A place for peace: Naktan, Himachal Pradesh

Located at a height of 8, 200 feet above sea-level (2499 m), the village of Naktan is only accessible by foot from Bharsheni which is a four-hour drive from Bhuntar in a local HRTC bus. To reach Naktan from Bhuntar one has to start the walk towards the dam and take the steps down at the far end of the Parbhati dam construction.

The walk is along a fleet of concrete steps that takes approximately 2 hours. While on the walk, one will find many horses and people carrying loads to the village. Naktan is a stop-over for many adventure groups on their way to the hot springs of Kheer Ganga.

Children from the village have to walk to Bharsheni to go to school every day, as there is no school in the village. Accommodation in the village is limited to home stays that are in the budget. Food in the village is limited to rice, dal, potato vegetable and rotis.

The people of the village rely on agriculture for their sustenance with apple trees grown by the villagers. Animal husbandry and fire wood gathering are allied occupations. The village is one of the few villages in the Parvati Valley where cannabis is not grown.

There is a temple at the centre of the village that is made of artistic stone and has animal horns adorning it as decoration. A walk through the village is a great experience—walking through the green pastures that give an even better feel after a rain fall where the air is filled with the sweet smell of moist mud. There are a number of water falls in and around the village that are great places to spend time at.

Naktan Village

The people spend their time in the temple vicinity chit-chatting with their children tied to their backs as they socialise. The houses of the people are all made of wood, with no cement houses at all.

A twenty-minute walk from the village leads one to its outskirts where the holy place of Rudranag is located. The temple is considered sacred by the people and so photography is not allowed and if people are to go near it, they have to do so without their shoes on.

There is a tea stall near Rudranag which serves great noodles and refreshing tea. Even though the village of Naktan is located at a high altitude in the state of Himachal Pradesh, it has good supply of electricity, with power cuts being a rare occurrence.

There are also a number of shops that sell biscuits and cold drinks to tourists who are on their way to Kheer Ganga. The people of Naktan prefer going to Kheer Ganga themselves, for a good, hot bath in the sulphur springs there.

The climate in the village of Naktan is very cold and during winters the people are virtually locked up in their homes as a result of incessant snow fall.

The village is a perfect place for people who seek a quiet, peaceful and tranquil place to spend their time. One can be assured of a great experience in unison with nature in Naktan in Himachal Pradesh.

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