Himachal
Places to visit
Top 10 Reasons why you must visit naggar
Planning to visit Kullu-Manali in Himachal Pradesh? Don’t miss out on Naggar village. Here is why…
Located on the left bank of Beas river near Manali in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, Naggar is a curious traveller’s paradise. The former capital of the erstwhile Kullu princely state, Naggar is also the perfect getaway for the solace seeker.
Here are the top 10 reasons why you must visit and stay in Naggar at least once in your lifetime.
Top 10 reasons to visit Naggar, Kullu
1. To live in peace and solitude
Away from the highway and the noise and crowds of towns like Kullu and Manali, Naggar is a peaceful small village. The pace of life slows down in this picturesque mountain village. The people are friendly and no one is in a hurry here. Your mind is finally at peace in the solitude of this place.
Naggar village is situated between Kullu and Manali. It’s around 12 kms from Manali and 25 kms from Kullu town. You can reach Naggar via the Left Bank road that starts from Kullu town or keep on the Chandigarh-Manali national highway on the right bank till Patlikuhal. From Patlikuhal, a link road takes you to Naggar.
2. To enjoy the best weather
Located at an altitude of around 1800 meters, Naggar is heavenly due to its salubrious weather. In summers, the days are pleasant in the warm sunshine and the night air is a little nippy. In monsoon, the mountain mist makes Naggar mystical. And in winters, Naggar and its surrounding areas shine like silver in the snow.
3. To rejuvenate yourself
Feeling jaded and need a break? Naggar is the place to be in to find your lost self and to energise yourself in the peace and quiet of this village. Sometimes sitting idle, not doing anything and just enjoying the nature, has its own health benefits.
4. To enjoy the best views
Naggar’s location and elevation is such that it offers excellent views of the mountains and the Kullu valley. From Naggar, you can see the whole Kullu valley with a meandering Beas river below and the snow-capped lofty mountains above. You can also watch the snow walls of Rohtang Pass from here.
And of course, nothing can beat the surrounding forest views from here. No wonder Russian artist and explorer Nicholas Roerich had made Naggar his home and lived here for almost two decades.
5. To familiarise yourself with local culture
Keen on knowing the local customs and ways of life? The deity worship in the villages or why Kullu is called the Land of the Gods? Naggar village can be a good starting point to know your answers because the old way of life, the Pahari culture and the customs are very much still preserved here.
An ancient fair called Naggar Jaach, which is held annually in May on the grounds of Tripura Sundari temple, continues to this day. You can also visit the nearby beautiful villages of Nashala and Jana to have a first-hand experience of the local way of life.
Naggar is also the hub of hand-made Kullu shawls and pattus, which were first popularised by actress Devika Rani.
6. To spend your days and nights in the lap of nature
Naggar village is situated literally in the lap of the Himalayas. There are deep and dense Deodar forests in the back and mountains and valleys in the front.
You can go on hiking in the forests in the morning and spend the nights under a starry mountain night. The walk in the forests especially in the spring time is amazing as the whole place blooms with flowers and you just can’t miss the aroma.
The rays from a warm sun that come filtering through the branches of deodar trees, the chirping of the birds, and the sounds of silence fill your heart with pure joy.
7. To visit some of the best places of Kullu valley
Blessed with a bountiful nature, Naggar also has some of the best places you can visit in the entire Kullu valley. Here is the list of the top places you can visit in Naggar during your trip.
Roerich Art Gallery and Museum
The art gallery and museum exhibits paintings by Russian artist and explorer Nicholas Roerich and his son Svetoslav Roerich. Nicholas Roerich had settled down in Naggar in 1929 after buying an 18-room villa and the Hall Estate from Joginder Sen, the Raja of Mandi.
Roerich with his wife Helena and two sons George and Svetoslav spent almost two decades in Naggar. Roerich had also set up Urusvati Himalayan Research Institute in Naggar in 1929. He died in Naggar in 1947 and was cremated on the grounds of his estate here. Part of his residence was later converted into a gallery and Urusvati into a museum.
The art gallery and museum remain open throughout the year except on Indian official holidays on the Independence Day (August 15), Republic Day (January 26), Gandhi Jayanti (October 2), Christmas (December 25), Holi and Diwali.
The entry fee for the art gallery and the museum is Rs 50 per person for Indian visitors and Rs 200 per person for foreign visitors. Read the complete travel guide and the amazing history of Roerich Art Gallery and Museum here.
Naggar Castle
A stone and wood structure built in the traditional Kath-Kuni architectural style, Naggar castle is another major attraction here.
The castle was built by Raja Sidh Singh in the early 16th century when Naggar used to be the capital of the erstwhile Kullu state. The Naggar castle remained a royal residence until the middle of the 17th century when Raja Jagat Singh transferred the capital to Sultanpur in Kullu. Though the capital was shifted, Naggar castle remained the summer residence of the Kullu royals till 1846 when Britishers seized Kangra and Kullu after defeating Sikhs in the Anglo-Sikh war. The castle was sold to Major Hay, the first Assistant Commissioner of Kullu, the same year by Raja Gyan Singh.
Major Hay renovated part of the castle in a European architectural style by adding fireplaces, staircases and chimneys etc. converting the property into his office-cum-residence.
In the following years, Major Hay sold the Naggar castle to the then British government and from then onwards it was used for a long time by state visitors and travellers from abroad.
Today, part of the castle has been converted into a heritage hotel and a restaurant. The visitors can take a look inside by paying a fee of Rs 50 per person. The view from the castle is absolutely fantastic.
The castle also houses Jagtipatt temple with a triangular flat rock slab. The legend has it that a swarm of bees had carried the rock slab from Rohtang Pass to this temple. There is also a museum on the ground floor that exhibits traditional Kullavi attire, folk music instruments, masks etc.
Tripura Sundari temple
Built in Pagoda style of architecture, the heritage temple of Mother Goddess Tripura Sundari (The Beauti of the Three Worlds) is located near the Naggar Castle.
The Pagoda architectural style with a succession of roofs, each one a little smaller than the below, of this wood and stone temple is rare in the Kullu mountains. The miniature wood carvings on the walls are one of the finest examples of temple art in India.
Murlidhar or Lord Krishna temple
At a distance of around 1 km from the Naggar castle stands the ancient and historic temple of Lord Krishna on a hilltop, known locally as Thawa.
It is said that Thawa was the actual capital of Kullu in the ancient times. However, today, there are no remains to verify this claim.
This stone temple and many others in the valley were built by the Rajas of Kullu with an objective of promoting the Vishnu worship in place of the indigenous rites and rituals prevalent at that time.
The Krishna temple follows the same architectural style as does the Vishweshwar Mahadev temple of Bajaura, which is considered the oldest stone temple in Kullu. The walls of the temple have been beautified with exceptional stone carvings. On the three sides of the temple walls are niches with the images of the gods and goddesses in them.
In the devastating earthquake of 1905, the temple had suffered a partial damage and the upper part of the Shikhara was rebuilt later.
8. To go off-roading
If you are one of those who love adventure then from Naggar you can go off-roading after getting bikes on rents or using your own vehicles. You can also go cycling in the nearby areas and breathe in the fresh mountain air as much as you can.
9. To visit Jana waterfall
The iconic Jana waterfall is also near Naggar. The waterfall is located near Jana, one of the oldest villages in the valley. You can plan a day trip to the Jana waterfall, which is around 13 kms from Naggar.
With huge Deodar trees on both sides, the road from Naggar to Jana is easily the most scenic and awesome in the entire Kullu valley. On your way, you also pass through some beautiful villages. At the waterfall, you can have snacks and meals at the dhabas here.
10. To go trekking
Naggar is also the starting point of two popular treks — Naggar-Chanderkhani-Malana trek and Naggar-Jana-Bijli Mahadev trek.
While the first one takes you to the Malana village in the Parvati valley via the Chandekhani mountain Pass the second treks leads you to Bijli Mahadev or the ‘Lightning God’ above Kullu and Bhuntar towns. From Naggar, you can also go on day hikes as there are many nice forest trails in the area here.
Where to stay in Naggar?
If you are visiting Naggar then check out our hand-picked list of top hotels, cottages and resorts in and around Naggar village.
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