Thanedar and Kotgarh-Himachal pradesh

Thanedar-Kotgarh is the heartland in Himachal’s famous apple belt. Your journey leads you to Shimla from where you take the Great Hindustan-Tibet Road (now NH 22) ,commissioned by Lord Dalhousie in 1850 .Intended to buttress historic trade ties with Tibet ,the road he built might have been new but traced the centuries-old route followed by caravan trains.
En route ,64 km from Shimla ,stop at Narkanda , Himachal’s ski capital ,located at a lofty 8,900 ft .The snow-draped Himalyan tips can be best viewed from Hatu peak (11,000 ft) .From there, Thanedar is just 17 km away and lies at the altitude of 7,000 ft.
Here apple pioneer Samuel Satyanand Stokes made his home and built the Paranjyotir temple.
Kotgarh is 12 km away from Thanedar and St Mary’s church built in 1872 is located here. With its lovely stained glass windows and pews sculpted from solid deodar wood ,it is worth the extra miles you drive.

ROAD MAP
From Delhi ,take NH 22 via Ambala ,Chandigarh ,Kalka, Kandaghat ,Shogi ,Shimla ,Theog ,Narkanda.

Delhi to Thanedar to Kotgarh: 421 km + 12 km.

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START at Delhi

Start outer Ring Road towards GT Karnal Road

Turn right on NH 1 – Proceed towards Ambala (199.76 Km)

Continue on NH 22 towards Kalka (65 Km)

On NH 22 , continue towards Solan (30 Km)

On NH 22 , continue towards Shimla (32 Km)

On NH 22, continue towards Narkanda (64 Km)

At Narkanda, take the state road to Thanedar (16 Km)

END at Thanedar
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Best time to visit
The Retreat stays open all year round. However temperatures vary with the seasons. April - November - Pleasant days (light woolens) and cold nights. December - March - Likelihood of snow and minimum temperatures touch zero degrees C.

Accommodation
Seven fully furnished rooms with attached baths at camp in Thanedar. There is 24 hrs supply of hot and cold water.

Places to visit around the Retreat
Tani-Jubbar Lake
Famous for 'Nag Devta' temple built along the lake. The lake is 6 Kms from the retreat.
Hattu Peak
15 Kms away, at 11,000 ft, this peak offers a panoramic view of the snowline.
St.Mary's Church
Built in 1843, this church at Kotgarh is one of the oldest churches in India.
Parmjyotir Temple
Built by Stokes in the Pahari style, the temple is 1 Km away from the retreat.

Reaching Thanedar from Shimla
From Shimla you take NH 22 via Kufri to Narkanda(64 kms). At Narkanda, you leave NH 22 and get on to the Narkanda-Thanedar-Bithal road. Thanedhar is 15 kms down the road and the Banjara Orchard Retreat is 1 km short of the Thanedar Bazar. A signboard of the Retreat greets you at the turn off . The same road carries on to meet the Shimla-Sangla highway (NH 22) at Bithal which is 21 km from the Retreat.