Shimla-"An Elegant Story"

Distance357 km north of Delhi

Journey time
By road 8 hours
By train 6 hours+ 2.5 hours by road
By air 1 hour+ 1 hour by road

Best season
Summer is predominantly the perfect season but Spring and autumn make way for splendid views.

The present-day Shimla is greatly influenced by British culture, who made this into the summer capital of India.

As Shimla grew in popularity, people from all over the Indian subcontinent flock to this place you can be pretty assured of a non-solitude journey.

These old walls reflect an untold story!
Thy beauty still emanates,
Time is the greatest mystery.
The lost glory silently reverberates.

The picture perfect setting of this Queen allows you to take a magnificent view of the entire Himalayan range, the deep valley and breathe in fresh mountain air that makes time stand still!

Centrally located, seven peaks in the vicinity tower up in the sky, thereby ushering in a heavenly protection.

Since there are Multiple Hills to choose from, you need to strike a balance between time and beauty.

Prospect and Summer Hill

At the Summit of prospect Hill lies the Kamna Devi Temple, which provides a grand view of the entire countryside on its way up.

The Summer Hill is a resting place of the Himachal Pradesh University, mention of monorville( mahatma Gandhi once resided here).

This hill receives the slanting rays of the Sun, basking the sunshine is its penultimate glory.

The Himalayan Aviary right below the state guest house is the perfect gazing point of the state bird of Madhya Pradesh - The Himalayan Monal.

Observatory Hill

We trekked our way through the Oak and rhododendron forest, to arrive at the square house, which is now converted to the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies.

Lower down the observatory Hill, the gaiety theatre was graced by the presence of Rudyard Kipling and Amrita Shergill which now runs an annual Theatre Festival.

Invereram and Botany hills

The intricate wood carvings, jewelry, ancient manuscripts, arms, and ammunition are all objects of Wonder at the Himachal state museum which is structured on the top of the Inveraram hill.

Next move towards The Grand hotel on the Botany Hill.
This one served as the residence of general bentinck.

Further moving up the botany Hill, you come across the 150-year-old Kalibari Temple, that stands Pristine and prominently, giving you a good view Over The Hills.

Elysium and Jakhoo Hills

The vast open town days before me and I silently stand and what its magnificence!

The trek up to the villages of pabo and Kamiana are but just simply beautiful.
Jakhoo Hill, considered to be the tallest of the seven hills houses the Hanuman temple on its Summit.

We ventured to this Temple early in the morning, and were taken aback by the sunrise so much so that we took a half hour break to simply look at the amazing view and capture the memories of a lifetime!

A number of churches also rest beautifully in this place, with the stained glass Windows depicting alost heritage and the Church backyard filled with a green facade.

You visit Shimla and you don't do this joy train ride, that's a regretful tale.

The Kalka and Shimla stations host the famous joy train ride, thanks to its special tourist trains of Shivalik Palace and Shivalik Deluxe which takes you to through the meandering mountain slopes of the Kalka Shimla stretch on a sweet journey of the hills which contrast itself in different seasons.

Lush green in summer to a blanket of snow in winter, this is a slow journey through time.

Passing over 969 bridges and 103 tunnels, it takes you back to your childhood days and you can simply savor the unmatched beauty of the hills.