Shimla

Set amidst pine-forests with buildings reminds, one of the colonial flavour, Shimla (2205 m), became the summer capital of India during the colonial rule (1864). The British, for whom it was unbearable to tolerate the scorching Indian summer, had sought refuge in the calm and cool mountains of Shimla, way back in 1819 (after the Gurkha warfare). The town, covering an overall area of 18 sq. km is home to architectural edifices that transform you to colonial England. The queen of hill stations is famous for her Mall, the main road. The boulevards of pine, oak, fur and rhododendron contribute to a fresh pollution -free atmosphere.

Simla is famous for its "Kalibari"-housing deities of Chandi, Shyamala and Kali. It is believed that the town got its name from Shyamala (another name for Goddess Kali. The temple situated atop the wooded Jaghu hills, 2 km from Shimla offering a good view of the town below, was discovered in early 19th century.

The nearest railway-station is Kalka, from where Shimla is a 90 km journey. The road from the railway-station and the bus-terminus takes an uphill climb for a km to the Mall, which houses some hotels and the Kali Bari.

Porters can be hired to carry your luggage uphill. A passenger-lift connecting the Mall with the Cart Road downhill is also there.

The Mall, the central point of Shimla, is adorned with hotels, the head post-office, an old church, dazzling shopping-hubs etc. The road to the right of the Gandhi statue leads to the market-area. The other road goes to the Lakkarbazaar bus-terminus from where buses ply on a regular basis to Rampur, Kufri, Fagu, Naldehra, Narkanda, etc.

There are some lovely places to sight-see in and around Shimla. About 2.5 km west of Scandal Point, lies the state museum boasting of a good collection of statues, miniatures, coins, photos and other items from around Himachal Pradesh. Kamna Devi Temple and Prospect Hill (2155 m) about 5 km west of Shimla, offers panoramic view of the sunset and the picturesque valley below. On Shimla-Kalka railway line, 5 km away, lies Summer Hill. Here you can take a pleasant walk through the shady green boulevard. At an elevation of 1830 m, 4 km away, is one of the former playgrounds of rich British colonialists. The road to it passes through Annandale, another pleasant area which used to be a race-course. 2 km further west from Summer Hill, you will come across Chadarick Falls (67 m high) gushing down from a mountain of 1586 m height, a good forest-views. The place is so called because of the temple of Lord Mahasunaga the local deity. You can take a 251 omni trek from Kufri via the road which passes through Gollu, to reach Fagu. Snow-covered Fagu will take your breath away in winter. Naldehra, situated at an altitude of 2050 m, famous for its golf-course, one of the oldest and highest in India. The small village of Mashobra, 11 km from Shimla, has some pleasant walks. There is a Durga temple lying at an altitude of 2148 m. STDC buses are available to take you around Shimla for a trip to the above-mentioned areas. Or else, taxi-ride will cost Rs 600-800.

How to Go

The nearest rail station is Kalka. A train ride from there passes through a staggering 103 tunnels as it snakes its way up to Shimla. The journey passes through some of the most scenic-routes. Luxury buses connecting Delhi with Shimla take about 13 hours to cover the distance. Towns like Kullu, Manali, Mandi, Dalhousie, Dharmasala, Chamba, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Mussourie, Pathankot etc are well linked with Shimla by road. If you travel by air, board a flight from Delhi and get down at Bhuntar airport near Kullu. From Bhuntar, Shimla is 230 km away.

Accommodation

HPTDC's Hotel Holiday Home
Phone : 212890-97
Fax :201705

Hotel Peter Hawk
Phone : 212236, 252538
Fax:213801

Rs 200-350
Apsara Guest House (ph-211652), Easy Guest House (ph-ph-213126), Kohinoor (ph-202008), Classic (ph-253078), Flora (ph-258027), Puneet (ph-257035), Rajdhani (ph-213228), Sun View (ph-212548).

Rs 350-1000
Greenland (ph-255640), Gulmohar (ph-257036), Hill top (ph-257283), are some of the top-end places to stay, where rooms range from Rs 500 to Rs 9000 (VIP Suite). Hansa (ph-256881), Kapil (ph-201233), The Cecil (ph-204848), Maharaja (ph-206844), Mayur (ph-252398). There are numerous other hotels providing commendable service.

STD Code of Shimla : 0177

Fares

Delhi-Shimla : Rs 450
Shimla-Manali : Rs 300
Chandigarh-Simla : Rs 150

Tour No-1

Covers Kufri, Chini Bunglow, Fagu, Naldehra, Mashobra for Rs 151( per head).

Tour No-2

Covers Fagu, Thiyoy, Matiana, Narkanda for Rs 188 (per head).

Tour No-3

Covers Kufri, Chini Bunglow, Nature Park, Chai, Kiari Ghat for Rs 188 (per head).

Tour No-4

Covers Naldehra, Tatlapani for Rs 172 (per head).

Private arrangements can be made for Tour No-1 to 4. In that case each of the trips will cost Rs 800-1000 in private cars or Marutis.

Caution

You will be besieged by porters the moment you arrive at the bus terminus or get down from the train. There is a high chance of misplacing your luggage in the chaos. So, remember to take care of your luggage, while negotiating with the porters.

Remember

It is better to go for advance-booking if you plan to put up at Shimla Kalibari. For booking, contact :
Secretary,
Shimla KaliBari,
Kalimandir Marg,
Shimla-17100
Phone : (0177) 252964

Reservation is, though, not available for men. But they can go for spot-booking of the dorms. Don't succumb to the lure of the porters who would advice you to stay at nearby hotels by drawing attention to many a drawback of the Kalibari. In most cases, they are the commissioned publicity agents of different hotels. If you do not have an advance booking of any place at all, it is wise to go around and check for yourself, the facilities offered by the different hotels.

Remember

HPTDC's accomodation at Narkanda and Naldehra: Narkanda : Hotel Hatu (ph-01782-42430,42509) Naldehra : Naldehra Log hut (ph-177-487738) Hotel Golf Glade (ph-177-487809)