NAGGAR
From Jagat Sukh the capital was transferred to Naggar by Raja Visud Pal and later taken to Sultanpur (Kullu) in 1660 A.D. Naggar here till ‘Markarasa’ was rebuilt by Bahadur Singh in 1535 A.D. The castle built about 500 years ago is now a Himachal Tourism Department Hotel. The ancient temples of Gauri Shankar, Tripura Sundari Devi, Vishnu and Murali Dhar are located here. When the British came to the Kullu valley, they made Nagger the sub-divisional headquarters. The first Assistant commissioner to govern the district from here was Major Hay. The castle is so solidly built that it withstood the severe earthquake of 1905, when most of the houses in valley were damaged. Inside the castle is a courtyard in which lies a massive stone slab known as ‘Jagtipat’ which is believed to have been brought here from Deo Tibba peak by honey bees. Jagtipat is regarded as the seat of the gods and goddesses of the Kullu valley.
Near the castle is located a beautiful cottage and estate of the late Russian painter Nicholas Roerich. He visited India for the first time in 1923 and painted enchanting landscapes on canvas. He liked Naggar so much that he returned in 1929 and bought what was then called ‘The Hall Estate’ with its cottage and adjoining land. He resided there till his death in December 1947. Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru along with his daughter Indira visited Nicholas Roerich in 1942. The first lady of Indian screen Devika Rani and her husband Svetoslav Roerich often lived in the estate too. Svetoslav died at his Bangalore estate in 1993, after which Devika Rani donated the Hall Estate to the International Roerich Memorial Trust. Devika Rani passed away on March 9, 1994. This lovely cottage now houses some of the painter’s most famous works and is known as the Roerich Art Gallery.
Nicholas Roerich was a famous Russian artist who came to the valley and fell in love with the landscape. He stayed hear for a while and painted exquisite Himalayan landscapes. He returned to the village of Naggar and bought a house and estate. He remained here till his death in 1947.
Naggar is located 22 kilometres (14 mi) north of the District headquarters at Kullu and 230 kilometers (140 mi) north of the state capital at Shimla.
It is bound by Kullu Tehsil towards South, Spiti Tehsil towards East, Drang Tehsil towards South and Lahul Tehsil towards North. Manali, Keylong, Mandi, Sundarnagar and Hamirpur are some of the nearby towns to Naggar.
Naggar Castle is a medieval castle, located in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, India. Built by Raja Sidh Singh of Kullu in around 1460 A.D, it was taken over to Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC), to run as a heritage hotel, since 1978.
The nearest airport is Bhuntar Airport in Kullu (IATA code KUU) located in Bhuntar town at a distance of 40.2 km (25 mi) from Naggar.
Sightseeing in Naggar:- Nagar cascle, Art gallery, Jagatsukh temple, Jana waterfall etc.