There are so many places in Himachal that the mainstream tourists do not visit or are not aware of.
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| Sheeps & Goats grazing in the fog covered forests near Rajgarh |
One such place is Rajgarh, a small town located at an altitude of 1555 metres in the Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh. The town in itself has nothing to boast about but it is the surrounding areas that are bountiful in their nature and beauty.
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| A fruit laden tree near Rajgarh in Sirmaur |
Economically the area grows lots of peaches and in fact is also sometimes called the Peach country.
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| Resin being extracted from the pine trees |
There are wood and wood products like the resin and turpentine oil extracted from the pine trees. See the cone shaped receptacles attached to the trees in the above picture. Cuts are made on the bark of the tree and the resin that flows from it is collected in these receptacles.
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| A farmer carrying a tomatoes laden basket from the field |
Also some commercial vegetables are grown in plenty like the tomatoes.
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| A misty path near Bhuira village beckons you to its secrets |
One can make Rajgarh a base for some beautiful treks including the Churdhar Wildlife Sanctuary. If you are with family and do not have the skills or options for a longer trek then you can do small day treks for which the area has plenty of options like going to the Bhuira area (Yes the famous Himachal jam maker Bhuira is from this region) or the Bhat-ka-Saina with beautiful meadows all around.
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| A fairy tale picture? This is Rajgarh in Sirmaur |
As the altitude is such that the pines are in plenty but the deodars have also started (though not big ones) the effect in the mist is beautiful.
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| A beautiful meadow near Rajgarh, Sirmaur |
I went to Rajgarh close to Monsoon, 1st July. It was drizzling mildly and thus it was perfect weather. The other advantage was that we got Off-Season discount in the HPTDC hotel.
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| A plant with multi-coloured stem |
One could see all kinds of vegetation growing in the wild like the multi-coloured stem of this plant trying to camouflage itself in the surrounding area. The area was full of wild flowers.
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| Wild Blue Berries near Rajgarh |
I also saw several berries including the blue and black berries. Sometimes I felt as if I was walking in the clouds and at other times as if I was walking above the clouds.
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| Wild flowering plant with water droplets |
The fog and the mist added to the surreal beauty of the place. The water droplets on the leaves after the rains were shimmering like diamonds.
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| A fairy tale house? |
However, in terms of food joints Rajgarh is not the right place. There are few eateries in town. The town has practically nothing interesting to offer. The Tourist Inn run by Himachal Tourism is located at a height. It has decent rooms with view of the nearby hills. It serves decent food. On the positive side, its rates are much less than the more popular tourist destinations in Himachal.
How to reach Rajgarh: Rajgarh is about 340 kms from Delhi, 100 kms from Chandigarh and 39 kms from Solan. One has to leave the Chandigarh - Shimla national highway 22 at Solan and take a State Highway road for Rajgarh via Ochhghat and Giripul.
Also read:
Rajgarh: Pretty as a Peach?
Around Rajgarh in Himachal Pradesh
Wild Flowers of Rajgarh
Wildlife in Rajgarh
