Travel Guides
nothing lonely about the planet
Naldehra
(Himachal Pradesh)
Tee Time
With your back to Shimla, and your foot on the accelerator, you could be forgiven for nonchalantly whistling through Naldehra, except for a teeny-weeny detail that tickles your cognitive abilities. The fenced corridor you just drove through wasn't erected to stop you from rolling over the hill. Feeling like a bull that has charged out of town for a mouthful of luscious grass, you screech to a halt, grey cells kicking in it's a golf net! Which means and you take a 180o spin there must be a golf course around. There is. All around you.
Feeling sufficiently silly, park at Golf Glade Hotel, find refuge in the caf and camouflage your silly smile with a glass of beer. Welcome to Naldehra.
Be warned that though Naldehra's interiors, with their spruce pines, plum trees and berries, have thus far escaped trampling, things look set to change, given the amount of construction activity. Another teeny warning: the view of the snow-crowned Himalayan Ranges is blocked for the most part by Shaily Peak and its less impressive sisters.
To See & Do
The game of golf is the reason you should be here, but fear not if handicaps and caddies aren't your cup of tea. There's much more to do here - long walks through pine-lined roads, excursions to picnic spots or the discovery of old English-style cottages in the surrounding villages.
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Temple Town |
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Tucked away here is a tiny Mahunag Temple, dedicated to the snake god. That's where Naldehra gets its name from: (maha) nag + dehra translates into the Abode of the King of the Snakes. Lord Curzon appears not to have been turned off by the notion of creepy-crawlies the former Viceroy gave his daughter Alexandra the second name Naldera!
Next on your tour is the charming Kogi Village, 2 km down a dirt track from Naldehra. Here are traditional Himachali houses, a temple of Kogi Mata and a chowka (seat of the elders) sculpted in wood.
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Fair Grounds |
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If you're here in June, there's the Sipi Fair, a festival of match-making. That's also about the only time when you can pick up local handicrafts, mostly woollen shawls, caps and mufflers.
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Counts and Laats |
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Just before Naldehra falls the village of Baldian. From here, take the motorable Old Rickshaw Road (which was used to transport the British here from Shimla) and head for the local fire station, 6 km away. For a shorter trek, take the 3-km approach from.
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Mashobra |
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Next to Baldian is what was originally the summer resort of the Italian Countess of Craignano. In the 1890s, Craignano was turned into the United Service Club for the British laat (?lord?) sahebs.
After Craignano, head for Talli, a tiny meadow flanked by the Mahakali Temple and the estate of the erstwhile Maharaja of Faridkot. Every October, a Joton ka Mela (a bull-fight fest) is held here.
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Content Source:
Outlook Traveller
Contributed by:
Charu Soni
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