Pragpur: India’s First Heritage Village in HP

 

 

Where it is located?

• Pragpur is a village situated in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh.

 

When it is notified as “Heritage Village”?

• Lying in the shadows of Dhauladhar range, and developed about 3 centuries ago, the village of Pragpur along with the nearby village of Garli, is notified as a “Heritage Village” by a State Government notification dated 9 December 1997 making it the first such village in India.
• As per the constitution of India and Panchyati Raj Act, Pragpur village is administrated by the sarpanch, who is the elected representative of the village.

 

How this helped?

• The recognition not only brought it on the international tourist map, but also more state resources for better telephone connectivity and regular power supply. The Heritage Village sobriquet is well-deserved. Pragpur is a charming hamlet of architecturally fascinating buildings that line its cobbled lanes.

Garli – Pragpur Heritage Zone:

• So,on the basis of tourism policy of 1991, the state government declared Paragpur on 9th December 1997 and Garli as heritage village in the year 2002.
• In 2002, the protection of heritage was given the status of a Special Area Development Authority.

 

Garli and Pragpur together form the Heritage Zone.

Purpose for this:

• The buildings built here would be in accordance with the heritage. Obviously, funds for the protection of heritage villages started getting from the central government as well. But still work needs to be done at the ground level for their proper protection.

 

Which river flows near Pragpur?

• In the foothills of the Himalayas, on the banks of River Beas, Pragpur is a heritage village in the Kangra Valley.

 

Which painting takes its roots from Pragpur?

• The famous Kangra School of Painting takes its root from Pragpur.

Who founded this village and why?

• Pragpur was founded in the late 16th century by the Patials in memory of Princess Prag Dei of the Jaswan Royal family. The area of Pragpur was part of the principality of Jaswan whose chief, in the late 16th or early 17th century, charged a band of learned men, led by a Kuthiala Sood, to find a suitable place to commemorate Princess ‘Prag’ of his royal lineage.

About Pragpur Village:

• Pragpur is an ornamental village with unchanged shops, cobblestone streets, old water tanks, mud-plastered walls and slate-roofed houses. The narrow streets, lined with fort-like houses, havelis and villas, are indicative of the area’s aged charisma. Due to its unique architecture and pristine beauty, the state government of Himachal Pradesh declared Pragpur as the country’s first Heritage Village in December 1997.

 

Judges Court Pragpur

• Prag means “pollen” in Sanskrit and pur means “full of”, so Prag-pur means “full of pollen”, which rightly describes the area when it is ablaze with blossoms in spring. Along with Pragpur, the nearby village of Garli is a part of the Heritage Zone.
• Judges Court, Completed in 1918, this is a splendid country manor designed in Indo- European tradition. The visionary behind this bold structure was Justice Sir Jai Lal. 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. Other places of interest within Heritage Village Pragpur are LALA RERUMAL HAVELI built in 1931 by a 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. 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.

Places of interest:

• The places of interest within the Heritage Village Pragpur are the Lala Rerumal Haveli built in 1931 by a 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 and atiyalas or public platforms are the pride of this heritage village.
• There are many silversmiths in the market selling traditional trinkets and curios. The village is known for its cottage industry. The inhabitants in the area are mostly craftspeople, weavers, basket makers, silversmiths, painters, musicians and tailors. One can purchase hand-woven blankets, shawls and hand-block printed clothes.

 

Houses structures:

• With cobbled lanes and kutcha houses plastered with mud, colonial-era paintings and structures, you are in for some interesting history lessons all the while living the vibe of this undiscovered place!

 

Architectural styles:

• This village harbor house constructed in a range of architectural styles such as Kangra, Rajput, Portuguese, British and Italian.
• Moreover, one of the most important structures that this place has is, The Judge’s Court – a 300-year-old ancestral home that has been converted into an opulent resort. The judge’s court, the 300-year-old ancestral home of Vijai and Rani Lal, which has been converted into an opulent resort. Vijai Lal is the grandson of Justice Sir Jai Lal, the second Indian to become a Judge of the Punjab High Court.
• Joining the list of the most marvel structures that this little village is blessed with is Lala Rerumal’s Haveli which has a Mughal-style garden and a colossal reservoir. Not to miss, there are plenty of other equally charming places that Pragpur has- The Chaujjar Mansion, courtyards of the Sood clan, ancient templates, and public platforms, that makes this place worth all the hype.

 

To experience the charm of Pragpur, take a walk through the village. The square-shaped water pond in the middle of the village will lure you to spend some time around it. Built before 1868, the Taal is the core of the village and is surrounded by several old communities.

• Dating before 1868, the Taal or pond 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, which has records of its meetings since 1864. This body continues to be responsible for the maintenance of this ancient water system.
• The Taal is surrounded by many heritage structures -the NEHAR BHAWAN (nearly 250 years old); NAUN (dated around 1864), a drinking water facility by the Nehar Committee; DHUNICHAND BHARDIAL SERAI (village inn) and RADHA KRISHNA MANDIR.

 

Religious Place and nearby Places:

• In addition to the historical touch, this place also has a religious flavor. Dada Siba shrine, which is an obscure holy place that provides a glorious view of the snowy chain Dhauladhar.
• Situated approximately 22 km from Paragpur, the temple dedicated to Radha Krishna is an ancient temple famous for its murals. Started by Raja Gobind Singh and completed by Raja Ram Singh, the walls and ceilings are covered with Lord Krishna legends.

• Although late to acquire the heritage status, but barely 3 km away from Pragpur, is Garli village. This hamlet also has plenty of heritage buildings. Of these, the most prominent is the house of the timber merchant and late lawyer Rai Bahadur Mohan Lal, who also built many other noteworthy buildings here. Another lovely house is that of Mela Ram Sood with its unique brick jali wall.

 

The first house built in Garli, the ‘Raee­so-waali Kothi’, spoke of the opulence of its inhabitants.

 

• Dehra: a small town near Pragpur.
• Sidh Chaano Temple: a famous pilgrimage place in Pragpur.
• Chhinmastika Dham: also known as Chintapurani Mata Mandir; a famous religious place; 27 km from Pragpur.
• Jawalaji Mata: this temple is a famous religious place, 23 km from Pragpur.
• Nearby markets: Garli, Dhalihara, Neharan Pukhar.
• Dada Siba shrine

 

Infrastructure Development:

• Of these, the most prominent is the house of timber merchant and the late lawyer Rai Bahadur Mohan Lal, who also built many other noteworthy buildings here, including the Sud Anglo Sanskrit High School, the foundation stone of which was laid in 1930-31.

 

• Garli-Paragpur has a lot to offer to the tourists. Butel Naun, Talab, Jujis Court, ancient Radha-Krishna temple located in Paragpur is amazing in itself. On the other hand, four hundred years old pond in Garli, Naurang Yatri Niwas, hundred years old grand haveli, Anglo Sanskrit High School (now Ravmapa Garli) built in the year 1918, lift drinking water scheme built in the year 1928 etc. places are worth seeing. But due to lack of clear policy, plans and publicity, Garli-Paragpur remains a heritage village in name only.

 

Festival:

• Then there is the Lohri festival in January that adds to the cheer and the Nakki ka Mela (wrestling fair) that steers in the festive spirit in this lovely village that has taken upon itself to get noticed.

 

Movie Shooting:

• Bollywood has also caught sight of these heritage villages. In the last few years, many films, commercials and albums have been shot here. That is why it is also known as Mini Mayanagari. Garli Paragpur is a place which has havelis of mythological times which attracts filmmakers a lot. On this, nature is also kind here. Therefore, famous film stars of Bollywood are coming here to shoot their films. Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor, who came to play the lead role in Bollywood film “Chintu Ji”, which was shot in 2008 in Garli Paragpur, had said that Garli Paragpur is a place for shooting Bollywood films where the entire film can be shot in one area. . Then the said Chintu film was shot here for 48 consecutive days. Many other Bollywood films have also been shot here, including the film ‘Baakein Ki Crazy Baaraat’. Apart from this, many Bollywood, Pahari, Punjabi albums and ad films have been shot here. The ad of Tata Nano car was also shot in Dharohar village, Garli-Paragpur.

 

Freedom Fighter Baba Kanshi Ram relation with this place:

• He was born on 11th July 1882 in village Gurnwad, Dehra Gopipur, Dada Siba.
•  He was an Indian poet and activist of the Independence campaign.
• The death sentences handed out to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev in 1931 had a great impact on him. He vowed to wear black clothes until India achieved its independence. He adhered to his vow until he died on 15th October, 1943 and came to be known affectionately as the ‘Siyahposh Jarnail’ (The Black General). In 1937, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru awarded him the title of ‘Pahari Gandhi’.
• He went to jail 11 times, spending nine years of his life there he continued his relentless battle against the British by writing sensitive poetry. He was titled as ‘Paharan-the-Bulbul’ by Sarojini Naidu in 1927

 

 

Demand for making film city & how it will benefit?

• Garli-Paragpur falling under Jaswan Paragpur is adjacent to about 3 assemblies which include Dehra, Jwalamukhi, Nadaun. There has also been a demand to build a film city at this place. Obviously, if a film city is built near Garli-Paragpur, then the surrounding areas will be benefited. The world famous Mata Jwalamukhi, Baglamukhi, Chano Siddha Temple, Thakurdwara Chanor are located around this area adjacent to the religious city. Already all these god places are very important and a large number of people come here for religious tourism. In such a situation, if a film city is built here, then there will be more force to develop the area as tourism.

How to reach:

 

By Air: Gaggal Airport which (45 km away), and Amritsar’s International Airport (170 km away) are the most convenient airports for reaching Pragpur.

By Rail: Himachal Express from Delhi will drop you at Ama/Una which is 60 km away from Pragpur.

By Road: Chandigarh and Amritsar are the nearest locations in case you wish to take a road trip.

(Source: HP Government)

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