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At a short distance
of just 80 kms from Shimla on the old Hindustan-Tibet road
lies Kotgarh in 1916 Samuel Stokes, a Social worker from Philadelphia
brought the first apple sapling to Kotgarh, the place he adopted
as his home. And thus began the saga of the Himachal Apples.
In fact, one can still see the 'Starking Delicious' apple
orchard that he planted there.
The Banjara Orchard
Retreat, Thanedar, Kotgarh: Nestled amongst acres of apple
trees is the Banjara Orchard Retreat. Here, fully furnished
rooms with attached baths are waiting to play host to you,
and a well-equipped kitchen is all set to tempt your taste
buds.
Scripture
on the walls of Parmjyotir Temple.
Among the many
visual treats here are the 'Tani-Jubbar Lake' at a short distance
of 6 kms which is famous for the "Nag Devta' temple built
along the lake, Hatu Peak which at 3352m offers a panoramic
view of the snowline, the St. Mary's Church, one of the oldest
churches in India, and the Parmjyotir Temple, Build by Stokes
in the Phuari style, Lose yourself in the lush surrounds of
this beautiful little orchard-town or take shorts treks or
jeep safaris the various sites. Whatever you choose, it's
bound to be an exhilarating experience And then, it's off
to the next retreat.
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