Stokes Farm, in Thanadar hamlet, is famed for its spectacular apple orchards. Located 16km from Narkanda, it is Shimla's oldest apple orchard. In 1916, Mr. Satyanand Stokes, an American who eventually migrated in India, began apple planting in this region. When the heat of the plains got to him on a leprosy mission in India in 1904, he was recommended to recover in Kotgarh near Thanedar in Himachal. With time on his hands, he experimented with growing apples. The effectiveness of his initiatives revolutionised the state's economy, and now it's a major exporter of apples.Â