Submerged Old Tehri Town: Heritage Underwater

Old Tehri town, the former capital of the Tehri Garhwal princely state, was submerged when the Tehri Dam reservoir filled between 2004 and 2006. The town represented centuries of architectural and cultural heritage including the royal palace, old mosques, temples, and the dense urban fabric of a traditional hill town. Before submersion, a massive documentation exercise recorded buildings, streets, and oral histories. Communities relocated to New Tehri on higher ground carried their cultural practices, festival traditions, and craft skills. The memory of Old Tehri is maintained through oral testimony, photography, and community gatherings. During years of drought when reservoir levels drop, portions of the old town re-emerge creating poignant confrontation with submerged history.