SHIMLA
~50km/2hrs from Shimla on the Sutlej riverbank. The 'hot springs' are modest — a couple of small sulfur pools, not a resort-style spa experience — go for the river scenery, not spa expectations.
Tattapani, whose name combines the local words 'tatta' (hot) and 'pani' (water), sits on the banks of the Sutlej River roughly 50 km from Shimla and has long been a pilgrimage site, especially during Makar Sankranti when devotees bathe in the sulphur-rich waters believed to cure joint and bone ailments. Local legend attributes the springs to the sage Jamadagni's penance in the Treta Yuga, or alternatively to Lord Krishna wringing hot water from a wet towel. The original springs were submerged by the reservoir of the 800 MW Kol Dam hydroelectric project completed in 2015, prompting authorities to reroute the thermal water through bore wells to newly built bathing kunds on higher ground.
