Southern Himachal Attractions
¤ Main Attractions
Sirmaur is the southernmost district of Himachal Pradesh. It may not
enjoy the tourist attention that Chamba, Lahaul or Kullu does,
nonetheless it cannot be completely erased from the itinerary.
The district is noted for its attractions of pilgrimage and the
legends that surround them.
Some of the interesting spots here are the old settlement of Nahan,
the famous gurudwara (Sikh temple) town of Paonta Sahib and the
picturesque Renuka Lake.
The borders of the Sirmaur district touch those of Uttar Pradesh,
Haryana, Solan and Shimla. Weaving its way through low rolling hills
is the attractions of Giri River, which divides the district into two
unequal halves. North of the river lies the Shillai region, famous for
its limestone quarries that have come up in the recent past.
¤ The Legendary Tale
The rulers of the erstwhile princely state of Sirmur were Rathore
rajputs. Their capital was at Sirmuri Tal. But not much information
about Sirmaur’s ancient past has survived except for a very
interesting legend. Once, it so happened, that a woman boasted to the
king of her acrobatic skills. The Raja then challenged her to cross
and recross the Giri River on a rope, promising to give her half his
kingdom if she did so successfully. The woman crossed the river
safely, and everyone was sure of her triumphal recrossing. But as she
was returning, a courtier, anxious to save the kingdom from
dismemberment, cut the rope, and the woman perished in the river. As a
punishment for this act of treachery, they say, a flood swept away
Sirmaur, and the Raja perished with all his kin, leaving the realm
without a ruler.
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