life is good(tho not even close to some of the top IITs, the reason being the campus is very isolated from the city which has a lot of drawbacks) But if you have good friends you can always enjoy the college with them, go on treks, go on trips." (r/IITMandi)
More on IIT Mandi: its CSE placement numbers.
From IIT Mandi? Rep your campus with IIT Mandi merchandise: hoodies, tees, varsity jackets and mugs, shipped across India.
By Arun Raghav S · Co-founder, IITian Vibes · Facts retrieved 30 September 2026 from the linked institute pages. Photos from Wikimedia Commons under the licences shown. Corrections to hello@iitianvibes.com.