Taragarh:  Taragarh Blessed with some of the most spectacular and beautiful landscapes anywhere, it is a travellers paradise -lofty snow peaks, deep gorges, lush green valleys, fast flowing rivers, enchanting mountain lakes, flower bedecked meadows, beautiful temples and monasteries steeped in time. May it be for relaxing, sightseeing, trekking, mountaineering, fishing, para-gliding, skiing, ice skating and golf.

Situated on a 15 acre forested estate surrounded by tea gardens of the Kangra valley, this is one of the most scenic and unexplored areas of Himachal Pradesh. It is at the foot of the Dhauladhar mountains with splendid views of surrounding snow-capped peaks. While at Taragarh, one can visit the Tashijong Monastery which has a commanding view of the Kangra valley, the nearby Andretta Pottery village - specializing in ethnic clay pottery and for the adventurous there are treks of varying intensities and Hang Gliding at Billing which is one of the finest in the world and hosts annual international para gliding, hang gliding competitions.

Location: 530 km from Delhi, 125 km from Pathankot.

Height : 1000 metres.

Route: Chandigarh - Ropar - Nangal - Una - Kangra - Palampur - Taragarh.

Nearest Town: Dharamshala (50 km). Rail: Pathankot (115 km), then Palampur by Kangra Queen (11 km).

Air: Jammu (5 hr drive).

Other places of interest: McLeodganj (67 km), Dharamshala (50 km), Dalhousie (183 km), Pragpur (95 km), Jwalamukhi (102 km), Chintpurni (150 km), Manali (192 km).

Pragpur: Founded about 3 centuries ago Pragpur has held onto the essence of an earlier era - unchanged shops, cobbled streets, ornamental village tank, mud plastered and slate roofed houses. By a notification dated 9th December 1997 the State Government has classified Pragpur as a Heritage Zone.


The Kangra Valley, where Heritage Village Pragpur is located is panoramic and replete with history. It is the home of the famous Kangra school of painting and probably the world's - most certainly India's - oldest ruling lineage comes from here. The area of Pragpur was part of the Principality of Jaswan whose chief, in the late 16th or early 17th Century charged a band of learned men, led by a Kuthiala Sood, to find a suitable place to commemorate Princess Prag of his royal lineage.

 The core area of Pragpur is notified as a Heritage Village and along with the nearby village of Garli, the surrounding area is a Heritage Zone. Prag in Sanskrit translates to pollen. In a way it aptly describes the area of Pragpur which in spring is afire with blossoms. The Soods are a special community laying claim to being Agnivanshis - born of a sacred fire - with references to them in ancient Hindu texts like the Rig Veda. At the time when Shimla was the summer capital of the British Raj the Soods from around Pragpur owned more than half of it, and they still continue to be the dominant community.



 The site chosen for Pragpur lies in the shade of the Dhauladhar mountains - the white ranges - and is said to be so located as to receive the astral benefic influence of prayers that have been offered for thousands of years at three nearby ancient SHAKTI ( Primordial Energy ) Temples of Brajreshwari ( Kangra ), Jwalamukhi and Chintpurni. Heritage Village Pragpur is ideal for Village land nature Tourism and is being promoted as an example of community involvement in tourism. The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage jointly with the government of Himachal Pradesh is developing and preserving Heritage Village Pragpur.

Pragpur offers a host of activities. It has a quaint market where several silversmiths ply their trade and will quickly modify trinkets to satisfy individual taste. The several village weavers will make shawls and blankets to order and tailors will make up dresses overnight. Easy excursions are possible, including visits to Kangra Fort, Dharamsala and McLeodganj, the seat of His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Dada Siba and the river Beas.



Those interested in nature study and bird watching will get their fill. The Beas River is within 6 kms. and offers the possibility of angling during season ( winter to early summer). Picnics and visits to local historical sites and monuments are arranged, and satisfying hours can be spent exploring nearby Garli ( lovely old houses in Simla architecture ) and Pragpur ( cobbled streets and ancestral homes ).