[anupmathur]

So here's days 5, 6 and 7 of the one week trip:

Days 1 & 2 can be found here: Jalori Pass beckons .... monsoon trip.

Days 3 & 4 here: Kasol calls! After Jalori Jot & Shringpur, Ghiyagi...

The fifth day began with the drive from Kasol to Bhuntar. No photos of that, old hat. Then Bhuntar to Naggar, along the east bank of the Beas river. Wonderful area with many enchanting, traditional Himachali style homes and buildings. And a nice new monastery that has come up. Superb vistas.























Naggar - On the east bank of the Beas. Exactly midway between Kullu and Manali.
This place claims its fame because of Nicholas Roerich, the Russian artist who married Devika Rani and settled down here.
HPTDC converted one of the large heritage properties into a hotel, named it The Castle, and decided to add to its coffers riding piggy-back on Roerich's fame and fortune! We'd heard a lot about Roerich's Art Gallery. Read on ... it turned out to be not quite our cup of tea!

Now this Naggar trip needs to be classified into 4 sections: 1) The Castle hotel, 2) Roerich's Gallery and Home, 3) The museum of Himalayan Tribal Art that Roerich set up here, 4) The 'unknown' unpromoted factor: The old old Krishna Temple atop a nearby hill.
Of the lot, what appealed to us most is the last one on the list!!

Checked in to the Hotel Castle, and without having lunch, proceeded to Roerich's Gallery, lest it close for the day.
All I can say is that the gallery, the paintings, did not appeal at all. The house - home of the Roerichs - is excellent. The garden and the surroundings are excellent. But alas, the art gallery is pathetic! But the 1930 model Dodge car was a saving grace, though it was locked up in the garage.

Photos of the Roerich House and Gallery:








































We're nearly done with day 5. Just a bit more to come later!

[anupmathur]

Then, there is, nearby, at an elevation of about 100 mtrs (vertically), The Himalayan Tribal Art Museum, also set up by Roerich. Walking up the steep path knocked the wind out of me! But this turned out to be much better than the Roerich Gallery.

What happened here? A very confused tree! I'm sure Roerich had something to do with it (foreign hand!!).






Then climb and climb .... oooffff...





Finally, it's visible!





Right at the entrance, there's this ancient 'juicer'!!

[anupmathur]

Back to the hotel and we had some snacks (late lunch).
Then the manager tells us that there is a nice Krishna temple nearby. High on top of a hill. Truly ancient, like many centuries old. No enthusiasm from us. He gets the message. Says that cars can go, but it is a bad road and it's not really advisable with rains and whatnot. And a good driver would be needed.

We quickly hop into the car, lest daylight expires. Let's give it a shot.

This turned out to be the most scary and daring off-roading that I have ever done. The thing is, once you embark on a narrow and treacherous track, there's no turning back. Second gear, 4WD Low Ratio. That is what it was for the next twenty minutes or so. Stones and deep slush and a few sharp bends that needed a reverse manoeuvre.
Heart pounding but thoroughly thrilling!!

And what a temple! Bonus: the breathtaking views from that vantage point. That is what made the trip to Naggar 'paisaa vasool'!

The Krishna Temple and surroundings:







































And it starts to pour! Krishanji obviously thought we had overstayed the welcome and wanted us out of there double quick.

Thrilling ride back to the hotel, before the slush made it impossible. Just in time too, for the sun was also setting.


Be prepared for a flood of photos of the 'heritage property'!

[anupmathur]

The Castle Hotel:

But first, let's get done with all the museums! Yes there is a small one in the hotel itself.
A quick round of the hotel's museum:

[anupmathur]

And the hotel itself:







































And a few from the balcony outside our rooms (while having the customary chilled beer, and soup for the ladies!).






Dinner on the veranda outside the dining room was almost a romantic affair! The food was good, almost aerial views of shimmering and twinkling lights of the Kullu Valley, ominous clouds in the sky, and there was a nip in the air! And we were all together. Bliss.

That brings us to the close of day 5 of our holiday.

[Yogesh Sarkar]

Fantastic, loved the photographs of Roerich's home and the temple. From your description of it, looks like its a must visit place

[anupmathur]

Good morining!
We're starting day 6.
As an early riser, this is what I saw when I woke up:







Today is the day for the homeward journey to begin. For reasons completely incomprehensible, there was a last minute flurry of clicking more pics around the hotel! Mostly repitition, I think! But then, we are like that only.

Let's get done with them:

































Then after a gratifying breakfast, we headed homeward. But home was too far for us to reach in a day! Why? Because we did not plan to take the 'normal' route out of Kullu valley.
There is this third route to Shimla, the one via Rohanda and Chindi. It has been eight years since we were there last - Chindi's Hotel Mamleshwar was still being made then. Why not go and stay a night there to experience it?
That meant that at the end of the day, we'd be at Chindi.

So here are some photos of the long and scenic (and SLOW) drive!
One feature about that drive from 8 years ago that had stuck in my mind about this route, with its beautiful and lush green valleys, was the slate ROOFS of the houses. Amazingly neat and almost regimental in uniformity. Different from any other place in Himachal.
Do observe them in the pics.











































































And that brings us to the Hotel Mamleshwar at Chindi.
Lovely weather, great vistas and views, narrow and bad roads. Great fun.
BTW, lunch at Rohanda, was at a total cost of Rs.62/- for the four of us!!!!
Yes there are still such places on earth! We had 2 plates of boiled rice, a plate of Kadhi, a plate of chhole, 250 gms of Jalebi and tea!


The Mamleshwar Hotel coming up next.

[anupmathur]

The Hotel Mamleshwar served us the tastiest food of all the HPTDC places. We had ordered chicken curry, aloo-gobhi, daal and chapatis! Splendid!

And what a unique and complicated flower that was in profusion on one of the creepers there!

Now this place Chindi has really got nothing in the vicinity by way of markets or attractions. It's just Nature, walks and views. So there. It's not meat for everybody! (But the chicken served in the dining room was YUM!).



























A good meal, a divine drive through cloud and rain, lovely surroundings, and everything sort of hunky dory! And last, but, for me, not the least, the Scorpio behaving impeccably!
Thus ends day 6.

There's not much for tomorrow - just Tattapani, Shimla and beautiful weather right through to Kalka, followed by the incursion into Chandigarh to pick up Mom (in heavy rain) and the relatively uneventful drive down NH1 to Delhi!

[SSSK]

The Krishnaji temple is a discovery for me, we have been to Naggar no. of times but never heard of it. You seemed to have a relaxed trip Anup.

[anupmathur]

The Krishnaji temple is a discovery for me, we have been to Naggar no. of times but never heard of it.

Hehe, if not for Mr. Kashmir Thakur, manager at the Castle Hotel, we'd have been none the wiser! Hadn't heard about it from anyone in all these years!

But you being you, give it a shot in your Alto. If it's not during the monsoons, you'd be able to make it!
For the first time in my life, I saw an M800 hopelessly bogged down. Two people, trying every trick, were unable to get it going! They were locals and did not want my help!!!!

BTW, may I ask what takes you to Naggar so often?