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Shimla

Pop: 10,000 Area Code: 0177

Shimla, the state capital of Himachal Pradesh, is the best-known and most popular hill station. It is located at an altitude of 2200m. It has a good atmosphere and is a pleasant place to visit on a stopover to Manali or points north. It is pleasant to walk along The Mall and The Ridge. It is a beautiful area with good views of the Himalayan Mountains.

Because higher class Indians tend to frequent Shimla, accommodations are fairly high priced. Most foreign travelers stay only a day or two on their way north.

The best time to visit is from late September to early November, when it is not too cold or crowded and the sky is clear in the mornings. From late April to early July the weather is warm during the day, but Shimla is crowded with Indian tourists and it can be difficult to find a place to stay and accommodation prices are high. From December through March, Shimla is covered with snow and is very cold. Even in the summer it can be cool at night and you will need some warm clothing.

History
In the beginning of the 19th century, Gorkhas would regularly raid this village. The local ruler asked the British for help, which the British gladly gave. The British defeated the Gorkhas in 1815. Over the next half century, the British used Shimla as a resort during the hot summer months. In 1864, Shimla became the summer capital of the British Raj. In 1946, leaders of the Indian independence movement held an important meeting here to discuss Independence.

Orientation
Shimla is spread out over several hills connected by winding streets and steps. Two main roads run east–west through the center of Shimla. The Mall in the north goes from the far west of town to Scandal Corner. The Mall and The Ridge are for pedestrians only. Cart Rd is the south road, on which the railway station, bus stand, and taxi stand are located. A passenger lift goes from Cart Rd up to the eastern end of The Mall. Between The Mall and Cart Rd is the busy bazaar area.

Information
The Himachal Tourist Office (215-591), next to Scandal Corner, can help with hotel bookings, taxis, and buses to tourist places. They also book flights on Archana Airways. Open daily during the season 9 am to 9 pm and during the off-season from 10 am to 5 pm. There is a Tourist Reception Center on Cart Rd near the west end of The Mall.

The Main Post Office is near Scandal Corner.
The Central Telegraph Office (fax 204–026), west of Scandal Corner, is a good place to make phone calls and to send and receive faxes. Open 24 hours.

There is an ice skating rink in the winter.

The Gaiety Theater often has shows.

Span Tours and Travels (201-360; fax 201-300), 4 The Mall, opposite the GPO, is a good trustworthy, all-round travel agency. Hi Lander (201-565; fax 204-026), 62 The Mall, arranges treks and other tours. Ambassador Travels (258-014; fax 211-139), The Mall, is an established travel agency.

Transmount Adventures (252-561; fax 252-557), can arrange treks in the area.

Tours
HPTDC organizes tours that can be booked at the tourist office on The Mall. There are tours to Naldehra, Kufri, and Fagu (Rs 150); the beautiful Chail area; the hot springs at Tattapani and Naldehra (Rs 150); and to Narkana, Theog, and Fagu (Rs 165).

The YWCA (72375; fax 211-016) arranges treks in Himachal Pradesh for Rs 1000 per person. They also arrange jeep trips to Kinnaur, Spiti, and Lahaul. These must be arranged in advance.

Money
The State Bank of India, ANZ Grindlays, UCO Bank, and the Punjab National Bank all change money. UCO Bank is efficient. The State Bank of India charges a small fee. Many travel agencies are authorized to change money. You can obtain cash advances with a Visa card at the Bank of Baroda on Cart Rd, not far from the bus stand.

Viceregal Lodge (Rashtrapati Nivas)
The Lodge on top of Observatory Hill was once the summer headquarters for the British Raj. This impressive building was built between 1884 and 1888. It was the first government building in India with electricity, and had an indoor tennis court. At one time over 800 people, 40 of them gardeners, were engaged at the Lodge. The Indian Institute of Advanced Study now uses it.

There is a guided tour of the Lodge’s ground floor. There is a bronze plaque on a stone terrace to the rear of the building that names and describes the peaks that can be seen from there. It has a nice garden and well-kept lawns. Open daily 10 am to 1 pm and 2 to 4.30 pm. Guided tour Rs 7.

To get here, walk west along the Mall for about an hour. It is about a 15-minute walk past the State Museum.

Himachal Pradesh State Museum
This interesting museum has exhibits containing woodcarvings, ancient sculptures, weapons, jewelry, costumes, paintings from Chamba, musical instruments, and well-preserved terracottas from the Shunga period (2nd to the 1st century BC). There is an excellent collection of Pahari miniature paintings, other style miniatures, and paintings by contemporary Himachal Pradesh artists. There is a Gandhi exhibit, which mainly includes pictures and photocopies of letters.
The museum is a 40-minute (about 2½ km west) walk from Scandal Corner. To get here, you walk west on The Mall to the concrete ramp with the sign that says “Museum”. It is next to the Ambedkar Chowk sub-post office. Open daily except Mon and holidays 10 am to 1.30 pm and 2 to 5 pm; free.

Jakhu Temple (2455m)
Inside this temple are what are said to be Hanuman’s footprints. Hanuman is the loyal monkey servant of Lord Rama as described in the Ramayana. It is said that Hanuman rested on Jakhu Hill while carrying back to Lanka a mountain containing healing herbs to save Laksman, Rama’s wounded brother. The temple itself is not so interesting. There are many potentially aggressive monkeys here. Early in the morning on a clear day you can get some good views of the mountains from here.

The temple is located on top of a hill at the east end of Shimla. It is a steep 45-minute walk to the top of the hill. The trail leading to the temple is marked by a sign put up by the Lion’s Club, and is located just to the left of the yellow Christ Church.

There are two paths that lead down the hill. The path on the right is especially interesting. It takes about 45 minutes to walk down either path, and you will arrive near Lakkar Bazaar, 25 minutes from Scandal Corner.

Other Places
Prospect Hill (2176m), from where there are good views, is located down the asphalt road with a gate, left of the main entrance of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (Viceregal Lodge), 5km west of Shimla.

Next to the Viceregal Lodge is the Himalayan Aviary. This bird sanctuary has splendid peacocks, pheasants, and red jungle fowl. Open daily except Mon 10 am to 5 pm. Admission Rs 5, camera Rs 25, video Rs 100.

Christ Church, built in 1857, has clocks and excellent stained glass windows. St Michael’s Church is located below the Central Telegraph Office.

Walks
There are nice walks at Summer Hill (1980m), 5km from town.

Chadwick Falls is a 65m high falls, 6km from Shimla past Summer Hill. The falls is only interesting from July to October, during and just after the monsoon.

The Glen (1,820m), 4km from downtown Shimla, has nice walks. To get there, you pass Annandale, which is also a nice place to walk.

There are some good views from Prospect Hill, and it is a nice place to walk around.

Tara Devi Temple is on top of a hill 9km from Shimla. It is a nice walk to this place from the Tara Devi Station. You can take a taxi to this place.

It is a nice walk to Sankat Mochan, on the road to Chandigarh, 7km from Shimla. There are some nice views from there.

Where to Stay
From the railway and bus stations it is a steep climb to get to the area where the hotels are located and The Ridge. Porters charge about Rs 25 to carry a large bag to the top of The Ridge. Porters will usually try to take you to the hotel of their choice.

Where to Stay—Low
The railway Retiring Rooms are Rs 200 and there is a discount in the off-season. The rooms are good, but noisy.
The YWCA (203-081), near the main post office, has good-size rooms for Rs 200 to Rs 300, plus a Rs 20 temporary membership charge. Meals are Rs 30. It is well located and has some good views. It is very popular and is a good value, so it must be booked in advance between May and Sept.
The YMCA (204-085; fax 211-016) has clean rooms with common bath for Rs 200/350 and with a bath for Rs 400. There is also a Rs 50 temporary membership fee. It has a gym and billiards. This place has to be booked months in advance during the high-season.
On Cart Rd, east of the bus stand, there are several budget places.
Hotel Basant (258-341), Cart Rd, has rooms with common bath for Rs 150 and with bath for Rs 175/225. Bucket hot water. It is a well-managed place.
Vikrant Hotel (253-602) has rooms with common bath for Rs 300 and Rs 400 with bath.
Hotel Himachal, near the railway station, has rooms for Rs 225/250. Some rooms don’t have windows.
Thakur Hotel (257-381), near the bus stand, has good-size rooms for Rs 175/250. It is usually full.
Hotel Kohinoor (20008), across from the bus station, has rooms with bath and hot water for Rs 350.
On the Mall, near Scandal Corner, there are several places.
Hotel Fontaine Bleau (23549), opposite the State Bank of India, is a family-run place with rooms with common bath for Rs 350 to Rs 550.
Hotel Gulmarg (256-968; fax 252-380), next door, has rooms with bath, hot water and TV for Rs 250 for a room without a window and up to Rs 1100 for a deluxe room.
Hotel Minerva (252-043) has good rooms with bath and TV for Rs 200/300.
Hotel Loveena (202-035), near the Indian Coffee House, has rooms with TV and a good view for Rs 550.
Near Lakkar Bazaar there are several hotels.
Hotel Shimla View (203-244) has rooms with common bath for Rs 200.
Hotel Ashoka (78166) has rooms for Rs 250/350.
Hotel Uphar (257-670) has clean rooms with bath and hot water for Rs 250/300 and Rs 400 with a view. It is a well-managed place.     
Hotel Ridge View (240-859) has rooms with hot water and TV for Rs 250 to Rs 600.

Where to Stay—Middle
Most middle class hotels have TVs and attached bathrooms with hot water. They are often good values in the off-season.
HPTDC Hotel Holiday Home (212-890), on Cart Rd, has big clean rooms for Rs 550 going up to Rs 2300 for a deluxe room with meals. It is well-managed.
Surya (258-192; fax 201-979), Circular Rd, is a popular place that has comfortable modern rooms.
Lord St John, Cart Rd, is a friendly place that has good clean rooms for Rs 1200.
Opposite Clarke’s Hotel on the east side of The Mall are a couple of good places.
Hotel Sangeet (202-506; fax 255-823) has good modern rooms for Rs 700 and Rs 900 for a deluxe room. It is a good value.
Hotel Shingar (252-881; fax 203-382) is a well-managed place that has rooms for Rs 900 and Rs 1100 for a room with a view. It is a good value.
Near the railway station near the western end of The Mall are some places.
Hotel Classic (253-078) has comfortable rooms for Rs 400/550. It is a well-managed place with good views.
Hotel Dalziel (72691) has clean rooms with hot water starting at Rs 400.
Hotel Prakash (213-321) has rooms for Rs 600 to Rs 900.
Around Lakkar Bazaar there are several places. It is a fairly hard climb to get to some of these places.
Hotel Dreamland (fax 204-919) is a popular place with clean rooms with hot water, TV and a good view for Rs 400 to Rs 1000. It is a good value.
Hotel Chanakya (254-465) has comfortable clean rooms starting at Rs 550.
Hotel Auckland (252-621) is a good place that has rooms beginning at Rs 600.
Hotel White (255-276) has clean rooms for Rs 400 to Rs 1100. It is a good idea to see a few rooms. It is a well-managed, recommended place.
Chapslee (257-319), Lakkar Bazaar, is an old house that has character with rooms with a good view. It is a friendly well-managed place with rooms for Rs 1700. Recommended.
Near the passenger lift at the eastern end of The Mall are several places.
Doegar Hotel (211-927) has rooms for Rs 500.
Hotel Bridge View (258-537) has rooms that have a good view for Rs 500.
Hotel Crystal Palace, near the lift, has rooms for Rs 750 and Rs 1000 with a view.
Hotel Samrat (258-772) has rooms starting at Rs 700.

Where to Stay—High
Eastbourne, Khillini, 5km from the bus stand, is a good place with a pleasant garden in a peaceful location. Rooms start at Rs 1900. It is a well-managed place. Rooms by the reception can be noisy.
Woodville Palace Resort (223-919), Raj Bhavan Rd, is an older building built by a maharaja with a nice garden. Rooms are Rs 2500 and Rs 4800 for a suite.
Oberoi Clarkes Hotel (251-010; fax 211-321), the eastern end of The Mall, has luxury rooms for $120/$140 including meals. It is well-managed.

Where to Eat
Indian Coffee House, at the west end of The Mall, is a reasonably priced place with snacks and South Indian food.
Choice, Middle Bazaar, down the steps from Balijee’s, has very good cheap Chinese food.
Park Café, off the eastern end of The Mall, has Indian, Western and breakfasts. It is a good place.
Himani, 48 The Mall (east side), has good South Indian and tandoori food.
Devicos, on The Mall, near Scandal Corner, is a modern fast-food place. It has good veggie burgers and dosas.
Rendervous, near Scandal Corner, has Indian and Thai food.
Alfa Restaurant, near Scandal Corner, is a popular place with high-priced Indian and Continental food.
Balijee’s, 26 The Mall (eastern part), has very good Indian, Continental and snacks. The service is good and it is high priced. It has a good bakery.
Fascination, upstairs, is also a good place with Indian and Chinese food.
Embassy Restaurant, The Mall, has very good Indian, Chinese, pizzas and ice cream.
Ashiana, The Ridge, has good service and good Indian and Continental food. It is expensive. It is well located with a good view.
Goofa, The Ridge, below the Ashiana, has veg thalis, pizza and Western food.
New Plaza, 60 Middle Bazaar, is a popular, reasonably priced place serving Indian food.
Quick Bite, nearby, has India food and pizzas.
Trishool’s, next to Gaiety Theater, is a good bakery.
Krishna Bakers is a good bakery.
Oberoi Clarke’s Hotel has buffets for Rs 250.

Local Travel
There are three groups operating taxis in Shimla: HPTDC, from their office at Scandal Corner; the Vishal Himachal Taxi Operators’ Union (77136), near the lift on Cart Rd; and Kalka-Shimla Taxi Union (78225), on Cart Rd. They all have fixed prices. During the off-season, you may be able to get a cheaper price.

There is a passenger lift that goes from Cart Rd, near Vishal Himachal taxi stand up to the eastern end of The Mall, about half a km from Scandal Corner.

Porters carry baggage to and from the bus and railway station. If you have heavy luggage, hiring a porter may be a good idea, especially if you are going from the railway station to The Mall. They charge Rs 5 to Rs 25 depending on distance and weight.

Travel
Air Jabbharhatti Airport is 22km south of Shimla. Jagson Airlines has flights to Delhi and Kullu. Jagson’s representative is Span Tours & Travels (52220), 4 The Mall (west end). Archana Airways has flights to Delhi and can be booked at the HPTDC Office at Scandal Corners or with a travel agency. Indian Airlines (258-014) has flights to Delhi (3 weekly, $100) and Kullu (3 weekly, $60).

There are buses run by the HPTDC that go to and from the airport (Rs 60). There are also city buses. Taxis to and from the airport are a fixed price (Rs 350).

Train To get to Shimla you can get the narrow-gauge train at Kalka (5 hr). There are three classes: 1st class, which is comfortable (Rs 150, Rs 175 by rail car); chair car, which is nice (Rs 110); and 2nd class (Rs 17), which has wooden seat and can be crowded and uncomfortable. There are usually four trains daily and seven during the season.

When you arrive in Shimla you should not get off the train at the Summer Hill railway station, which is 5km from the downtown. Traveling from Shimla to Chandigarh you can get the train to Solan and from there a bus to Chandigarh.

To get to Shimla from Delhi you can get the Himalayan Queen (6 hr) at 6 am from the New Delhi railway station to Kalka. You then get the train to Shimla at 12.30 pm and arrive at 5 pm. From Shimla you can take the 11.55 am train and then get the Himalayan Queen to Delhi in Kalka at 4.40 pm.

At the railway reservation office (3021) you can book the Shimla to Kalka train. You can also book trains departing from Kalka and other places in north India. Open Mon to Sat 10 am to 5 pm & Sun 10 am to 2 pm.

Bus There are two bus stations in Shimla. You can book a bus at the bus station up to one month in advance. When buses arrive in Shimla from Manali and Chandigarh via Cart Rd, they usually stop at the HPTDC Tourist Center above the railway station. It is usually better to get off the bus at this place (rather than the bus stand) because it is an easier walk to the top of town where most of the accommodations are located. Buses arriving from Kinnaur, Narkanda and Rampur arrive at the “Lakkar Bazaar” bus stand.
Public long-distant buses go to Mandi (9 daily), Kullu (5 daily), Manali (10 hr, 2 deluxe buses), Dharamsala (10 hr), Chamba (3 daily), Dalhousie (1 daily), Dehra Dun (9 hr, 1 daily), Chandigarh (4hr, regularly) and Delhi (11 hr, a few daily). Public buses go to places in the area such as Kasauli, Nahan, Paonta Saheb, Narkanda (every half-hour), Rampur (every half-hour), Kufri, Tattapani and Theog

HPTDC operates luxury buses to Delhi (10 hr) via Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Manali and Kaza, the capital of Spiti and Lahaul (often cancelled). These buses usually only run in the high-season. You book the HPTDC buses at the tourist office at Scandal Corner or from travel agencies on The Mall.

Private companies operate buses to Delhi and Manali during the high-season. They can be booked through travel agencies on The Mall.

If you know of a informationthat is not correct or if you would like to help update our listings, please e-mail us at:

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