A day in a Himalayan village

Overview

This tour allows for a lovely leisurely pastoral experience just 26km from Shimla. You will enjoy the quietude of a village retreat at Dhami, an erstwhile Princely State whose capital was Halog and the state formed a part of the region known as the Punjab Hill States Agency during the British Raj period. The rulers of Dhami bore the title 'Rana’.

A very unique aspect of Dhami is the stone-pelting festival, an over 400- year old tradition that is rich in legend. Celebrated a day after Diwali, the stone-pelting activity is held near the temple dedicated to goddess Bhadra Kali. The participants, watched by thousands of people are the youths from the villages of Jamog and Kateru. The spilt blood is used to put a tilak on the goddess to appease her. It is believed good fortune will come to the village. This area was also popular for hunting during the days of the Raj

Dhami House, which you will visit and be hosted for lunch, was built nearly 100 years ago and the architecture of the house is a blend of colonial and traditional.

Why you will love it

• Hosted by a Naturalist and a descendant of a Royal Family.
• Walking through the villages and a nature trail.
• Discovering interesting facets of life here
• Sit-down traditional lunch with the Royal family in their ancestral home.
• A talk given by the Naturalist.

What you will experience

You will spend an entire day in this Himalayan Village where you will wind back to the days when one lived without the comfort of modern conveniences. Your host will be Kunwar Dushyant Singh, a descendant of the Royal family of this erstwhile dynasty during the Raj. He is a passionate naturalist and knows this area very well, so you can look forward to a very rewarding experience interacting with him and his family.