Shimla Travel

A cruiser through Shimla assures an exhilarating coalition with nature. Simla is rightly called as 'the pride of Himachal Pradesh.
Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh and erstwhile summer capital of British India lies in the north west of Himalayas. The city is renamed after goddess Shamla Devi a manifestation of Kali. Shimla perched at an altitude of 7,267 feet, is populated around a ridged area, which enjoys the most splendid scenic vista, and pleasant environs. The city offers luxurious panoramic vision of the valleys, and the majestic peaks of the great Himalayan range, on both sides.
To words the north of the city lies the impressive snow capped ranges across the horizon facilitating the cool breeze drift across the countryside. Its mesmerizing vegetation of oak and rhododendron forests with its healthy climate, easy accessibility and numerous attractions have made it one of the most popular hill stations in northern India.

Main Attraction of Shimla City
The Mall
The Mall is main shopping area with its old colonial buildings, souvenir shops and eating joints. Confined -stoned paths leads down to the middle and lower bazaars where one enjoy the products sold by the tribes from the hills and other artifacts. The top end of the Mall is a wide-open square area with a magnificent view of the town - a desired rendezvous for visitors and the local people.

Rashtrapati Niwas
This was the erstwhile residence of the British Viceroy with 6 stories and colossal walls having splendid reception area and lavish dining hall. The building is now converted into an Institute for Advanced Studies.

Jakhoo Temple
Crowning on the height point in Shimla just 2 km east of the city on the Jakhoo Hill is the small Jakhoo Temple. The temple is dedicated to the God Hanumana and is often flooded by number of playful monkeys on the way.

Chadwick falls (8 km)
At 2149 m this ravishing outskirts of town is girdled by thick dense forest. From here, track leads down to Sipur, which is a beautiful glade, shaded by ancient deodar trees.

Christ Church and St Michael'S Cathedral
The second oldest church in northern India was designed by Colonel JT Boileau in 1844 is the most conspicuous edifice on the Mall Road. Colonel Dumbleton donated the clock in 1860 to the church.

Excursion from Shimla City
Chail- 43Km is at an altitude of 2,250m, the place has the world's top-notch cricket pitch and a polo ground. White Flower Hall -13Km was the erstwhile residence of British Commander in Chief and was converted into a hotel by the Himachal Tourism. Kasauli -12Km is an amazing small township that reminds us about the bygone era of 19th century. It is 77-km from Shimla and 35-km from Kalka resting at an altitude of 1,927m.Kufri- 19Km is more famous for its trekking and hiking track. Adventure-seeking travelers hoard Kufri in winters to luxuriate in skiing and glide along its snow-covered slopes.

Adventure in Shimla
Golfing: Nine hole Golf Course at Naldhera, 23 km from Shimla.

Fishing: Trout fishing and Mahaseer fishing is available at Rohru 110 km from Shimla and at Tattapani- 43km from Shimla.

Skiing: HPTDC organizes ski courses of 7 days and 15 days duration at Narkhanda (65 km) every year during the month of January to March. The facilities include boarding, lodging and equipment.

Trekking: Shimla-Kinnaur region facilitates some exhilarative trekking opportunities:
a) Shimla to Kulu via Jaloni Pass (66 kms).
b) Shimla to Kulu via Bashleo Pass (56 kms).

Shopping
Shimla is celestial home for the magnificent handicrafts of Himachal Pradesh. The famous market in Shimla is Lakkar Bazar quite renowned for its woodcraft, Tibetan Market along the Ridge is also famous for jewelry and trinkets. Shimla is famous for its high quality woolen products, pashmina shawls, decorative artifacts, embroidered handmade shoes, woolen caps, carved wooden sticks, and other items made form wood.

Mode of Transport
Air: Vayudoot services and Jagson Airlines connect Shimla with Kullu and Delhi. The nearest airport is 22 km from the city with regular flights to Delhi. The flights to Shimla may be called off, during the winter months of December, January and February therefore it is necessarily to check up in advance.

Rail: Shimla is connected by a narrow gauge train that runs till Kalka 90km from Kalka offering some panoramic vista.

Road: From Kalka one can also take a bus run by Himachal Transport Corporation for Shimla. Shimla is connected by regular bus services with Chandigarh 117 kms, Kullu 220 kms, Manali 260 kms, Delhi 343 kms, Chail 43 kms, Dehradun 240 kms