“…But it was all pure delight – the wandering road, climbing, dripping, and sweeping about the growing spurs; the flush of a the morning laid along the distant snows; the branched cacti, tier upon tier on the stony hillsides; the voices of a thousand water channels; the chatter of the monkeys; the solemn deodars, climbing one after another with down-drooped branches; the vista of the Plains rolled out far beneath them…”
Rudyard Kipling, Kim
Kipling’s Shimla is 200 years old. The tongas may have been replaced by Maruti vans and corseted memsahibs by backpackers, and Scandal Corner may have been renamed Lajpat Rai Chowk, but there is no mistaking the charm of a colonial hill station.
On a bright summer day a few years ago, we drove down to ‘Chhota Shimla’ through winding trails that ran through woods in parts – to arrive at Raja Bhasin’s ‘farmhouse’. The Cecil had just reopened and we were amongst its first guests. They had sent us off with a Harrods picnic hamper, stewards in tow, and as we walked about the estate spread in a valley, dark clouds gathered. Before we knew, the sun had disappeared, a mist filmed the tops of trees and a drizzle turned to a downpour.
Capital of the state of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla has sprawled beyond itself, and there are traffic jams and petrol fumes. But the Gothic buildings remain, and the romantic will know how to escape the drone and immerse in the cool air, take a long view of the spectacular mountains, find a mossy spot, sit under a droopy deodar or walk up to the Viceregal Lodge where the flowers still bloom in a myriad colours. Essential Shimla is a crescent shaped ridge and along the ridge runs the mall – always the centre of activity. During the British days, the mall was a privilege of the sahibs. Now, of course, it is an eclectic, crowded stretch but the English flavour has persisted – no one can ignore buildings like the Christchurch or the several bungalows with unmistakable Scottish names that line it.
Shimla is also the district headquarters of ‘Shimla District’ and the gateway to interesting places such as Narkanda, Rampur, Sarahan, Jubbal, Hatkoti, Tattapani, etc. Besides being the perfect place to settle harried nerves, it is the ideal base for going deeper in the hills.
GETTING THERE:
While there is an airport 23-km away from the town at Jubbarhatti, flights are erratic.
A nicer way to get to Shimla is by train. A narrow gauge line connects Shimla to Kalka and the ‘toy train’ moves leisurely up the slopes presenting you with breathtaking naturescape at every twist and turn. The nearest broad gauge railhead is Kalka. Chandigarh, an alternative railway station, can be used if you’d like to cover the rest of the distance on road. The Delhi-Kalka route is serviced by Shatabdi Express, Himalayan Queen and Howrah-Kalka Mail, which arrive at convenient timings to connect with onward trains. The Kalka-Shimla narrow gauge line covers 96 km and four regular trains, including the recently introduced superfast train, cover the distance in 4.5 to 5.5 hours.
Many people also prefer to arrive at Shimla by road. From Delhi, the journey takes about 10 hours. If you are not driving yourself, the options are Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation’s regular and non-A/c deluxe coaches (operational in season), Himachal Roadways’ daily bus services that leaves the New Delhi Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) at 8.30 am and 9.30 p.m., or Haryana Road Transport’s service from Jaipur via Delhi's ISBT. Taxis are available from Chandigarh Railway Station and Kalka Railway station.
Roads that Connect
The road network in Shimla district works like this: from Shimla, the main arterial road leads to Kufri. Just before Kufri, one may take a diversion to go to Naldehra and further to Tattapani. From Kufri, the road leads to Fagu and further to Theog. From Theog, one major road leads to Narkanda and further to Sainj. The other major road from Theog leads to Hatkoti and further to Rohru, Sungri and Rampur. Rampur can also be reached via Sainj. A diagonal road connects Narkanda and Sungri. From Rampur, the road leads to Sarahan, on the extremity of Shimla district. To go into Kalpa district, one may go via Sarahan; to go into Manali district via Sainj and to Mandi district, via Tattapani.
Shimla is connected to the plains via Chandigarh (263 km) from where the road moves up hillwards via Barog, Solan and Chail. The Delhi-Chandigarh road has heavy traffic, and converts off and on to a dual carriageway.
IN SHIMLA:
The most popular activity in Shimla is walking. There are several pretty stretches: JAKHOO HILL with a Hanuman Temple is 2.5 km uphill. SUMMER HILL (1983 metres) is five km away on the Shimla-Kalka railway line and has pleasant shady walks. CHADWICK FALLS (1586 metres) are 7 km away but are really worth visiting during the monsoon, between July and October. The falls can be reached via Summer Hill. PROSPECT HILL (2145 metres) is 5 km from Shimla and a 15 minute climb from Boileauganj. The hill is a popular picnic spot with a fine view of the surrounding country and a temple dedicated to Kamna Devi. SANKAT MOCHAN (1875 metres) is 7 km from Shimla. It has a Hanuman Temple and fine views of Shimla.
In the main town, the mall is the highlight, lined wit shops, restaurants and the famous Gaiety theatre – a centre of cultural activity since the British days. A passenger lift connects the mall with Cart Road. Lakkar bazaar is famous for woodcraft. The town’s landmark buildings are Christchurch, the new-Tudor library building, the State Museum and the Viceregal Lodge – now ‘Centre for Advanced Studies’.
AROUND SHIMLA:
There are several places in close proximity to Shimla town that are ideal for a picnic or a day out. These include Tara Devi (11 km), famous for a temple, Mashobra (12 km), surrounded by thick forests and ideal walks; Craignano (18 km), ideal picnic spot with lawns and gardens, Naldehra (22 km), famous for its nine-hole golf course and an idyllic setting. |
