Shimla:The Queen Of Hills

Shimla (also known as Simla) is a tourist destination which demands no introduction to its splendor and majestic charm. The British christened Shimla as “The Queen of the Hills” awed by its marvelous weather and its picturesque hills. This beautiful hill town sits in the lap of nature, surrounded by pine and deodar forests. With ideal temperature in summers, tourists flock it in great numbers through out the year. Well connected by road to plains Shimla is the hot spot for tourists from all over India and across the world.

Situated in the north-west Himalayas and the capital of the state of Himachal Pradesh Shimla is a 18 sq km mountainous region lying at an altitude of 2,213 meters. The biggest industry in Shimla is hotel, travel and tourism

Even though modern life and architecture have made their way in the simple hill life of Shimla, the town retains a colonial aura, with its grand old buildings. Some of the buildings worth checking out over here include Dalziel House, one of the oldest structures of town; Fingask Estate, birthplace of Lord Chelmsford and Chelmsford Club; adjoining Fingask Estate is the Catholic Club in Ensham Estate's old building; one-time residence of the famous write Rudyard Kipling, and the Sacred Art Convent Tat Tara Hall.

If you happen to visit Shimla without hotel reservations, you can take the services of one of the numerous porters who double up as travel guides and touts for the hotels.

Besides being the ultimate summer retreat Shimla also has many thrilling spots for adventure freaks. Tourists can go in for the various treks to the Kullu valley or indulge in trout fishing at the Pabbar River . The more adventurous may ski at the Narkanda and Kufri from January to mid-March. The nine-hole golf course at Naldehra is also a major draw for the tourists.

This beautiful hill resort also offers a lot for those who would like to indulge in a shopping spree. The Mall is the place to check out for the best in garment and textile industry. Here the State emporium offers the Himachali (local) handicrafts and handloom items. The hats that are available in a wide range of charges and colors make the perfect souvenirs. The Lakkar Bazaar at is the one stop market for the wooden items of all shapes and sizes.

Places to see in Shimla

The Mall

The Mall, like most hill stations in North India, 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, for shopping and meeting each other, as it is the central meeting place for everyone. The Ridge and Scandal point are the other two 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.

Jakhu Hill

Two 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. Art objects in the Museum collection are mostly related to art, archaeology and cultural anthropology of Himachal and other states of India. At present Museum, has about 9000 objects in its collection. At the outset, museum started with four galleries. Since then more galleries have been added. These galleries pertain to Pre- historic, Indian Archaeology, Woodcarvings, Himachal Archaeology, Pahari Miniature Paintings Monuments, Photographs, Rajasthan paintings, Bronzes, Numismatic, Arms Gallery, Gandhi Gallery, Philatelic, Anthropological, Contemporary Art & Wall Paintings gallery. In addition to these galleries museum has one exhibition hall for arranging the exhibition and other museum activities.

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.

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

A favourite spot for cricket, picnics is Annadale which was developed as the playground of Shimla, Annandale is 2-4 kms. from the Ridge at a height of 6,117 ft..

How to get there

Air

Nearest airport to Shimla is at Jubberhatti, 26 km from Shimla. It has connecting flights to Delhi and Kullu. The nearby Chandigarh airport is, however, more handy as it is connected to all the major airports in India.

Road

Shimla is well connected by road with Kalka, Chandigarh, Ambala, Delhi, Dehradun, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Jammu and other towns of Punjab and Haryana. It is only 370 Kms from Delhi and 117 Kms from Chandigarh.

Taxi services are available on a seat- basis between Shimla, and Kalka. There is deluxe bus service between Shimla and Delhi. Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation also runs deluxe buses between Shimla and Delhi.

Train

Shimla is connected by a broad gauge line up to Kalka. From Kalka to Shimla, a 100 years old narrow gauge line covers 96 kilometers of track. The journey by train, which takes about six hours, crossing 103 tunnels is one of the finest ways of enjoying the scenic beauty. There is another option for a fast train Shiwalik Express or a delightful ride in the Rail Car.

The Rail Car takes about 4 hours. Kalka has direct rail connections with Delhi, Calcutta and Amritsar.