Our romance with Himachal Pradesh is still going strong. After the obvious ones, we are now at the offbeat places of Himachal Pradesh, and sometimes thrice. Naggar in Kullu is one such spot that has been pulling us over and over again. Manali to Naggar is barely half an hour’s drive. Yet, we kind of feel silly now that we discovered Naggar in Kullu so late in our trips to Manali.

To make amends, we did it differently this time. Instead of visiting Naggar from Manali, we have dropped at Naggar and are  spending 5 days at this idyllic spot. If you are wondering how do I get to Naggar?  Where to stay at Naggar? Top things to do at Naggar, this post is for you.

How to reach Naggar from Delhi

Delhi to Naggar is approximately 514 km which is about 20 km less than Delhi to Manali. So if you have driven up to Manali, then you can consider driving to Naggar as well and you will reach this place at least 30 min earlier. Do beware that the Himachal government has taken up massive road construction and broadening projects which would last a while. Great news for the future, but it is a driver’s nightmare as of now that also leads to massive traffic jams. So if you are not comfortable with driving on broken mountain roads or are travelling in a group, you should consider hiring a cab with a driver proficient on these roads.

There are many long-distance buses to Manali that ply over Naggar. Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) bus service is one of the best in the country. This time we travelled in a cool and clean Volvo bus from Himachal Bhavan, Mandi House New Delhi.  Our dropping point was Patlikulh. Naggar was a 10-minute drive from there.

The nearest railway station is Joginder Nagar and the nearest airport to Naggar or Manali is Bhuntar in Kullu.

Where to stay at Naggar

There are many accommodation options at Naggar. Starting from HPTDC heritage hotel to humble homestays, you have many options. We stayed at Kohinoor Heritage Resort, a family-run boutique property in Naggar.

Kohinoor Heritage Resort – Naggar

Why would we choose Kohinoor Heritage Resort in Naggar? There are a bunch of reasons.

Location

Kohinoor is located at a street corner and we could see the board from afar. It is a few meters from the gorgeous Naggar Castle and a stone’s throw from the ancient Tripura Sundari Temple. If we go left from Kohinoor, we reach the cool café cum art zone of Naggar. If we take the right, we walk through apple orchards into lush natural beauty. The place is peaceful and quiet. Yet, there is never a dull moment! In fact, given the strategic location, the Roerich Museum has installed a carved piece of art by the renowned Russian sculptor George Protosky at the threshold of Kohinoor Resort.

Room

The rooms are spacious and inundated with sunlight. Solid wood furniture creates an understated yet peaceful look. Geyser, water kettle, tea corner – the room has all items needed for comfort. Television sets have been shunned by way of principle. But then, when our balcony overlooks the grand Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas, who needs a TV?

Workation

We are travelling on a weekend along with 2 weekdays. Therefore we are going back to our laptops off and on and working intermittently, late nights and early mornings. Kohinoor resort is a great spot for a workation since they have robust WIFI internet that has been in excellent form. Moreover, their backyard overlooking the mountains is a great spot to sit and work in the outdoors. This is a rare treat for us city-birds.

Breakfast table with a view

 

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Breakfast like a king they say.  We are living that saying at Kohinoor where an elaborate breakfast spread is served at the idyllic backyard opening up to the gorgeous Himalayas. There are sandwiches, omelettes,  boiled eggs, Himalayan jam and bread, and our very own poha, paratha, daliya, upma, fresh juices, and fruits from their orchard. We are big fans of their fresh apple juice with a hint of mint leaves, every ingredient from their garden. Thinking of that we burp in delight!

Food

Coming to the rest of the food, we would say what they serve is a home-style affair. All the vegetables they cook  – capsicum, huge pumpkins, bitter gourd, and cucumber, are grown in their kitchen garden using strictly organic methods. We walked through the kitchen garden and were surprised to see a zucchini the size of a gourd.

That is not all. Kohinoor Resort maintains a cowshed with 3 or 4 healthy cattle. The milk and the raita that we had were made with curd that was set from their in-house cow milk. The curd was light and not artificial creamy. It cannot get healthier or tastier than this!

We had an array of Indian vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes that was laid in their dining hall. One evening we had freshly procured trout for dinner. Trout farming is common in Himachal Pradesh. Chef Raj had simply infused magic in the grilled trout dish that was served with French fries. If that does not get you drooling, wait you must try Siddu here.

Siddu is Himachali stuffed steam bread that is served with a spicy walnut chutney and pure ghee. Our taste buds were doing a merry dance while having this.

A slice of Kulwi culture

Siddu made by Kohinoor kitchen is literally having a slice of Kulwi culture. In fact, Shweta and Tushar Sharma who were trained singers regaled us with Himachali songs one evening. The songs were melodious, soulful, and redolent of mountain freshness. Dance is an integral part of Kulwi heritage and the folks at Kohinoor swayed to the singing as per traditional dance movements. While Kohinoor is a resort, their warmth made it a home away from home for us.

Things to do in Naggar

Many of our followers are ooing and aaing looking at the photographs we have been posting on social media. Truth be told, we too are surprised as to the enormous tourism potential Naggar offers. Below are some of the top sights in Naggar.

Naggar Castle

This grand wood and stone structure dates back to the fifteenth century. While this property is maintained by HPTDC, as a heritage hotel, it is the location for many Bollywood productions including the popular Hindi cinema “Jab We Met”. It also houses the historical Jagatipat Temple, a mini-museum, and gorgeous paintings by Russian artist Nicolas Roerich. This is about a 5-minute walk from Kohinoor Heritage Resort.

Roerich Museum

Nicolas Roerich, a multi-faceted personality from Russia made Naggar his home. He was a painter par excellence amongst many other hats he wore. His son artist Svetoslav Roerich was married to actor Devika Rani, the first lady of Indian cinema in 1030-1940. All their artwork, personal art collections, and pieces of Kullu art and craft are now displayed at the Nicholas Roerich Art Gallery and the Urusvati Himalayan Folk & Art Museum Naggar. The museums are 15 minutes walk from Kohinoor.

Jana Falls

Approximately half an hour’s drive from Kohinoor Resort is the very artistic Jana Waterfalls. The water flows like a heavy shower and we walked into the falls very comfortably and took photos. They also had some tables and chairs in the water basin although we did not see people eat here probably because it was raining when we went. In fact, there are a few dhabas around the waterfall that serve snacks and Himachali meals. We had an alfresco lunch at the oldest Maniram’s Dhaba and had many familiar items like Karhi, Makke-ki-Roti (Indian cornbread), Rajma, etc., but with a Himachali twist. Makki ki roti with ghee shakkar is going to linger on in our minds for long.

Jana Village

Jana Village is in the vicinity and we trekked down to visit a wooden Himachali mansion cum shrine that was replicated from the earlier shrine. The multi-story structure was full of carvings and Himachali chimes. It was set against the grey monsoon sky, and the trek transported us to another era.

Like the rest of Devbhumi Himachal or the Land of Gods, Naggar is replete with ancient temples, one more gorgeous than the other. If you are in the vicinity, the temples of Himachal Pradesh are not to be missed not only for their sense of divinity but also for their beautiful architecture.

Tripurasundari Temple, Naggar

This is an 11th-century old temple that has not been written much about or heard much from the tourists. The wood carvings on this pagoda-style shrine are exquisite, and indescribable in words. The marble statue of the Goddess wears a peaceful smile. We can hear the melodious Nagara horns and Himachali drums being played in ode to the Goddess every evening. As we said, this Divine Lady was virtually our neighbour.

Muralidhar Krishna Temple, Naggar

We celebrated Janmashtami at the 10^th to 11^th century Muralidhar Krishna Temple. We hiked from the comfy Kohinoor and saw an intricately carved stone temple in the Shikhara-style temple architecture of Himachal Pradesh. That was a bit of a climb and there is a perfectly motorable road to the temple but we wanted to do it the traditional way. We were so rewarded not only by way of the beautiful shrine but also a breathtaking view of the valley.

Gauri Shankar Temple, Naggar

Gauri Shankar temple carries a beautifully carved stone plaque of Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati. The stone temple is intricately carved in Shikhara style and we saw smaller shrines in the vicinity. This is about a 5-minute walk from Naggar Castle.  Hence you can cover this temple easily on foot from Kohinoor.

Chaturbhuj Narayan Temple

We spotted this stone-carved temple from the balcony of Naggar Castle. This was also in Shikhara style but less adorned than other temples. The regal statute of the four-armed Vishnu in the sanctum sanctorum compensated for the lack of ornamentation outside.

Last but not least, given the proximity of Kohinoor Heritage Resort to Manali, you can stay here and enjoy the attractions of the evergreen Manali. That way you can enjoy a fun trip and a peaceful stay. Best of both worlds we say!

Also read: How We Had A Lot of Fun in Manali by Giving Rohtang Pass A Miss

Where to eat in Naggar

If you want to try local Kulwi food in Naggar, request your homestay or resort.  But when you are out and want to grab a bite, there are many options. Because of the Roerich connection and the proximity to Manali, Naggar gets a lot of tourists from other countries. A host of cafes serving Continental cuisine have mushroomed here. Try Naggar Delight for coffee, cake, and coconut cookies, German bakery for their lemon ginger honey tea and cheese, Sheetal Rooftop for their thin-crust pizzas. All cafes exude a laidback vibe that matches Naggar. We routinely get cakes, cookies, and cheese packed for our way back from these cafes. These spots are a 5-minute walk from Kohinoor.

Shopping from Kohinoor Heritage Resort

Bhuttico factory, Kullu

Kullu Pattu or Kullu shawls are a collectable from this region. To give us a holistic experience of Kullu weaves, Pravinji, our host, drove us to the Kullu co-operative Bhuttico factory in Shamshi Village.  This was an eye-opener of sorts from spinning of yarn to weaving to store process. We bought some scarves and classic Himachali topis (caps) as souvenirs and gifts, and also by way of support to the movement. We shall be posting separately on the Bhuttico experience in due course.

Kullu topis, shawls, and slippers

Some of the cafes and some souvenir shops in Naggar sell the famous Kullu topis, shawls, stoles, and Himachali poolan, the Kullu slipper made of grass. These are traditionally handmade/handwoven products. But some shops tend to sell machine-made copies or goods of inferior quality to tourists. Hence, it is prudent to trust reputed co-operatives like Bhuttico or government-run stores.

Basketry

We bought some baskets from Kullu town. These were mostly used during apple picking or for storing votive elements hence sturdy and rustic. But, these would look stylish in an urban apartment as well.

Safar aur Nagme

This post has indeed been longer than we expected. But then staying at Kohinoor Heritage Resort, Naggar is a satisfying experience for the body and the soul. On this note, this trip is organised by Safar aur Nagme, a young travel company full of fantastic ideas and enterprise. From accompanying us to trekking expeditions to instructing the kitchen about our food preferences and arranging local transport, they ensure we have everything we need for creating memories. Team Safar aur Nagme, BIG THANK YOU!

We are already planning to come back to Kohinoor Heritage Resort with our folks. Meanwhile, we shall upload posts about many of the spots we are covering during this trip. Do keep visiting!