Thanedar - Himachal

Services

State


		Introduction Thanedar

		Transport & Sightseeing Thanedar

		Accommodation

State	Himachal Pradesh

City	Delhouise

Airports	Nearest Amritsar

Distance from Amritsar	118 Km

Railway Junctions	Nearest Pathankot at 80 Km/48 Miles

Local Languages	Pahari , Hindi

Thanedar Introduction

Drive into Thanedar through a sea of apple trees, all lacy white against a backdrop of blue hills while here and there a mustard field flaunts its dazzling yellow. The area is incredibly peaceful. From dawn to dusk and dawn again, it's the birds that make the most noise. Don't be taken in by appearances, though Thanedar is a very important place for this is where the apple story was born.

The apple saga began at Thanedar, a charming little village at over 8,000 ft and some 82 km from Shimla, for it was here that Stokes began experimenting with apple saplings he brought from America some 80 years ago. Scion of a wealthy Philadelphia business family, Samuel Stokes (1882-1946) came to India in 1904 to work at a leprosy home near Solan (50 km from Shimla). Soon, however, the young American became increasingly drawn towards Indian philosophy and culture; he turned away from the foreign missionary community and became a Christian fakir, living in a cave for a while, then married a Rajput Christian girl, bought land in Thanedar village and took upon himself to improve the lot of the local hill people who lived then in abject poverty.