No doubt; Andretta, once a small and sleepy village 13 km from Palampur suddenly came to life with the arrival of Madam Norah Richards in the 1920s. An Irish by birth, she was an acclaimed artist, writer, and environmentalist. Later on, Sardar Sobha Singh another world known painter of repute also settled at Andretta in 1949. Paintings of Soni Mahiwal, Guru Nanak Dev among others by him gained world fame. Notably, many of his artworks have found a place of prominence in the British Museum in England. Some years thereafter artist cum sculptor B.C. Sanyal too made Andretta his home. Also, Sardar Gurucharan Singh set up his Andretta pottery and craft society in 1985. Indeed, with the joining of many other famous artists, sculptors, architects and environmentalists the village emerged as World class art, culture, and pottery center.
Even after the passing away of almost all these stalwarts their efforts have not gone in vain. The Sobha Singh art gallery and Andretta pottery and craft society are today the pride of place. Many visitors make their way to the Sobha art gallery to view his paintings. Norah Richards took a vast estate from a Britisher. Later on, she donated it to Punjabi University. Before adopting Andretta she had worked at this university and was famous as Nani of Punjabi drama.
Pottery making
The pottery and craft society in the village is active and thriving. It has short courses to offer in pottery making. Sardar Mansimran Singh son of the founder is managing this society. The place is well connected by road from Dharamshala. There is a beautiful lush green cliff by the side adding to the beauty of the place.
Raadballi jungle retreat in Pong Dam provides an opportunity for sightseeing of places in Dharamshala, Palampur and Baijnath. Most importantly, Andretta falls midway between Palampur and Baijnath providing a perfect selection for visitors.
