{"id":2764,"date":"2020-01-03T14:05:17","date_gmt":"2020-01-03T14:05:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.msjunebug.com\/?p=2764"},"modified":"2020-01-03T14:13:11","modified_gmt":"2020-01-03T14:13:11","slug":"__trashed-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.msjunebug.com\/?p=2764","title":{"rendered":"Exploring Kangra history in the heritage hamlet of Pragpur"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>5 Minute, 40 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n
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The beautiful Pragpur<\/strong> village in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By Nivi Shrivastava<\/strong> There is so much to see and learn from history; and, travelling to a heritage destination is just the perfect way to travel back in time and revisit the lifestyle of our ancestors through monuments that still preserve the essence of good ol\u2019 days. If you love to explore picturesque hill stations sprinkled with historical buildings (as old as 300-year-old) and wish to experience life from the Raj era, you must consider visiting Pragpur, a small village situated in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. The village of Pragpur along with a nearby village called Garli was declared as the “heritage village” and Special Area by the State Government in the year 1997. The twin villages promote rural tourism and are famous for old, rustic hilly manors that attract tourists from all over the place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(L to R from top) The Judge’s Court, Garli village, Pragpur and Kangra Fort <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

According to the history, Pragpur and Garli villages were developed around the Dhauladhar range almost three centuries ago by the Sood clans of Kangra valley. If you take a stroll on the worn-out cobbled streets of Pragpur, you\u2019ll spot several age-old houses made of mud brick, accentuated with wooden floors and slanted rooftops. The typical hilly homes are painted in bright hues of blue, green, red and yellow \u2013 giving an impression of a live landscape painting from olden times. Go closer to these homes, and you\u2019ll be able to see the remains of bygone era scrambling for survival in modern times as the villagers aren\u2019t allowed to reconstruct or meddle with the preserved heritage buildings that are now in shambles as most of them were constructed before the partition of India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to see around: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although there are quaint little reconstructed chateaus, mansions and havelis in the village that are delightful pieces of European-inspired architecture and design \u2013 the trip will be incomplete without visiting the magnificent heritage hotel called the Judge\u2019s Court. The landmark building was built during the First World War by Justice Sir Jai Lal between the years 1914 to 1918, and is spread over 10 acres of land. It is now a part of WelcomHeritage group with 30 rooms that are restored by the current owners Kamini Rani and Vijai Lal Kuthiala Sood, who is the grandson of Justice Lal. If you are lucky like me, you might be able to meet the family members and learn about the history of the place straight from the horse’s mouth. The generous couple not only showed me around, but also gave an insight about the village and mentioned, \u201cA clan of the Kuthiala\u2019s, with the permission of the Raja of Jaswan, settled in his territory about 350 years ago and this led to the foundation of Pragpur in commemoration of a princess, Prag of Jaswan. Prag in Sanskrit means pollen. True to its name, Pragpur became a prosperous habitation and blossomed into one of the finest examples of rural heritage. The village was laid out as per the ancient precepts of Vastu Shashtra and is a living example of Indian culture. Each community was given an identified living space thus there are areas for the Brahmins, artisans, artists etc and these distinctions still exist today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Nivi Shrivastava (@msjunebug0)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>