The summer capital of British Raj: Shimla

Shimla is a most sought after hill station which is situated in North India and it is the capital of Himachal Pradesh. The city is well connected to roadways and airways. In the year 1864, Shimla was declared as the summer capital of India and after the independence it was named the capital of Punjab and later it was declared as the capital of Himachal Pradesh. Shimla derived its name from Shyamala Devi which is believed to be the incarnation of Goddess of Hindus ‘Kali’. In 1806 Shimla was captured by Bhimsen thapa of Nepal but afterwards it was taken by British who later became a frequent visitor of this place and later declared it as the summer capital of the country. The climate in Shimla is cool in winters and slight warm in summers.The city is surrounded by the forest of Deodar, oak and pine trees.

Shimla like other hill stations is known for the woolen items and the handicrafts particularly of the Buddhist faith. The mall road is the ideal place to find handicrafts, Pashmina shawls and Tibetan crafts. Himachali caps, gloves, sweaters are the best buys but be ready with your bargaining skills as you have to bargain very hard to get the right price. Lakkar Bazaar, another market is famous for the wooden works which include key chain, candle stand, and other wooden items. Tibetan market is another place to get the Tibetan handicrafts and antiques. The street food of Shimla is well known for its taste. You can spot paani puri at a local street shop. Fruit Chaat is very famous and mouth watering. Next is ‘Kewal da Dhaba’ which is known for its legacy of tea serving since the time of British. Lord Mountbatten the then viceroy of India was so impressed by their tea that he gifted them a permanent structure of the present day shop. Here again Momos both steamed and fried are served by young Tibetan boys at the lower bazaar. We suggest you to once visit Shimla to explore the true beauty of nature.

The Kalka Shimla Railway is a narrow gauge railway which covers the picturesque journey from Kalka to Shimla covering the distance of almost 96 km. The railway is a declared UNESCO world heritage site and this journey is one of the most spectacular journeys to cover. This was built by British in order to connect to Shimla which was the summer capital at that time. Now the journey starts from Kalka in Haryana to climb the foothills of Himachal and the scenery is just awesome.

This church is regarded as the second oldest Church in Northern part. The architecture is excellent and is Neo-Gothic style and it is considered as a legacy of British. As this city was the capital of British, so many of them stayed here and thus in the year 1857, this church was built. The church has great collation of ancient scriptures and books related to Christianity and the British.

Baijnath temple is a temple located near Shimla and is dedicated to lord Shiva. The temple has greater importance among hinds because it is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. The temple was constructed in 1204 A.D. and it has Swayambhu form of Shivalinga inside the sanctum of the temple. It is constructed in North Indian style of Nagara temples. Tourists and pilgrims from all over the world come here to seek blessings from Lord Shiva throughout the year and especially during the festival of Maha Shivratri.

The ridge is nothing but a wide open space situated in the heart of the city and is the major centre of all the cultural fests. The place is especially known for its administrative significance because all the major functions and festivals are being held at this place. In addition to this the famous Christ church is also located here. This place has a large water reservoir from which water is supplied to the entire city.

This is a specific mountain in the Kinnaur district near Shimla and this mountain holds religious significance for both the Hindus and Buddhists. This place is said to be the place where Lord Shiva meditated for some time in order to hide from Bhasmasur before Lord Vishnu helped him to slay down the asur.