It's been a peculiar inability of a man to live without apples. After Eden, the fruit must have been most wanted in British India, where they went to great lengths to source it. Shipments came from Japan each year, adding zest to Raj tables in Shimla for a few brief months. Incidental farms sprang up in Kashmir, the Kullu Valley and Mashobra, while the small berry apples continued to grow wild anyway, like they always had, all over the Himalayan hills. But nothing sufficed till an American came in search of salvation, in the bargain finding something more useful to the Raj.
Samuel Evans Stokes of Philadelphia arrived in India in 1904 on a spiritual quest and continued to make it the centre of his experiments with life. This is a fascinating story of an erstwhile missionary who, to attain social integration with his adopted community, started living the life of a farmer, gave up his Western clothes, married a local girl, changed his religion to Hinduism and his name to Satyanand Stokes. As he worked with the needy around Thanedar in the 1920s and 30s, fought begar and joined the freedom movement, he also came to believe that the answer to the region's poverty lay in the British love for apples. Thus, out of all his dreams, the dreams were something. They were not ignoble dreams; no matter how imperfectly they found fulfilment, the one that bore the richest fruit was the one that made Thanedar the fountainhead of the famous Kotgarh apples.
Stokes did not introduce apples to India, as is mistakenly believed. But he did, with method and patience, turn apple farming on its head. It's an unusual tale of "An American in Khadi," as Stokes is described in the title of his biography as a missionary who converted himself and, for good measure, turned Himachal Pradesh into India's Apple State. And this is a tale best enjoyed with an elegant length of wine made from the local apples in the sleepy warmth of the tepid Thanedar sun.
Thanedar, at 7,300 ft, is still a small, one-street place with a few shops and government buildings surrounded by orchards. If you go in April, the apple blossom would have whitewashed the deep valley of the Sutlej in its spring bloom. A visit in the summer months would provide you with the company of people who want to escape both the heat of the plains and the crowds of hill stations. Rains are the time for people to stop en route to the valleys of Sangla and Spiti for apple harvest and pressures on the administration to keep the roads clear. Puja and Christmas again bring holiday hordes. January is the month of snow and a little uncertainty about the road situation. In any season, a weekend vacation to Thanedar would only whet your appetite to be here, in the hills and tread them with slowness and longing.
Barobag, so named because of the unusually large size of one of its fields (at least by hill standards), is the highest point in Thanedar. Flanked by the Shilajan Peak, it offers stunning views of the snow-capped mountains to the north. Many miles below, the meandering Sutlej make its way to the Punjab plains.
Atop the hill is Harmony Hall, the stately house Stokes built in 1912. A three-storeyed structure made of stone, wood and slate, it was here that Samuel Stokes's delicious experiments with apples began.
Stokes' orchards were founded in 1916 with a few saplings of apple, pear, and plum trees. Some five years later, his mother gave him a Christmas gift of Golden Delicious apple saplings. However, when the saplings reached Kotgarh, Stokes spent time in Lahore Jail. A prominent member of the Indian National Congress by then, he was arrested by the British government for sedition. But Agnes, his wife, carefully planted and nurtured the Golden Delicious saplings close to their house.
By 1928, the crunchy fruit from these trees, packaged in green printed paper with the trademark H.H. (Harmony Hall), had taken Shimla by storm. The rest, as they say, is history. After a decade's effort, Himachal officially became the Apple State of India.
Today, a few apple trees still grow around Harmony House. Though Stokes' descendants have mostly migrated to the US, perhaps on a reverse material journey, the house is still used occasionally. It's a private residence, so while you may look at it, entry is not allowed.
Now burdened with two telecom towers, the Paramjyoti Mandir also marks Barobag Hill. Built in 1937, Stokes also conceived this rather unique grey-stone and Burma teak temple. The temple has no idol, and it is dedicated to the deva (god), who is beyond all names, words and forms. The wood-panelled walls have wooden Sanskrit shlokas impressed upon them.
In order to reach Barobag, take the narrow, steep path going off the road opposite the playground just before Thanedars market.
In the early 19th century, Kotgarh provided a playing field for the war games between the states of Nepal, Kangra, Kullu, Punjab, and the then-ascendant British East India Company. After much flux, a steady state was achieved in 1843, when the East India Company took over Kotgarh after pushing back the invading Gurkhas.
1843 a mission centre and the Gorton Mission School were set up. Then, in 1872, St Marys's Church was built next to the school. It still stands, looking like a large wooden toy, and holds a Sunday morning service. The mission owned vast properties and ran an orchard but did not have much success with conversions. Hence, they described the area as unfruitful, unaware of the irony. A request to the school principal may result in a tour of the premises. Kotgarh is a pleasant 5-km walk from Thanedar.
This is the highest peak in the vicinity at 11,155 ft and is home to the local mother-goddess Hattu Devi. There is a distinct shaded path with little undergrowth going up through the pine forest, which affords a steady climb. It is rare to find a place of such intense solitude with so little effort. The top is just above the tree line, here marked by black oak trees, and offers views on three sides. The land falls away dramatically, carrying forests, villages and towns on its slopes with equal aplomb. The twin temples of Hattu Devi, with idols of black stone within, stand side by side as if in a before-and-after advertisement with one shrine refurbished in white tiles.
Around 8 km away, this must be the tiniest body of water ever called a lake. Yet the moss-covered lake floor, the grass around and the pine-crested promontory nearby make you realise, for once, how little it takes to transport you away from the world. Also, visit the shrine of Nag Devta on the shore. Take the diversion to the left, 6.5 km from Thanedhar, on the road towards Narkanda. The lake is 1.5 km from there.
Obviously, apples are the things to buy here. During harvest time, you can sling a wicker basket along and pick your own fruit straight from the orchard. Check the local stores for jams, chutneys, and wine.
Banjara Orchard Retreat is set in the inevitable apple orchard, overlooking the deep valley of the Sutlej and offering delicious sunsets.
The Wilderness Resort is on a hilltop next to Tani Jubbar Lake. Its also an excellent base for exploring the surrounds of Thanedar.
The PWD Rest House is right on the solitary road running through Thanedar. It has two clean, comfortable rooms and a lawn outside, where tourists are welcome. Meals will be cooked for you.
Thanedar is about 80 km from Shimla, making it easily accessible by road. The nearest airport is in Shimla (Jubberhatti), about 95 km away, with limited flights. From Shimla, you can hire a taxi or take a bus to Narkanda, which is 16 km from Thanedar. The nearest railway station is in Shimla, which is connected to major cities via the Kalka-Shimla narrow-gauge railway. By road, Thanedar is well connected via NH-5, and the drive from Delhi (around 400 km) takes approximately 8-9 hours, passing through scenic hill stations like Solan and Kufri.