Garli, Pragpur, Himachal Pradesh India

The area of Garli -Pragpur came within the Jaswan kingdom whose rulers were the cadets of Katoch of the Kangra lineage. Around the 16th" –17th century, bands of marauders started laying waste the pretty and peaceful foothills of the Kangra Valley. Prag Dei, a princess of the royal house of Jaswan, successfully  organized resistance to these marauding bands. To commemorate this princess, an area was selected using ancient Indian shastras (texts) which, it was believed, received the good astral influences of prayers said for thousands of years at nearby shakti (primordial energy) temples of which three" Brajeshwari (Kangra), Chintpurni and Jwalamukhi are famous.  Here, Pragpur was founded and its lay- out carefully planned. Various clans and communities were allotted distinctive living spaces and by and large this continue to date.One of the important communities that settled at Garli-Pragpur and nearby hamlets such as Rakkar, Pir Salui etc. were some of the 52 clans of the hill Soods. Being enterprising, many made their  fortunes at other destinations, especially Simla. They, however, did not forget their root.At Pragpur and Garli, they built elegant havelis, mansions and Italianate buildings that are interspersed amongst lovely mud-plastered and slate-roofed houses which lie alongside streets paved with dressed cobbled stone. They also invested in schools, dharamshalas and water systems. In course of time, they settled where their economic interests lay.

Located 4 km from Pragpur, is a charming hamlet which falls within the heritage zone outlined by government of HP. This small heritage village is older in history than Pragpur.

Garli, is a sister village of Pragpur, located around 4 kilometers away. It is older in history than Pragpur, and is also a notified heritage village. The wealth of the village can be seen in the grand but now deserted buildings that adorn the streets of Garli. Though there are local buses from Pragpur to Garli, it is just a pleasant walk away, passing through the smaller vilalge of Muhin.