This quiet cottage in the Himalayas is built out of warmth & great stories
Why Deodar Cottage in Kotgarh, Himachal Pradesh is worth making a trip to!
People say time slows down in the mountains.
Yet my three days at Deodhar Cottage disappeared like morning mist. This boutique stay is a family-run labour of love set perfectly amid a farm. Atul Mehta quit a 16-year corporate job to return to his mountain roots, creating this sanctuary nearly ten years ago. His mother, Mrs. Bindu Mehta, is every bit warm and welcomes you into their home. As if it wasn't beautiful enough, the resident cuties, Alfa (a Siberian Husky) and Olive (a mighty Tibetan Mastiff) will keep you company.
Flanked by orchards and the Sutlej River flowing below, the view from Deodar Cottage brings a surprise every day. On clear nights, the sky turns into a canvas of stars while the valley is dotted with the scattered lights of mountain homes. The family home — converted into a farm stay — has three floors. The ground floor features a living room, kitchen, and dining room with a fireplace, while the second floor has guest rooms, a reading area with a fireplace, and a balcony. The third floor features a bookshelf, a balcony, and their Boutique rooms. You get a proper view of the mountains, the Deodar forest, and the Sutlej. Grab a book and sit by the window to wind down after a nice, long walk.
If you're in the mood for a conversation or want to know about Kotgarh, Atul is full of stories. In Lispeth, Rudyard Kipling called Kotgarh the Mistress of the Northern Hills. It holds a lot of history dating back to the British era. Kotgarh's agricultural landscape changed when Samuel Stokes, an American, fell in love with an Indian woman and made these mountains his home. He renamed himself Satyananda Stokes and introduced apple cultivation in the early 1900s. Kotgarh was soon known as the "Apple Bowl of India." But the farmers now grow cherries, peaches, apricots, kiwis, plums, and more. At Deodar Cottage, the family has more variety — avocadoes (starting this year) and persimmons. There’s a reason they attract birds and even leopards from the nearby reserve forest.
Going back to the history..
The legacy of Kotgarh extends beyond agriculture. This region’s first missionary school was established long before independence, bringing modern education to these remote mountains. Local folklore whispers of ancient trade routes that once connected these hills to Tibet and Central Asia. You should definitely ask the hosts about this because they’ll share more. Atul also explores less trodden paths in the mountains and hosts events as well.
Today, this tranquil village stands as a living testament to cultural fusion, where centuries-old temples and colonial architecture offer something to every traveller. Plus, the sprawling orchards look like they're plucked right out of a Ruskin Bond book.
And now, here's the thing — whether you want a home away from yours, an escape from chaos, or simply want to breathe the fresh mountain air, Deodar Cottage is your ticket. You might arrive thinking this journey is about you, but as you talk over steaming cups of chai and apple chips, you'll realise you've been invited into something far more intimate than a stay. It's their heart, opened and offered.
So I'm asking you to do what I did — let go completely. Sit longer at breakfast. Warm yourself at the fireplace. Ditch the itinerary (on some occasions) and watch Alfa sing. Somewhere down the road, perhaps sitting at a desk in some faraway city, you'll close your eyes and find yourself back on that balcony, watching stars appear above the Sutlej. And you'll be grateful you gave yourself this gift.
Tune for the week👇
And that’s it from me. I’ll be back with another story soon. 👋