The reason that I moved to a city which is in proximity to the best hill stations in India, is a reason for my friends’ envy. But what they don’t realize is that after a few trips, one tends to get an overdose of same destinations. So a few weeks ago, when my wife and I had a long weekend off from work, we decided to find a lesser known and a lesser visited place to explore. And that is when I learned about Nahan. A small town in the foothills of the Shivalik Hills, Nahan is an old settlement of Himachal Pradesh.
Reaching there
Google map suggested a drive time of roughly 2 hours via NH 7, a route we had never traveler earlier. We rented an economical car with a driver from Chandigarh to Nahan, so we could take a break from our daily drive and enjoy the journey instead. On the way, we passed the dense and green Morni Hills which gives you a preview of what you can expect in Nahan.
Harvinder Chandigarh [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons
Nahan is a quiet and peaceful hill station on the southern edge of Himachal enveloped with greenery and views of the snow-capped mountains.
Nahan- An overview
The first things that you would notice as you enter the town are its planned layout and spic-and-span roads. Despite having all its civic amenities, there was not a speck of dust to be found in the air, even in the dry season. We headed towards Sirmour, an hour away from Nahan town, where we had booked our stay at a hilly retreat. Right before we entered Sirmour, we caught a glimpse of the Renuka Lake, the largest lake of the state as we were told by our driver. I would advise any traveler to get a car on rent in Chandigarh from Savaari and you will enjoy the most wonderful service on the road.
Harvinder Chandigarh [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons
Our resort was flanked by manicured gardens and stone steps and opened up to the views of the misty mountain ranges and the valleys below, rendering the perfect panorama that we were looking for, without having to visit the typical touristy places in the state.
Exploring Nahan
Contrary to what we had expected of Nahan, the hilly town turned out to be quite a destination for outdoor adventure. The forests and hilly terrain outside the town are popular among trekkers and mountaineers, who use this town as a stopover for longer treks. For a relaxed time, one can go for fishing or take a leisurely stroll down the nature trails, parks, and explore the rural areas.
One of our first sightseeing stops was the Fossil Park at 21 Km from town. An interestingly created public garden, this place has life-size models of pre-historic animals, made out of reinforced plastic fibers.
Harvinder Chandigarh [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons
We also a trip to the Renuka Lake, for a closer view this time. The lake area is indeed huge and is the best place in Nahan if you want to enjoy the outdoors. With the warm sunshine and light winter breeze, it was a perfect day for a boating session on the lake.
For those seeking some real adventure, take a trek to the Churdhar Peak, the highest peak of the Outer Himalayas. The complete trek route from Haripurdhar near Nahan is 50 Km long and takes 2 days with stops.
I, Vjdchauhan [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY-SA 2.5]
This was for another time, so we resorted to our relaxed time and went for a day trek around Sirmour.
The scenic views of the misty mountains with green fields below and the unmapped forest routes make Nahan an intriguing destination one should explore. And we were glad to have discovered this quaint little place, away from the maddening crowd which gave us a weekend to remember for a long time to come.