At the Renuka lake, you can boat on the placid waters while lions roar in the neighbourhood and birds chirp, writes Santosh Utsak

The peaceful Renuka is an ideal getaway because of its proximity to the plains

The Parshuram temple at Renuka. — Photos by the writer

The Nahan-Renuka-Paonta sector constitutes a distinct tourist triangle of Himachal tourism and is a part of the erstwhile princely state of Sirmour. The journey from Nahan (932 metres above sea-level) to Renuka is full of sharp turns. On a high mountain, 11 km from Nahan, one can halt at Jamta. Dense mist, floating clouds, ringing bells of mules, brightly attired women herding a flock sheep give the tourists company. You can visit remains of Jaitak fort just nearby. Ajay Bahadur Singh, the ex-the prince, lives at Jaitak.

A modern tourist complex has already come up at Jamta and the second one is coming up overlooking the panoramic view of the majestic valley in front. As the road descends from Jamta, distant villages with terraced fields and slate houses give the impression of a beautiful poster on the brilliant canvas of nature. At Badolia, there is nearly a 100-ft-high waterfall flowing down through a pebbled bed which after crossing the bridge submerge with a mountain river. A road takes us to the magnificent snow-capped churdhar peak and straight on reaches the most beautiful natural lake Renuka.

Situated at 660 metres above sea-level, Renuka looks commanding and picturesque especially in the mornings, when sunshine kisses the water surface. Pollution-free breeze flows, boats start swaying. Sounds of nagaras, bells and bhajans from the many temples remind us of the religious and mythological importance of Renuka, in addition to its visual appeal. The lake has been named after the goddess ‘Renuka’ wife of rishi ‘Jamdagni.’ Once the rishi got very angry with his wife, Renuka, and ordered his son Bhagwan Parshuram to chop his mother’s head with a parsa. Parshuram did the same and the rishi thus pleased, said he would grant any boon that his son would ask for. Parshuram asked for the life of his mother and Jamdagni kept his word.

A lake is called the Parshuram tal. A cluster of temples, ashrams and muths (constructed in 1814) are to worship lord Shiva, Renuka and Parshuram. Tourists can visit Tapey ka tila, where Jamdagni had meditated for more than a year. Nearby is Jamu, where the oldest temple dedicated to the memory of Parshuram exists. Besides boating, there is the added attraction of birds and wildlife while driving around Renuka. The lion safari is captivating and a source of amusement, especially for the children. There is a small zoo for the kids and the Wildlife Department provides a vehicle to the tourists to move around in the 62-hectare safari.

In olden times when silt had not pervaded Renuka, it used to look like a woman from the top. Now the area under water is decreasing so the comparison is not that accurate. The greatest attraction remains the translucent surface of the water and the myriad healthy fish that are fed by tourists. Fishing is prohibited due to a local legend, according to which anyone who kills fish is struck blind.

Spending a moonlit night in the suburbs of Renuka is a spiritually rejuvenating experience, I felt it is a real moment to introspect. The nearly half a century old well-maintained forest rest house near the lake, which is now owned by the Tourism Department, can make your stay memorable. Hotel Renuka run by the HPTDC has 14 suites, cable TV, children park and facilities for table tennis. A vegetarian restaurant is located near Renuka. One can also stay in the guest houses, hotels or at the PWD rest house at Dadahu.

Most tourists are not aware of the picturesquewaterfall on the Renuka-Sangrah road, five km from the Giri bridge.

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