Shimla- A Paradise on Earth

Location of Shimla

Location of Shimla

Shimla is ideally located in the arms of Himalayas at an altitude of 2202.00 Meters. It has got a scenic location, it is surrounded by green hills with snow capped peaks. The spectacular cool hills accompanied by the structures made during the colonial era creates an aura which is very different from other hill.

Facts About ShimlaShimla, formerly known as Shimla, is the capital city of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, located in northern India. In 1864, Shimla was declared as the summer capital of British India. After independence, the city became the capital of Punjab and was later named the capital of Himachal Pradesh.

Geographic and Topographic Aspects: The mean elevation of the town is 2202.00 Meters. Most of the town lies between 2,100 m and 2,300 m

Climate : Summers: Minimum: 15 C , Maximum : 27o C Winters: Minimum: 0o C., Maximum: 17 o C. Area: 5,131 km²

Population: Approx.1.25 million

Languages Spoken: Himachali (Pahari), Hindi, Punjabi and English.

Religion: Mostly Hindu. Also Sikh, Muslim and Christian.

How to reach Shimla

Reach Shimla By Road:

Shimla is well connected with the cities like Chandigarh, Delhi, Dehradun and

Kalka though roadways. You can hire taxis as well as state buses to reach the

hill station from these cities. There are even

regular bus services from the nearby places to

Shimla such as Kullu (235 km), Manali (280 km),

Delhi (370 km) and Ambala (154 km). From the

capital of India, one can even take luxury buses

and cabs which will provide a comfortable journey.

Access to Shimla by road is made possible by the well-maintained and efficient

network of roadways and National Highway 22 that links the town with Chandigarh.

Reach Shimla By Train:

The nearest station is Kalka which connects the city

with different parts of the country by rail

line. There are quite a good number of

trains from the cities like Delhi and

Calcutta. From Kalka station, one can

take the pleasure of toy train as well as

can hire private cabs to explore the beauty of this

city. The city boasts of three railway

Stations with Shimla, being the main

station with other two located at Summer

Hill and Totu (Jutogh) respectively.

Reach Shimla By Air:Located at a distance of 22 km away from the Shimla,

the Jubbarhatti airport is well connected to various other cities by air.

The other nearby airports such as Chandigarh

Airport and Delhi airport can be accessed

easily. Shimla has its own airport that offer

s connections for Delhi and Kullu. 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. Chandigarh also well

connected with Delhi by many domestic flights,

and is the gateway to Shimla.

Special Interest Nature: Shimla has been blessed with all the natural bounties which one can

think of. It has got a scenic location, it is surrounded by green hills with snow capped peaks. The spectacular cool hills accompanied by the structures made during the colonial era creates an aura which is very different from other hill. Some routes offer a greater variety of Shimla trees, shrubs, wildflowers and ferns. If you are lucky some bird species can also be sighted. Some suggested places are: The Glen, The Bharari spur.

Colonial Architecture: Most of Shimla has diverse colonial forms culled from all over Europe. English Renaissance, English Home Counties Marketplace: The Mall, Norman- Baronial: District Courts, Tudor: The Library on the Ridge and Barnes Court, Churches .

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.

Adventure: Tattapani Nardera Narkanda Kufri

Spirituality: Jakhu temple Sankat Mochan temple St Christ n Michael’s Cathedral Tara Devi Kali Bari

Heritage: Himachal State Museum & Library Viceregal Lodge The ridge

Wildlife: Daranghati Sanctuary Kurfi Wildlife Park Chail Wildlife Sanctuary

Heritage Himachal State Museum & Library : The museum is located 2.5-km

west of the scandal point and opens daily

except on Mondays & public holidays.

It has got a good collection of ancient

historical sculptures, paintings, coins,

photos and other items from all over the

state as well as outside it. It has also got a

library, which houses many historical books

and manuscripts. Visiting hours are from

10 AM to 5 PM and it is closed on Monday and gazetted holidays.

Heritage Viceregal Lodge : It also known as "Rashtrapati Niwas". This

magnificent building was the residence of the British Viceroy Lord

Dufferin. This lodge was completed in 1888 and

it is said that every brick for the building was

carried by mules. This is a six-story building and

is surrounded by well-maintained gardens and

lawns. The lodge has now been converted into

Institute of Advanced Study and is further 2-km

from State Museum.

Heritage

The Ridge:

The large open space in the heart of town

presents excellent view of the mountain

ranges. Shimla's landmarks - the Neo-Gothic

structure of Christ Church and the new

- Tudor Library building is worth seeing.

Spiritual Places Christ Church & St. Michael's Cathedral : Built

in 1846-1857, Christ Church is the second oldest church of Northern India. The Church overlooks the ridge and is one of the landmarks of Shimla. The Church's exquisite beauty comes with the stained glasses that are fitted on its windows. The town's other important churches are St. Michael's Cathedral and Roman Catholic Cathedral, which is just off the Mall

Spiritual Places Jakhu Temple : Dedicated to Lord Hanuman, this temple is at an

altitude of 8048 feet above sea level near the highest point of Shimla ridge. It offers a panoramic view over the surrounding valleys , out to the snowcapped peaks, and over the town itself. The temple is a 45-minute walk from the Ridge, one can also hire pony or taxi to visit temple.

Sankat Mochan : On Shimla-Kalka road at a distance of around 5 KMs is the famous "Lord Hanuman" temple. Situated at an altitude of 1,975m, it commands an excellent view of Shimla town. Temple has beautiful campus and Langar is held every Sunday.

Spiritual Places Tara Devi :On Shimla-Kalka road, this holy place is accessible

by rail, bus and car (11-km). It’s around 20 KMs journey from the town. Situated on top of a hill that faces Shimla, the temple offers panoramic views of Shimla town and surrounding hills. It is famous picnic spot.

Kali Bari : The temple is situated near to The Mall and its 5 minutes walk from The Mall. The temple is dedicated to Shyamala Devi (Shimla is named after this goddess), an incarnation of Goddess Kali. Temple faces heavy rush during Diwali and Durga Puja as many Bengalis visit this temple

Adventure Trekking : Equipment, training and instructors are available. And

then, all this comes at a fraction of what it would cost elsewhere in the world.

Fishing : Fishing is available at Tattapani 46 km from Shimla. No fishing is allowed during the following seasons: 1st June to 31st July (General water) 1st November to 31 January.

Skiing : Skiing is possible at Narkanda and Kufri (January–mid-March).

Golf : At Naldera, 23 km from beyond Shimla is one of the oldest golf courses in India.

Ice Skating : The Shimla ice-skating rink has the largest open-air area with naturally frozen ice in this part of the world. Ice-skating normally begins in early December and carries on to February

Adventure

Wildlife in Shimla Daranghati Sanctuary: This wildlife park of Shimla is

the abode to the species like Monal, Tragopan, Koklas and Kalij. The park also has a number of Musk deer, Goral and Thar.

Kurfi Wildlife Park: This consists of Himalayan Brown Bear, Sloth Bear, Panther, Snow Leopard, Tibetian Wolf, Barking deer, Ghoral, Sambar, Himalayan Thar, Yak and Black Bear.

Chail Wildlife Sanctuary: This includes animals like Sambar, Goral, Himalayan Black Bear, Red Deer, Silver-White Oak, Barking Deer, Leopard, Rhesus Macaque, Himalayan Yellow Throated Marten, Porcupine, Common Giant and Kashmiri flying Squirrel and Chir.

Wildlife in Shimla Churdhar Sanctuary: This sanctuary is situated at

Solan in Shimla. Major attractions of this place are Monals, Black Bear, Barking Deer, Musk Deer, Common Langur and Leopards.

Pin Valley National Park: With its snow laden unexplored higher reaches and slopes, the Park forms a natural habitat for a number of endangered animals including the Snow Leopard and Siberian Ibex.

Majathal Sanctuary: Located in the Spiti valley, this park is the habitat of Ibex and Bharal. which shelters rare breeds like Gorals and Cheer Pheasants.

Sites Nearby Wild Flower Hall (13KM) : 13 km from Shimla, is the

Wild Flower Hall situated at an altitude of 2,498 m. It commands a breathtaking view of the snows.

Mashobra (10KM) : Situated at a height of 2149 mt. . A place of unique beauty, Mashobra is an ideal interlude beneath the oaks and the pines. Dotted with delightful villas and innumerable picnic spots. Goddess Durga temple is worth seeing. A fair is held here every April/May.

Sites Nearby

Kufri (16KM) : Kufri, at distance of 16 km from Shimla and at an altitude of 2510 m above sea level, is a site offering some famous hikes and wonderful snow for skiing in winters. The Himalayan Nature Park here has a good collection of animals and birds found in the region.

Chail (43KM) : It was the former capital of the Patiala State. It has the world’s highest cricket ground at a height of 2250 m, built in 1893. There is a wildlife sanctuary at a distance of 3 km from here. Himachal Tourism runs the Palace Hotel.

Fagu (22KM) : Fagu Situated on Hindustan-Tibet Road (22- km), at a height of 2,450m Fagu is gifted with some enchanting views. Himachal Tourism runs the Hotel peach Blossom.

Things to buy

There is an enormous range of goods that Shimla has to offer like handicrafts, wood, and metalwork, shawls, pullovers, local tweeds, Wooden articles and Toys, caps.

There are many Emporium's and Showrooms on the Mall from where one can buy Himachali Shawls, Pahari Cap, Pullovers etc. The Tibetan Market is famous for imported goods mainly electronics goods and fancy items.

Famous Dances Shimla is a place that has been untouched by commercialization and globalization. It is very different from rest of the Indian states and has retained its old world charm. The culture of Shimla is such that it portrays a sound balance between traditional values and modern thoughts. The cultural heritage of Shimla is very traditional and rural.

Dance is basically religion oriented. The major dance forms of Shimla are: Kayang Dance, Bakayang dance, Jataru Kayang dance, Chohara dance, and Rasa dance

Cuisine Mall has many good restaurants serving Punjabi, South Indian, Chinese and Continental Foods. One can find good Punjabi Dhabas and Vaishnav Dhabas near the mall and lower bazaar having reasonable rates. There are many Fast Food Centers on the Mall, where Burgers, Pizzas, Patties etc are available.

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