Situated on an isolated ridge in the Shiwalik at an elevation of 3,057 feet above the mean sea level is a picturesque town of Nahan.
It can be approached either from Ambala City or Brara Railway Station which are connected with Nahan by motorable roads and daily bus service is available.
The Ambala-Nahan road is 40 miles in length and Brara to Nahan is 38 miles.
A direct bus from Ambala Cantt. to Nahan is also available which comes via Shahabad.
It is believed that the hill, on which the town now stands, was once the stronghold of Bhera Rangar, a notorious dacoit.
There is a proverb, “Bhera Lai na, chaure Kaunts aur Saher”, which means that the cattle seized by Bhera had a kund or pit of stone on the Lai hill, where he used to light a fire of cotton seeds and oil.
After his raids the beacon guided him back to his lair.
He built a Devi Temple on the summit of this hill which still exists.
His cattle shed lay by the Kutcha tank in the town. Bawa Banwari Das, a well known Sadhu, lived on this hill.
Once Raja Karam Prakash arrived at this hill from Kalsi for hunting.
The Bawa advised him to build a town at this place.
The Raja did so and constructed a baradari on the spot where the Sandhu lived.
The baradari stood on a high Tibba.
In those days tigers abounded in Nahan and the Bawa had reared several of them.
The name Nahan is derived either from ‘Nahan’ which in Sanskrit means ‘Tiger’, or Nah (King) and ain (abode).
Nahan besides being district headquarters, it is important educational place having a degree college, an arts college, a girls higher secondary school, a high school for boys, industrial technical institute, a district hospital, a veterinary hospital, police station, and district police lines, post and telegraph office, Nahan Foundary and Resin and Turpentine factory.
It has facilities for the visitors such as circuit house, a rest house and a sarai besides a municipal rest house.
On a clear night after rains, one can have an excellent panoramic view of the plains sprawled at the foot of the Shiwalik, so much so that lights of paper mills at Abdullapur are also clearly visible.
Sirmuri Tal:
Sirmuri Tal is situated about 10 miles north-west of Paonta Sahib on the right bank of river Giri.
It is the site of the ancient Capital of Sirmaur.
The ruins of the town, which is believed to have been destroyed in 1139 Bikrami are still visible.
Close by is a Tank which is now under cultivation.
Rajban lying about a mile to the south-east of the ruins of this town was made the capital of the state in 1095 A.D. by Raja Subhash Parkash, the founder of the ruling family of Sirmaur.
It is also now in ruins. Among the ruins of Sirmuri Tal is a stone with a deep hole lying on the top of the small hillock on the southern bank of the Giri.
In this hole the pole is said to have been fixed for the rope on which the Juggler girl used to dance and by whose curse the town was destroyed.
A similar stone is pointed out on the other side of the Giri.
Majra:
Majra lies about 20 miles east of Nahan.
It was the headquarters of the tahsil till 1893 when it was transferred to Paonta Sahib.
The famous Jambu Khala bungalow is located closely and it was originally built for Lord Lytton who came here on a tiger hunt.
Rajgarh:
Rajgarh fort is situated in tahsil Rajgarh on a natural terrace.
It is square, with a tower at each corner about forty feet high.
It was nearly demolished by Gurkhas in 1814; about half mile from the fort is the Rajgarh village.
Rajgarh is the headquarters of the forest division of that name.
Areas in the vicinity of Rajgarh have become famous for quality apple orchards in the district.
Haripur:
Haripur was formerly a fort on the border of the Jubbal State.
The height of the place is 8,802 feet.
Jaitak:
The fortress of Jaitak is now in ruins.
During the war in 1814, the Gurkhas occupied position herewith a garrison of 2,200 men.
They were attacked by two British detachments but without success.
It was not until after a tedious series of operations that the fort was finally captured in the following year.
