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Shimla was the summer capital of India under British rule. Presently, it is the state capital of Himachal Pradesh, with its population around 1.6 lacs (Shimla town only). Shimla is approximately 115 km (71.4 miles) from Chandigarh, the nearest major city, and 365 km (226.8 miles) from New Delhi, the national capital. The city is named after the goddess Shyamala Devi, an incarnation of the Hindu Goddess Kali.
Shimla’s cool climate is the precise reason why it is such a popular summer retreat. Located at an altitude of approximately 2000m above sea level, the region has a hilly terrain and is covered by dense evergreen forests.
The town of Shimla is built over several hills and connecting ridges. The important hills are Jakhu ( 2,455 meters ), Prospect Hill ( 2,328 meters ), Observatory Hill (2,350 meters) , Elysigim Hill ( 2,466 meters ) and Summer Hill ( 2,300 meters ). This town is spread over the ridge measuring about 12 km. It is perhaps the biggest hill station in the world, located at an altitude of 2,421 meters above sea level. Shimla is well connected with air, rail, and road traffics.
Shimla has seen many important historical events such as the famous Shimla Pact between India & Pakistan which was signed here.The place is also famous for its natural beauty, architectural buildings, wooden crafts and apples.
Shimla combines the luxury of being a hill station as well as a city. Kufri and Narkanda offers great opportunity for tourism in Shimla because of snow covered terrains and skiing in winter season. Britishers called Shimla “the queen of hill stations” and staying true to this saying, Shimla and its nearby areas are heavens for any kind of tourism related activities. It is a beautiful hill town in the lap of nature, surrounded by pine and deodar forests.
Besides being the ultimate summer retreat it remains an ideal spot for adventure sports. Tourists can go in for the various treks to the Kullu valley or indulge in trout fishing at the Pabbar River. The more adventurous may ski at the Narkanda and Kufri from January to mid-March. The nine-hole golf course at Naldehra is also a major draw for the tourists.
A pleasant way to enjoy natural beauty of the region is to travel to Shimla on the ‘Kalka -Shimla’ train. It runs on the narrow gauge and winds its way through forested hills of fir, pines, walnut, apricots and through terraced hillside fields of paddy and corn.
There are many places worth exploring all around the town like Jakhu hill, Glen, Chail, Kufri, Summer hill, Kamna Devi, Tara devi, Christ church, Tattapani, Mashobra, Naldera, Fagu , Narkanda, Rampur and Kalapathar.
Enjoy the weather and nature in the beautiful Himachal town of Shimla on your trip to Himachal Pradesh.
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