The pine and cedar shadowed Hindustan-Tibet road that goes to Kinnur from Shimla scales up to nearly one thousand meter higher just after a drive of 18 km. In a moment, the cacophony of Shimla is replaced by a deep touch of silence properly supplemented with a dreamy landscape loaded with apple orchards and lush green valley. There on the top of the hill the majestic view of Giri valley unfolds magic. Here at this point a small sleepy Himalayan hamlet nestling in the dense solitude offers an unmatched panorama.

It is Fagu the newspot of niche tourism in Himachal. For it’s thick cover of fog that prevails more than eight months in a year many believe that the name Fagu was actually derived from it. However not enough authenticity is there to establish this.

Situated on the laps of green slope wooded with dark pine and cedar Fagu has an amazing vista of snow in its backyard. It has the entire snowline of Western Himalaya on the north while in its east the great range of Shivalik appears on a clear day. The snow secluded retreat contains a peerless landscape that covers bed of flowers on its rocky slope and wooded forest which houses rare Himalayan birds and even snow leopard. However leopard invading human habitat is common in every hamlet of Himalaya across India.

Fagu is the highest point of Shimla region and its height is more than 1000 meter higher than Shimla town. As it is not yet populated and commercialized like Shimla, it is much cooler and calm. No wonder that in 1910 Shimla GazEtte this place was described as the healthiest place of the region.

In new age tourism culture where isolation is preferred over crowd, and simplicity is opted over razzmatazz of luxury, a place like Fagu is sure to win a crown. When one gets a place overlooking panorama of Himalaya to soothe the eyes, backed with chilling breeze coming from thick wood of pine to tingle the body, the place automatically offers a paradisiacal experience. In Fagu this feeling is almost tangible.

From April onwards snow melts and apples bloom in Fagu.

With the season of apples a new character of Fagu unfolds and it changes the rural economy of the place which is largely dependent on apple cultivation. Apple is the cash crop of this region in Fagu, though apart from apple many other fruits are commercially produced.

Fagu is a good place to taste Himalayan fruit wines. The choice runs wild between apple, apricot, orange, pear, palm, strawberry and even rhododendron.

Like many other hill regions of India here as well, local legend is mingled with Hindu mythology and epics. Legend has it that it was the place where blood of Kali was dropped while she was in battle with demon Bhairava. Thus many temples here are enshrined with Goddess Kali.

Though still not crowded as a place of religious pilgrimage, Fagu and its surroundings are dotted with few temples.

One such is known as Kamakshi Kamru Koteshwar Mata temple. It is believed that the idol enshrined here was brought from Kamakshya of Assam, the place of tantric cult. A 20 minutes walk will take one to Fagu peak where a Sherawali temple is blended with the story of Mahabharata. It is said that here Pandavas worshiped a stone deity during their twelve years long exile. However one can discount the temple tour in Fagu if getting blended with nature is one’s only agenda. In fact Fagu looks more like a tailor made place exclusively meant for an unforgettable honeymoon for a couple or a place for adventure tourists like trekkers to make their base camp. If you do not fall in any of this category, then also this is a place to enjoy a dense solitude under an amazing vista where snow dusted peaks, dark pine and cedar forest and green valley all come together to create a magical Himalayan experience.

The best place to enjoy Fagu is HPTDC guest house Apple Blosom which is very strategically built. The green and red roof top hotel has a fabulous courtyard from where one can enjoy the entire hamlet.

Park yourself there and ask your breakfast to be served in its courtyard open sky restaurant. If you are there on a clear day, then the train of snow dusted Himalayan peaks oozing a boundless beauty of nature will give you company while you can keep yourself busy in breaking steaming parathas or a mouthful of scrambled egg. The view is visible from rooms as well and even from the terrace.

Next to the HPTDC hotel a flight of stairs goes up to a hill top that houses another small temple. The path going up is pine scented and decorated with wild mountain flowers and groves of spruce. Take this walk if you are physically fit. There are decent iron canopies in between to take rest and once you are on top you can feel the beauty more. There was a time when people used to debate in crowning the” Queen of hill” station in India and in all such debates places like Darjeeling, Shimla, Shillong etc used to come in discussion. Not any more .In modern era tourism where people pay more for isolation and exclusiveness a place like Fagu is in the running \ to win the coveted crown.



Travel Logistics :

# Fagu is just 18 km from Shimla and 6 km from Kufri the ski resort.
# One can make a day trip to Fagu from any of the above place but night stay is strongly suggested.
# HPTDC guest house is the best place to stay – Other provisions are also there.
# Fagu is good for adventure sports.
# Do not venture out in night if it is not urgent – The place is very thinly populated.
# The place is colder than Shimla – So enough woolen to be taken.
# HPTDC website – www.hptdc.in
# Potato Research Institute is not open to public.

This article was published in The Hitavada on 3rd October 2021.

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