Naggar Castle and the Jagatipatt shrine

Naggar Castle stands on a spur above the village with a clear view up the Beas valley. It is traditionally said to have been built around 1460 by Raja Sidh Singh, and for long periods it served as the seat of the Kullu rajas before the capital moved to Sultanpur, today's Kullu town. After the British took over the region in the 19th century it passed through official hands and was later turned into a hotel, now run by HPTDC.

The walls show kath-kuni construction clearly. Look for the horizontal deodar beams laid every metre or so, with dry stone packed between and the beams notched to lock at the corners. There is no cement. When an earthquake shakes the building, the timber flexes and the heavy stone settles back, which is why the castle came through the 1905 Kangra earthquake. Upper floors have carved wooden balconies that once let the household watch the valley road.

In the courtyard, the Jagatipatt shrine holds a large stone slab. Valley tradition says the gods ordered bees to cut it from a peak across the river and carry it here to make Naggar a seat of the devtas. Remove shoes before the shrine. A small gallery shows paintings and photographs of old Kullu. Day visitors pay a small fee and can take tea on the terrace.