Shimla Himachal Pradesh

Mountain peaks encircle Shimla, the summer seat of the British empire. It was discovered by Lt. Rose of the British Army in 1819. Patron goddess of the little village was Shamla Devi, and she gave her name to the settlement that sprang here. At an altitude of 2130 metres, Shimla straddles a rhododendron and conifer clad ridge, with settlements sloping down on both sides. A little steam engine chugs its way up forbidding inclines, trailing a leisurely handful of coaches. Shimla still retains its past historic splendours and is everything that it was in the good old days: wooden bungalows with gardens in which gladioli and hydrangea bloom; leisurely moments of horse riding, golf and cricket and fireside chats.

Full Day City Tour of Shimla

Visit the Mall, Shimla’s principal promenade which runs along a ridge. Much that is reminiscent of the Raj is found here - stately mansions, and curiosity shops, Observatory Hill, Kennedy House, built in 1822 by Major Kennedy of the British Army, Scandal Point, scene of a legendary elopement, Christ Church, Jakku Hill with a fine view of Shimla. Visit Kufri, a picnic spot that offers excellent skiing on its mountain slopes in winter.

Dalhousie

Dalhousie is small and charming, pretty and full of promise. It covers an area of 14 sq. km. and swings around the hills like a figure of eight. It is named after Lord Dalhousie, the controversial governor-general of the 19th century who was just 36 years old when he took up the position. The two main crossings are the Subhash Chowk (once called Charing Cross) and the other, next to the Post Office, is Gandhi Chowk. Oak, cedar and flowering rhododendron shade a host of ferns and wild flowers. Below, the wide valley tumbles down with sharp drops and level patches of fields and houses. At the end of the drop flows the river Avi. The spectacular Dhauladhar ranges, snowy and sometimes misty pink swing into view at turns in the roads which are protected by tall stone revetments covered with a variety of moss.. The town has spectacular colonial architecture, four stone churches with fine stained glass windows, a Tibetan handicrafts centre, a market which sells woollen shawls and pullovers and a wide variety of hotels. Close to the town is the Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary which is home of the Himalayan black bear and the ghoral.

Khajjiar - the paradise valley

Khajjiar - the paradise valley - approx. 20 kms. from Dalhousie. From the road, the turf slopes away gently, into a great, green bowl hemmed in by the dark sentinels of the deodar trees, the revered cedars of the Himalayas. Beyond, rising in varying shades of green and blue is the icing-sugar-dusting of snow on the highest peaks.

This picturesque little village with its quaint charm is a “dead-zone” and does not receive TV signals; newspapers are rare, the only communication is the radio and only at 8.30 am you get a bus for Dalhousie, the nearest town. The village comprises just a few huts and some three or four hotels which, except during summer, remain virtually closed. Since it is free from visitors for most of the time around the year, Khajjiar remains an idyllic place far from the madding crowd. Apart from scenic beauty, Khajjiar has the 700-year-old temple of Naag-Devta, built entirely out of the timbre of one tree, the “Mother-tree”, a true freak of nature with about 18 separate trunks from a single shoot, awesome to behold. There is another temple, high up on the hills (11 kms.). On Sundays, villagers gather to pay respects at this “Mata” temple and animals are sacrificed to appease the deity. The grass carpet, the deodars, the temples, the cowherds and the clouds, the long winding roads and the steep goat-tracks continue to whet the nature-lover’s appetite. Walks are the main attraction of Khajjiar - there are umpteen routes for long walks, and the scenery is enough to keep one going for hours on end. The higher reaches of the hills are more or less unfrequented but for the local residents, and are an exhilarating part of the world. In the afternoon, the clouds steal upon the valley and very quickly they envelope you. The warm morning becomes a pleasant afternoon and goes on to become a chilly, silent night. There is also a certain quality about the silence. It is as if you are listening to the soft heartbeat of nature: unobtrusive, reassuring. Sometimes you can see a faint luminosity above the lake. Some pople say it is mist trapping starlight and moonlight - or it might be nothing more that Himalayan magic trembling over the Khajjiar valley.