Shimla

Shimla is the capital of Himachal Pradesh. Before India's independence, it was the official summer capital of the British Raj. You can see the splendour and grace of the colonial era in the Vice regal Lodge.

The official summer residence of Viceroy built in 1888. At present houses the Institute of Advanced studies. Likely to be restored to the Archeological society of India in the near future. The English , had almost carved this building out of wood -pine ,cedar and all the locally available wood.

Shimla is a quiet town (2130 m / 7100 ft) surrounded by oak,rhododendron forests,apple orchards and stately cedars and pines. It is well connected to the rest of Himalayas by road.

The hub of activity revolves around Mall for its restaurants and shops with hordes of souvenirs. Above the Mall is a wide plateau called as Ridge. The neo-Gothic Christ church at one end and St.Michael's cathedral, a little away from the Mall evoke memories of the Christian colonial past.

As was the practice of the then English raj, they always found temperate and salubrious climate in nearby hill stations. In the south , they trudged up to Kodaikanal and Nilgiris whilst in the North, they found bliss in Himalayas. Ride the century old mountain train in a Romantic Journey, meandering through valleys awash with the sound of gurgling stream or cascading falls set against the backdrop of snow-capped mountains.

The slopes of Kufri (2622 m)about 16 km and Narkanda, some 64 km from here attract tourists and skiers during the winter. However, this part has little snowfall in the summer months.

If you look for a quiet holiday breathing crisp fresh air laden with wafts of pine trees, land here before the winter sets in. Or you might prefer Kullu valley,especially for its colourful Dussera festival in October. This ritualistic feast continues for 9 days.