Andretta is a beautiful village in Kangra valley of Himachal Pradesh. It is famous worldwide for its artists’ colony. The artists’ colony was established in the 1920s, when Irish theater artist and environmentalist, Norah Richards, shifted here from Lahore. She was unhappy in England after her husband died and she longed to return. So, when she met an Englishman who was willing to sell her land in Kangra for Rs. 1, she bought it and this place was in Andretta.
It is located near Palampur in the Kangra District, with Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas as a backdrop. Andretta over the years has attracted many noted artists, theater practitioners, painters and more recently potters. Two of the famous people who became associated with it early on were painters Sobha Singh and B.C. Sanyal.
Painting of Sohni-Mahiwal by Sobha Singh
B.C. Sanyal
Painting by B.C. Sanyal
Tourist attractions in Andretta
1) Andretta Pottery and Craft Society
2) Norah Richard’s House
Norah Richard’s House
3) Norah Richard’s Centre for the Arts
4) Sir Sobha Singh Art Gallery
How to reach Andretta?
By Air: 1 hour 40 minutes flight from New Delhi to Dharamshala
By Train: 7 hours 24 min time taken from New Delhi to Pathankot(Nearest Railway station)
By Road: 511 Kms from New Delhi (9 h 36 min via NH44) 1 h 27 min (46.3 km) via Palampur – Dharamshala Rd and NH154 3 h 2 min (121.6 km) via NH154, Andretta from Pathankot
Where to stay?
There are no. of hotels & homestays to stay in Andretta.
One such homestay is called “Mirage“. It is a multi-function residency hosting travelers, yoga groups and artist/acting workshops. It is situated in a cluster of traditional Himachali mud houses which have lovingly been restored to an inviting homestay with fully modern amenities. The price for one day stay varies from ₹ 1,950 – ₹ 8,500 which includes facilities like Free Parking and Free High Speed Internet ( WiFi ). You can know more about Mirage here
If you are looking for a different type of experience from what you mostly get in Himachal then this is the place. It is a peaceful and a beautiful place where you can connect with nature and can also learn to do pottery, painting and many such artistic things.
If you are excited to know about this place and wish to visit it then do let us know in the comments. Also, tell us what do you want us to write next and how can we make our content even better! Thanks for hanging out with us
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