It is 65 km from Dharmsala. It has been notified as 'Heritage village' because of the ancient rural beauty and architecture that it has.
Pragpur is a small hamlet with very little population. It is located at an elevation of 1800 ft above the sea level in the Kangra Valley. Pragpur village lies on the foothills of the massive Dhauladhars popularly referred to as the White Ranges. A place with breath of fresh air & also a place where time stands still. It is also the perfect base to explore Kangra, Jwalaji, Chamunda, Ranital, Chintpurni, Palampur, Dharamsala and McLeodganj.
Pragpur, a quaint village gets its name from the spectacular blossoms in spring here. ‘Prag’ means pollen in Sanskrit. Blessed with panoramic views and charming simplicity, Pragpur lies in the Dhauladhar mountain ranges of beautiful Kangra valley in Himachal Pradesh. Pragpur is the first certified Heritage Village of India, founded about three centuries ago and till date holds onto the essence of an earlier era - unchanged shops, cobbled streets, ornamental village tank, mud plastered and slate roofed houses.
The colorful flowers in spring give an impression that the village is ornamented for a grand celebration. There are orchards of mangoes, citrus fruits and lemons, which add to the beauty of this destination. It is believed that the village receives astral benefit because of the influence of prayers that have been offered for thousands of years at three nearby ancient temples - Bajreswari, Jwalamukhi (21km away) and Chintpurni (20km away).
The Kuthiala Soods had set up the village of Pragpur in the memory of Princess Prag Dei of the Jaswan Royal Family. There are several splendid buildings in the village worth visiting. The 300-year-old ancestral home of the Kuthiala Soods must be checked out. In December 1997, the Government of Himachal Pradesh notified Pragpur as a Heritage Village in order to encourage Rural Heritage Tourism. The heritage village is the home to the renowned Kangra School of painting which is the well-preserved and a protected ancient architecture.
Places to Stay : The best place to stay on your visit to this village is Hotel Judges Court, a heritage manor. The Judge's Court is heritage resort built in typical Anglo-Indian style of architecture. Radha Krishna Thakurdwara Temple Serai, Heritage Inn, PWD Guest House are some other places that one can opt to stay.
Shopping : There are many silversmiths in the market selling trinkets and curios. The village is known for the Weaving Cottage industry. You can purchase hand woven blankets, shawls and hand block printed clothes.
PLACES OF INTEREST :
- Taal : Taal or the Pond constructed in 1864 AD, forms the core of Pragpur village and serves as a recreational space for young and aged alike. It was constructed by the village brotherhood known as the Nehar Committee. The Taal is surrounded by many heritage structures - the Nehar Bhawan (Approx 250 years old), Naun (established in 1864), a drinking water facility by Nehar Committee, Dhuni Chand Bhardial Serai (village inn) and Radha Krishna Temple.
The Judge's Court : Completed in 1918, this is a splended country manor designed in Indo-European tradition. It is heritage resort Anglo-Indian style of architecture. Justice Jai Lal built this manor in the 20th century AD. It stands in 12 acres of greens and is just a short walk from the village core and the Taal. It is now run by the owning family as a heritage hotel. - Nakki : This is one of the entrance to heritage village Pragpur. Since ancient times, the Reru Mal family provided a water point for common use, the overflow of which falls into small tanks where the village people bathed and washed.
- Butail Niwas : This is a unique building. Over a hundred years old, it was built by Lala Buta Mal, a scion of the Chaujjar Sood clan. It includes six identical apartments built for his six sons. These lie around a sunken courtyard. In warmer weather, this courtyard is flooded with water to provide cooling. The water for this has been brought by the Butails from the nearby Nalsuyah Khad.
Other places of interest with in heritage village Pragpur are Lala Reru Mal Haveli (built in 1931 by Rais of Pragpur which has a Mughal style garden), pleasure terrace and a large water reservoir, Butail Mandir, Chaujjar Mansion, Courtyards of the Sood clans, an ancient Shakti Mandir ( bearing inscriptions in the largely obsolete Tankry script and Atiyalas or public platforms), 250-year-old Nehar Bhawan, Dhunichand Bhardial Sarai or the Village Inn and Radha Krishna Temple.
The area is inhabited by many crafts people-weavers, basket makers, silversmiths, painters, musicians and tailors etc. The residents of Garli-Pragpur are hospitable. There is always a warm welcome for tourists and the area provides a safe passage.
The area is round the year visitable, especially January and September when the Lohri and wrestling festivals are celebrated.
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