Shimla
General Information
The British called Shimla the "Queen
of Hill Stations." Situated in
the north-West Himalayas, Shimla the
summer capital of India before independence
is now the capital of Himachal Pradesh.
Shimla derives its name from "Shyamala";-
the goddess Kali, whose temple existed
in the dense forest that covered Jakhu
Hill in the early 19th century. The
English named it Simla. Shimla is well
connected by air, road and rail with
all parts of Himachal Pradesh, and the
neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana,
Jammu and Kashimir and the Union territory
of Chandigarh. Covering the area of
18 sq. km. at a height of 7,238 ft.
Shimla is surrounded by pine, deodar,
oak and rhododendron forests. Its well
developed facilities, easy accessibility
and numerous attractions make it one
of Indian's most popular and biggest
hill-stations.
A narrow-railway links Kalka with Shimla.
This important rail-link was built in
1924 and its "toy trains"
still ply between the two stations,
passing through 105 tunnels and beautiful
rail-road stations. Half-way through
the journey, after Solan, the lights
of Shimla flow in the distance, looking
like glimmering jewels studding the
dark green of the mountains. The train
takes six hours, and at every stop on
the journey are smiling faces giving
a warm welcome.
Situated in the North-West Himalayas,
the climate of Shimla varies from a
maximum of 10-11 degrees in winter to
a maximum of 25-26 degrees in summers.
Shimla never allows the gods to raise
the temperature above that limit and
the gods always oblige. Shimla changes
its moods with the seasons. In spring
we see flowers of all kinds, both wild
and cultivated, smiling in each garden.
During the monsoon, we see some of the
best sunsets in the world.
Winter in Shimla is known as the season
of "Long moon-night." It becomes
a frost glistening silent city. A gathering
of dark clouds tells us of the approach
of snow generally a slight fall first,
followed by a heavier one when the snowflakes
sweep down through the fine-needles
bending long branches to the ground.
The following morning sees the town
as a fantastic fairyland of white beauty.
Travel Tips : Shimla
is situated at an altitude of about
2100 m. All the seasons of nature visit
Shimla during the year. The isotherms
of Shimla happen to match with that
of London throughout the year and is
the reason for Britisher's choice of
Shimla as its summer capital. Climate
and Cloathings
Summer May
to Jun 15°C
to 28°C Cotton
Clothes
Rainy
Jun to Sep
12°C to 22°C Cotton
& Light Woollens
Autumn
Octr to Nov
7°C to 20°C Cotton
& Light Woollens
Winter
Dec to Feb
-4°C to 7°C
Heavy Woollens
Spring
Mar to Apr
11°C to 20°C Cotton
& Light Woollens
Main
Sightseeing of Shimla
The Mall : The Mall
is the main shopping centre of Shimla.
It also has many restaurants, clubs,
banks, bars, Post Offices and tourist
offices. The Gaiety Theatre is also
situated there. People walk up and
down the Mall slowly, stopping to
gossip, as it is the main meeting
place for everyone. The Ridge and
Scandal point are the two main meeting
points at the Mall.
Christ Church :
Situated on the Ridge is Christ Church,
which is the second oldest church
in Northern India. It has a very majestic
appearance and inside there are stained
glass windows which represent faith,
hope, charity, fortitude, patience
and humility. Christ Church is a place
all visitors should spend some time
in.
Jakhu Hill : 2 kms.
from Shimla, at a height of 8000 ft,
Jakhu Hill is the highest peak and
offers a beautiful view of the town
and of the snow-covered Himalayas.
At the top of the Hill, is an old
temple of Hanuman, which is also the
home of countless playful monkeys
waiting to be fed by all visitors.
Shimla State Museum :
The Museum, which was opened in 1974,
has tried to project hill-out and
the cultural wealth of the state.
There is a collection of miniature
Pahari paintings, sculptures, bronzes
wood-carvings and also costumes, textiles
and jewellery of the region.
Indian Institute of Advanced
Studies : This institute
is housed in the Viceregal Lodge,
which was built in 1884-88 during
the British times. It has spacious
gardens and is ringed by beautiful
pine trees. All is calm and serene
just the right atmosphere for a student
of literature or politics.
Summer Hill : Situated
at a distance of 5 kms. from the Ridge
is the lovely township of Summer Hill
at a height of 6,500 ft. on the Shimla-Kalka
railway line. Mahatma Gandhi lived
in these quiet surroundings during
his visits to Shimla. Himachal Pradesh
University is situated here.
Annandale : Developed
as the playground of Shimla, Annandale
is 2-4 kms. from the Ridge at a height
of 6,117 ft. It is a favourite spot
for cricket, picnics and the princely
game of polo.
Sankat Mochan Temple : A
popular Hanuman temple is located
here. We get an excellent view of
Shimla from the temple. It can be
reached by car or on foot.
Shimla by Toy Train :
This hill toy train runs between Kalka
and Shimla on narrow gauge Rail tracks.
Meandering on these trains is a galvanizing
experience as one passes through the
breathtaking landscapes of majestic
Himalayas, tunnels, bridges and lush
green valleys embellished with pine,
oak trees, leaving a long lasting
memory of rhapsody and triumph. The
train is one of the most unique railway
tracks of the world. It is said that
this railway line has been first sketched
in November 1847, almost 50 years
before, it was actually constructed.
This magnificent train was inaugurated
by the British viceroy, Lord Curzon
in November 1903, almost covering
the distance of 96 km from Kalka through
the curving tracks, up to Shimla hills-
the summer capital of colonial India.
In its picturesque route, the train
passes through 103 tunnels, 969 bridges,
919 curves and 20 railway stations
in its entire journey. The Guinness
Book on 'Rail Facts and Feats' included
Kalka-Shimla Railway as the greatest
narrow gauge engineering achievement
in India.
Go to Top
Excursions
from Shimla
Mashobra (13
kms) : .Mashobra has several
excellent picnic spots. Mashobra is
the site of the annual Sipi fair in
June. The nearest rest house is at Craignano
which is 3 kms. from Mashobra, and is
a beautiful holiday resort.
Tara Devi (11kms) :
Tara Devi has a temple dedicated to
the goddess of stars on top of the hill.
There is a military Dairy Town here
as well as the headquarters of Bharat
Scouts and Guides. At a height of 6,070
ft. Tara Devi is an ideal place for
a person wanting peace and some rest.
Kufri (16 kms) : Situated
at a height of 8,600 ft. Kufri is the
winter sports capital. During winter,
visitors have the facility for skiing.
The skiing season is at its best during
January and February. Equipment for
sking is available from HPTDC winter
sports club at Kufri. Apart from skiing,
Kufri is a lovely picnic spot with a
beautiful view of the hills around and
the snowy peaks. There is also a zoo
that delights children.
Naldehra (22 kms) :
Situated at a distance of 22 kms from
Shimla and surrounded by beautiful deodar
trees. Naldehra has a well kept nine-hole
golf-course. It is a lovely, popular
picnic spot. The annual Sipi fair in
June is held in Naldehra.
Chail (45 kms) : Chail
is a little mountainous heaven 45 kms.
from Shimla. It was the summer capital
of the Maharaja of Patiala before Independence.
The forests near Chail have many species
of birds and deer. Chail is known for
its cricket pitch, which is the highest
cricket ground in the world..
How
to reach Shimla?
By Air : The Jubbarhatti
airport is 23-km from Shimla and major
domestic airlines cater their services
from here to Shimla. One can catch direct
flights from Delhi.
By Rail : Shimla has
a narrow gauge railway line on which
toy train runs from Kalka to Shimla.
The train cruises its way through valleys
and beautiful landscapes at a very slow
pace making the journey very pleasant.
From Kalka one can take trains to other
parts of the country. The Toy train
from Shimla is of two types - one is
the normal multi coach train and the
other is the single car train, which
has a glass roof giving an enthralling
experience during the journey.
By Road : Roads connect
the capital city of Himachal with other
places in the state as well as other
major towns and cities. There is regular
bus service from Delhi and Chandigarh
as well as ordinary; semi deluxe, deluxe
and AC coaches for Shimla are available
too. One can also cross over to Leh
and Ladakh via Rohtang pass from here.
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