Renuka Lake and Paonta Sahib Package: 3 Days in Sirmaur

Sirmaur was a princely state with Nahan as its capital, laid out around Rani Tal and the old palace. Renuka lake, about 40 km away, is part of a wildlife sanctuary and is the largest natural lake in Himachal. Paonta Sahib lies on the Yamuna, which forms the border with Uttarakhand.

Each November, a fair at Renuka marks the meeting of Renuka and her son Parshuram. Deities from surrounding villages are carried to the lake in palanquins, and thousands of pilgrims attend.

Families and pilgrims from Chandigarh, Haryana and Delhi who want a short, easy trip with spiritual and natural attractions.

Sirmaur can be added to a Shimla trip through Solan and Rajgarh, or combined with Dehradun and Mussoorie across the Yamuna.

Nahan was founded in 1621 as the capital of the Sirmaur kingdom and still has the feel of a small princely town, with a palace, temples, clock tower and the tree-shaded Rani Tal lake. It sits on a ridge at about 930 m above the plains, so it's cooler than Chandigarh in summer. The town is also known for its foundry, one of the oldest in north India, established in the nineteenth century.

Renuka lake lies at about 670 m in a forested valley and is about 3 km around. A path circles the water, passing temples, ghats and a small boating point. Nearby Parshuram Tal is smaller and sacred to Renuka's son. The lake is part of the Renuka wildlife sanctuary, and the surrounding hills are home to birds and deer. Early mornings and evenings are the most peaceful times for a walk.

Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, lived at Paonta Sahib for about four years in the 1680s, and the gurdwara built there is one of the most important in Himachal. It sits on the bank of the Yamuna, with a museum of weapons and writings associated with the Guru. Visitors of all faiths are welcome to join kirtan and the langar.

From Chandigarh, the road runs south-east through Panchkula and Kala Amb before climbing to Nahan, about two hours. From Delhi, the route via Yamunanagar reaches Paonta Sahib first, so we simply run the trip in reverse.

The Renuka Lake and Paonta Sahib trip covers about 295 km by road over 3 days, with overnight stops in Renuka and Paonta Sahib. The car is priced on the same basis as our private car tours: 750 billable km (the larger of the real distance and 250 km a day) at the vehicle's per-km rate, plus 2 nights of driver allowance, with fuel, tolls and parking included.

For two travellers on standard hotels, that comes to ₹5,000 for 2 hotel nights with breakfast and dinner, ₹18,050 for the car and driver and a ₹3,458 service fee: ₹26,507 in all, or ₹13,500 each. Larger groups share the car and pay less per person.