Shimla formerly known as Simla is the capital state of Himachal Pradesh. Shimla is known for its unimaginable beauty adorned with snow-capped mountains. Shimla is a renowned hill station with a fabulous weather and serene beauty and known as the summer capital during British rule.
History: Shimla is named after the goddess Shyamala Devi, who is an incarnation of the HinduGoddess Kali. In 1806, Nepal and many of the Indian territories such as Almora, Phatankot, Kumaon, Garhwal, Simur, Dehradun, Kangra and Shimla were united by Nepali King Prithvi Narayan Shah. From 1814 to 1816 when the British East India Company and Nepal went on war with each other, as a treaty all these parts of Nepal were given to British East India Company. This treaty between the two countries was called Sugauli treaty.
1819- Post Gurkha war, Shimla was annexed by British.
1822- First British summer homewas built by Charles Pratt Kennedy
1827- Lord Amherst, the Governor General of Bengalset up a summer camp where the population increased in folds.
1864- Shimla became the summer capital.
1906- Theconstruction of the Kalka-Shimla railway line highlighted the accessibility and popularity of Shimla.
1971- Until the construction of Chandigarh, Shimla was considered the capital of Punjab. Once Himachal Pradesh was formed, Shimla was made its capital.
2008- Shimla became part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mountain Railways of India.
Culture:
The natives of Shimla are called Shimlaites. Shimla has largely cosmopolitan crowds, as a result a variety of festivals are celebrated here. The Shimla Summer Festival lasts for 3-4 days and is held every year during the peak tourist season and is celebrated with great zeal. The highlights of this festival include performances by popular singers from all over the country.The heritage buildings in the city are preserved in their original tudorbethanarchitecture. The State Museum built in 1974 has a collection of paintings, jewellery and textiles. Shimla is also known for sports like ice-skating. Shimla is famous for temples like Kali Bari temple for the goddess Kali, and Sankat Mochan and Jakhoo temples known for the god Hanuman. Tara Devi temple is very auspicious temple which is known for performing rituals and festivals.
Topography and Weather: Shimla is located in the north western range of Himalaya. With an average altitude of 2397.59 meters above mean sea level, the city is spread on a ridge and its seven spurs. The city spreads nearly 9.2 km from east to west.
Shimla experiences a subtropical highland climateunder the Koppen climate classification. The weather is cool during winters and moderately warm during summers. The temperatures range from 4 ‘Æ”’°C to 31 ‘Æ”’°Cover the year.During summers, the temperature ranges between 19 ‘Æ”’°Cand 28 ‘Æ”’°C, and during winters ranges between -1 ‘Æ”’°Cand 10 ‘Æ”’°C. Snowfall in Shimla happens in January or early February every year which is absolutely beautiful which makes it the best winter holiday resort. The best time to visit Shimla is during autumn.
Places to Visit in Shimla:
- Chail
- Naldehra
- Kufri
- Shogi
- Salogra
- Solan
- Barog
- Arki
- Mashobra
- Anand Vilas
- Junga
- Indian Institute of Advanced Studies
- Glen
- Tattapani
- Fagu
- The State Museum
- Kalapathar
- Rampur
How to Reach Shimla:
Air: The airport in Shimla is 22 kms away from Shimla in Jabarhatti. It is connected to all major cities in India as well as abroad.
Rail: Shimla has a meter gauge railway station. It is connected to the nearest broad gauge station in Kalka, located 96 kms from Shimla.
Bus: Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (HPRTC) buses provide bus connectivity from all cities in Himachal Pradesh to Shimla. The ordinary and deluxe bus services are available from Delhi to Shimla.
Bus tickets are easily available online. One can plan trip and do bus booking online in advance. Online bus tickets booking is an easy process which can save your time and price.
