Shimla: A place to be

With the sense of nostalgia I felt as a first timer, with its old bungalows and their gabled roofs and beautiful gardens, the former summer capital of the British in India, and the present capital of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla have been blessed with all the natural bounties which one can think of.

It has got a scenic location; it is surrounded by green hills with snow capped peaks. The spectacular cool hills accompanied by the structures made during the colonial era create an aura which is very different from other hill.

Bulging at its seams with extraordinary expansion, Shimla retains its colonial heritage, with grand old buildings, among them are the stately Viceregal Lodge, charming iron lamp posts and Anglo-Saxon names.

The Mall, packed with shops and eateries, is the centre of attraction of the town, and Scandal Point, associated with the former Maharaja of Patiala's escapades, offers a view of distant snow clad peaks.

Shimla is ideally located, and though there is an air service to the town, it is best reached by road that takes in the charms of the Himalayan countryside at its best.

Shimla dates back to the 19th century when it was founded by the British in the year 1819 after the Gorkha war. During that period, it was most popular for the temple of Hindu Goddess Shyamala Devi and in 1822; the first British summer home was constructed by Scottish civil servant Charles Pratt Kennedy.

Shimla became the summer capital of the British Raj during the latter half of the 19th century and the soldiers of the British army, merchants and civil servants dropped in here to get relief from the scorching heat of the plains. Presently, it is the state capital of Himachal Pradesh.

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.

A remarkable event took place in the history of Shimla when the Kalka-Shimla railway line was constructed in the year 1906 that significantly added to its quick accessibility and it gained immense popularity.

Apart from this, Shimla was declared as capital of the undivided state of Punjab in the year 1871 and remained so until Chandigarh (the present-day capital of Punjab) was given the status of the region’s capital.

Himachal Pradesh got separated from undivided Punjab in the year 1971 with Shimla becoming its capital. You will come across several British structures in Shimla such as the Viceregal lodge, Auckland House, Gorton Castle, Peterhoff house, and Gaiety Theatre that are the reminders of the colonial times.

Even though it is a historic town and an international tourist destination, Shimla is glaringly ill-equipped with vision to handle even with a few inches of snowfall especially during winter. Repeatedly, year after year, Shimla faces similar problems when temperature dips below zero degrees or there is a snowfall.

The water supply pipes freeze, it becomes dicey to walk on roads, and traffic goes off in Shimla and on National Highway-22 ahead of it, power supply trips, making it a tough living for the locals and a disappointing stay for tourists, at least for a couple of days.

When this happens, the road gets blocked, and the frost makes it a risky drive on it for days. Shimla has a populace of about 7,123,184 and it receives 23-24 hundred thousand tourists every year, with a good number in winters also.

Some of the most prominent things to watch in Shimla are the Himachal State Museum & Library, Viceregal Lodge, Botanical Gardens, Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, The Ridge, The Mall, Summer Hill, Glenn and Taradevi Temple. Everything in this quaint town I would say has a unique appeal and never fails to impress even the most demanding tourists.