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.