Nahan: Welcome to Shivalik

This plan of ours along with our friends came up out of the blue. So one fine summer morning when we were in Delhi NCR, some 4-5 years ago, we took out our cars & headed on NH44 towards this unexplored destination. After Kurukshetra, from Shahbad, one needs to take a right turn to go towards Nahan which is about 280 km from Delhi. The moment you are near to Trilokpur, the beautiful landscape welcomes you and the feeling of being nestled amidst the hills surround you. Nahan is a beautiful hillside city dotted with temples, garden and man-made lakes.

There are a numerous places that you can go visiting apart from having some wonderful fun moments with your friends:

Renuka Lake

One of the largest lakes in Himachal, spans along a huge boundary of 3214 m. This lake is regarded as the embodiment of Goddess Renukaji who is the mother of Lord Parashuram. Also around the lake is a temple dedicated to the Goddess which was supposedly built overnight somewhere in 18th century. Lake is surrounded by a wildlife sanctuary and boating facility is available as well. The lake lies along a long valley is surrounded by thick woods on the either side.

Trilokpur Temple

This temple was built in the year 1573 and is situated on the Kalka-Ambala highway. This temple is the abode of Goddess Mahamaya Bala Sundri and attracts a lot of pilgrims from all over North India, especially from Haryana & Himachal. A fair is held twice a year, one in April & the other in October during the Navratras.

Jaitak Fort

This fort was built in the year 1810 by the Gorkha leader Ranjor Singh Thapa from the remains of Nahan fort and is situated at a vantage point. The view from here is simply beautiful as the fort occupies a strategic view point. The fort is situated some 25 km from Nahan city and is built atop the Jaitak hills.

Saketi Fossil Park

This themed fossil park is famous for fossil display and fibre based replica of extinct animals that once roamed on this land. This park is frequently visited by students & scholars interested in study of fossil finds. Some of interesting fossil & models are of extinct giant land tortoise, gharial, 4 horned giraffe & sabre toothed tiger. This park is around 25 km from Nahan and is open from 9am-5pm except Tuesdays. It is also possible to visit some of the excavation sites around the park.

Churdhar Peak

A nice getaway from climbing and trekking lovers, Churdhar peak is located at a height of 3650m from the sea level and offers a 50km long trek. While trekking along, one can experience lush forests and fields on both sides. View from the summit is enchanting as one can witness a panorama of lowland tracts towards the south and towards the north one can catch a glimpse of Badrinath & Kedarnath peaks in Garhwal. Walking along the sanctuary, one can spot a Himalayan Monal, Koklass & Khaleej pheasants. Below the summit is a small temple dedicated to Lord Shiva called the Chooreshwar Mahadev.

Overall, the trip was an enchanting one with a lot of lesser known and explored destinations. However, the city is serene and peaceful. The adjoining areas of attractions are equally calm and serene. We stayed at Sirmour Retreat in Nahan which is good place of stay and offers all facilities. It was indeed a nice little weekend getaway to the Himalayas from Delhi as we could combine the best of weekend driving alongwith some scenic sightseeing.