Shimla
One
of the most famous tourist destinations of India, Shimla located in Himachal
Pradesh is a beautiful hill station. Also known as Simla, your travel to this
place will be one event of your life that you shall never forget. This
beautiful hill station derives its name from "Goddess Shyamla", who
is supposed to be an avatar of Goddess Kali. This lovely hill station was
'discovered' by the British who immediately fell in love with this place.
Infact, they went to the extent of declaring Shimla as their summer capital.
Read about Shimla tourism and know more about Simla travel.
Shimla abounds in natural bounty and looks picture perfect. The small hill station amidst the lofty snow-clad Himalayan ranges, surrounded by lakes and lush green pastures look as though an artist has painted them. The unique thing about Shimla is that it still retains its colonial charm and this creates an ambience that is not found anywhere else in India. Shimla is one tourist destination that can be visited any time during the year. Summers are warm with cool and pleasant evenings while winters are bone chilling and the temperatures can fall below zero. But this difference is what makes Shimla all the more special!
So pack your bags, catch the next flight and come to Shimla - A place where dreams come true!
Shimla abounds in natural bounty and looks picture perfect. The small hill station amidst the lofty snow-clad Himalayan ranges, surrounded by lakes and lush green pastures look as though an artist has painted them. The unique thing about Shimla is that it still retains its colonial charm and this creates an ambience that is not found anywhere else in India. Shimla is one tourist destination that can be visited any time during the year. Summers are warm with cool and pleasant evenings while winters are bone chilling and the temperatures can fall below zero. But this difference is what makes Shimla all the more special!
So pack your bags, catch the next flight and come to Shimla - A place where dreams come true!
Height: Most
of the town lies between 2,100 m and 2,300 m
Languages
spoken: Hindi. Also English, Punjabi and Pahari.
Religion:
Mostly Hindu. Also Sikh, Muslim and Christian
Medical
Facilities: Good
Telecommunications:
Worldwide links by the net, telephone and fax, code: 0177
About shimla
With
all its intricacies, history seems to have been the mortar for every brick and
stone that has built Shimla. As the summer capital of British India for well
over a century it was the seat of one of the most powerful governments in the
world. From its cedar-shaded heights, one fifth of the human race was ruled and
the decisions made those decades ago affect our lives to the present day.
The
town of Shimla rose in the nineteenth century when the Gurkha Wars came to an
end in 1815-16 and the victorious British decided to retain certain pockets as
military outposts and sanitaria. In 1822 the most rigorous of dandies and the
greatest of sticklers for form Captain Charles Pratt Kennedy, Political Agent
to the Hill States directed that a house be built for him at the village whose
name is variously reported as Sheyamalaya Shumlah, Shimlu and Shemlah. Kennedy
House led the vanguard of the hundred-odd houses that were to scatter
themselves by 1841 over every level or gently inclining space. Lured by the
climate and terrain scores of European invalids began moving to the station and
the only stipulation of the local chief who owned the land was that no tree be
cut or cattle slaughtered.
In
1864 the Viceroy, John Lawrence anointed Shimla – then spelt Simla, as the
summer capital of British India. With Lawrence came the Viceroy Council, the
Imperial Secretariat, representatives of the Indian princes and foreign envoys.
As the town grew to become the workshop of the Empire, an awed visitor
observed, every pigeonhole cradled an embryo of a war or death. Despite the
fact that up to the time of Indian independence in 1947, Shimla officially
remained only the summer capital, yet the Government spent more time in these
hills than at the actual capital Calcutta and later New Delhi. As the bearer of
the Viceregal sceptre this tiny pocket became the cynosure of British Empire.
Imperial grandeur, and all the panoply and trappings of power came along for
the ride. And there was a popular local saying that went, “You cannot sleep the
nights in Simla for the sound of grinding axes”. A social whirl of parties,
gymkhanas, balls, fancy fairs and affaires du Coeur ensured that a heady
mixture of scandal and intrigue constantly wafted through the town.
Quite
inevitably the freedom movement had a close connection with Shimla.
Ornithologist and former Civil Servant, Allan Octavian Hume created the Indian
National Congress which spearheaded the struggle while living in the town.
Stalwarts like Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru, C. Rajagopalachari, Pandit Madan
Mohan Malviya and Maulana Azad regularly visited Shimla. Major events that took
place in the town were the Simla Conference in 1942, the deliberations of the
Cabinet on and finally the decision to partition India.
And
while the British Empire may have ceased to exist, its echoes linger on in the
architecture and ambience of this hill resort. The elements of nostalgia may be
strong but Shimla also has a youthful vigour in its pace. Its easy
accessibility and several other attractions have made it one of India’s most
popular hill resorts. There are many unforgettable walks, day-excursions by the
dozen, a variety of convenient shopping and entertainment museums, and
ice-skating in winter. Shimla is the base or the unwinding point for numerous
exhilarating routes to the state interior.
Today
the town is distinctive for its variety of architecture. It has one of the rare
surviving urban forests, made all the more unique, for its species are
temperate to alpine ones in what is otherwise a tropical zone. And then
Shimla’s famous Mall offers one of the longest stretches of pedestrian shopping
in the world.
Within
and around Shimla, the public and private sector offer an enormous range of
accommodation that range from modern to heritage hotels. Like satellites placed
around the centre, there are many resorts in Shimla’s periphery that are
full-fledged destinations in their own right. These are located at Mashobra,
Naldehra, Kufri, Shilon Bagh and Chail. En route by road from Kalka there are
Parwanoo, Dharampur and Kasauli.
Plan Your Sightseeing
If
you are fond of walking, Shimla will unfold parts that remain hidden to
vehicles. Combinations by car and then on foot are possible in several areas.
It is suggested that you take a direction for the day and cover the places of
interest.
The
area around the Institute of Advanced Study has several walks. Combine these
with visit to the State Museum and expand if you will towards Kamna Devi.
Tara
Devi and Sankat Mochan can be linked with a short train ride to Tara Devi
station. The Himalayan Queen that leaves Shimla at 10.15 am is recommended.
Jakhoo
can be combined with a stroll and shopping on the Mall and in Lakkar Bazaar.
The Lower Bazaar that runs parallel to the Mall at a lower level has the
flavour of a typical Indian market place. Trinkets that can be purchased here
include silver jewellery. You can also walk towards Chotta Shimla and Raj
Bhavan the residence of the state Governor. The recently created rooms of
Himachal Darshan offer a glimpse of the various district in the state.
Jakhoo
has several paths that criss-cross the hill a good walk is along the old Five
Benches Road near the microwaves link tower. The Bharari spur also has many
walks that can be done in a few hours or carried over the day
Shopping
Handicrafts.
Shawls and tweeds. Fruit juice and jams. Honey. Quality woollens. Silver
jewellery. Rare books and etchings. Contemporary pahari miniature paintings.
Metalware. Rugs and carpets. Handmade footwear. Wooden items like walking
sticks.
Planning a Week in the Shimla Sector
A
week’s time will give you a healthy sampler of Shimla. Dividing your time
between the town and suburbs is suggested. You can also divide your stay
between the town and the peripheral region. A good time to do the walks are the
mornings. A visit to the Mall is the ideal plan for the evenings. When visiting
the suburbs plan for most of the day. In season, an appropriate activity like
activity – like ice-skating can be pursued. Let your hotel or an approved
travel agent help you plan your itinerary – those few minutes will add a great
deal to your stay.
Distances from Shimla
| Places to visit |
Km
|
Chadwick Falls
|
7
|
Chindi
|
94
|
Craignano
|
18
|
| Fagu |
22
|
| Hatkoti |
109
|
| Indian Institute of Advanced Study |
4
|
| Jakhoo Temple |
2.5
|
| Jubbal |
90
|
| Kharapathhar |
85
|
| Kotgarh |
82
|
| Mashobra |
12
|
| Naldehra |
23
|
| Narkanda |
65
|
| Prospect Hill |
5
|
| Rampur |
130
|
| Recong Peo | 231 |
| Sankat Mochan |
7
|
| Sarahan |
171
|
| State Museum |
3
|
| Summer Hill |
7
|
| Tara Devi |
11
|
| Tattapani |
53
|
