Saurabh Van Vihar submerges in Neugal

 Saurabh Van Vihar submerges in Neugal

A cloudburst in the Dhauladhars on Sunday night destroyed the famous tourist resort Saurabh Van Vihar, spreading over 100 acres, three km from Palampur on the right bank of the Neugal rivulet. The resort was constructed in the memory of martyr Captain Saurabh Kalia, who sacrificed his life in the Kargil war.
A cloudburst was reported in the higher reaches of the Dhauladhars which flooded the Neugal and damaged the resort. 

The flood water entered the Saurabh Van Vihar and destroyed it. Besides, the flood water also damaged six buildings, including fish aquarium which was inaugurated last year by MP Shanta Kumar.
Rock garden, built by son of Nek Chand, buildings, a restaurant, fish aquarium, entry gates and booking window in Saurabh Van Vihar have been destroyed. The loss caused to the resort has been estimated at Rs 30 crore.
Local environmental groups have urged the state government that there will be no justification in the reconstruction of Saurabh Van Vihar as the site is prone to floods. They advised the government to rebuilt the resort at a new destination.

Saurabh Van Vihar Palampur

Spread in an area of 13 kms, Saurabh Van Vihar is a nature park that is dedicated to brave soldier Saurabh Kalia (martyr in the Kargil War). The park is situated on the bank of snow-fed Neugel Khad in Kwat Village. A perfect place for recreation, Saurabh Van Vihar is at a distance of about 4kms from Palampur. Overlooking the mighty Dhauladhar Range, the beauty of this nature park is enhanced with the different varieties of plants and trees. The park also shelters a sizable population of birds' species, which further adds to its charm.
Saurabh Van Vihar was established in order to create awareness regarding the gradually depleting environment. In the course of time, this nature park has become a popular picnic ground for people. Today, boating, birdwatching and bouldering can be enjoyed in the park apart from nature walks on the pebbly bank of the Neugal Khad.

History:Saurabh Van Vihar is dedicated to Indian Army martyr Capt. Saurabh Kalia, who lost his life during the Kargil War in 1999. Capt. Kalia is believed to have endured tortures in the captivity of Pakistan for more than 20 days during the war. The nature park dedicated to him in Palampur is an inspiration of all to sacrifice for our country, conserve its rich wildlife and respect it by protecting it against all odds.

Other Famous places in nearby Palampur :

Sobha Singh Art Gallery Palampur

Dedicated to the work of eminent artist Sobha Singh, the Sobha Singh Art Gallery is situated in Andretta village, which is located 14 kms south of Palampur. Sobha Singh is a veteran painter from the Sikh community and his masterpiece of Guru Nanak (with his one hand raised as if to bestow blessings) has brought him ample of fame. The art gallery displays some of the finest work of Sobha Singh, which include portraits of Sohni-Mahinval and Hir-Ranjha (famed Punjabi couples).
Today, Sobha Singh Art Gallery is an important art centre and holds great value in Punjab's heritage. Most of the paintings here have the influence Kangra School of art and are done-well in western classical techniques of oil painting. The art gallery also has sculptures and busts of some eminent Punjabi icons such as M.S. Randhawa, Prithviraj Kapoor and Nirmal Chandra, and an incomplete head-study of the Punjabi poetess Amrita Pritam. Apart from Sikh Gurus, Sobha Singh also painted portraits of Indian national heroes like Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Kartar Singh Sarabha, Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri.
Palampur Tea Gardens
Tea gardens in Palampur cover a large area on the hillsides. Palampur was established by Dr. Jameson, who introduced tea plantation on the hill station. Amongst these gardens, a few are privately owned; some are called as "demonstration plots" that are managed by organizations such as the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. Vast tea plantation estates can be seen on the road to Dharamshala that belongs to Palampur Co-operative Tea Factory. The abundance of tea plantation has made Palampur the Tea Capital of North India. The lush plantation with the backdrop of gorgeous Dhauladhar Mountain Range adds to the beauty of Palampur.

Andretta Artist Village Palampur

Andretta Artist Village near Palampur is place of interest for art lovers. Owing its fame to Norah Richards, an Irish writer and Dramatist, this Artist Village is a heritage like no other. The modern Andretta Artist Village is immensely famous for its Norah's Centre for Arts, Andretta Pottery and Craft Society (they sell earthenware to Fab India in Delhi) Norah's Mud House and Sir Sobha Singh Art Gallery. Keeping its legacy of art & craft and performing arts, Andretta Artist Village has affixed its position in India as a connoisseur of arts. The Andretta Pottery & Craft Society is owned by Tourism Advice Centre (TAC).
History:It was in mid-1930s that Norah Richards moved from Lahore to Andretta after her husband's death. She began teaching drama to student of Punjabi students and later she was made a fellow of Punjabi University Patiala. Norah invited B.C.Sanyal (doyen of Indian modern art) and Professor Jaidayal (Pupil of Norah's husband) to work from Andretta. Later Sir Sobha Singh, Sardar Gurucharan Singh and Prithviraj Kapoor also chose Andretta as their home and started to work from here. Sardar Gurucharan Singh introduced studio art pottery in India and established a small pottery for summer use in Andretta. During the time of Norah Richards, several discussions about art, drama and the philosophy of living in a rural environment took place in Andretta in which many veterans from distinct fields of art participated.

Tashi Jong Buddhist Monastery Palampur

Tashi Jong Buddhist Monastery is situated about 15kms from Palampur. The monastery is located in Tashi Jong village, which is a small rural area situated between Paprola and Taragarh. Home to the Drugpa Kagyu tradition of Buddhism, this monastery is one of the schools of Kagyu tradition established by 8th Khamtrul Rinpoche, Dongyu Nyima. The monastery complex houses the main temple, the stupa of Khamtrul Rinpoche, and the Yamantak Retreat Center which is restricted to the general public.
Designed by Khamtrul Rinpoche, the entire building is adorned with woodcarving, gilding and painting. Several manifestation of Buddha has also been placed in the monastery including the Buddha Shakyamuni. Apart from being a monastery, Tashi Jong is an excellent craft emporium, where Tibetan artifacts are available.
History The community at Tashi Jong was established by 8th Khamtrul Rinpoche, Dongyu Nyima. Following the Drugpa Kagyu tradition, the community practices ascetic yoga. This school of Kagyu tradition is inspired by Indian tantric yogi – Tilopa, who is reckoned to have developed a meditation technique called Mahamudra. Tibetans later developed another technique called the 'Kadampa' and the mixture of the two resulted in the formation of Drugpa Kagyu School, of which the Khampagar Monastery is a follower.

By: Pooja Sharda