The British called Shimla the "Queen of Hill Stations."
Situated in the north-West Himalayas, Shimla the summer capital of
India before independence is now the capital of Himachal Pradesh.
Shimla is well connected by air, road and rail with all parts of
Himachal Pradesh, and the neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana,
Jammu and Kashimir and the Union territory of Chandigarh. Covering the
area of 18 sq. km. at a height of 7,238 ft. Shimla is surrounded by
pine, deodar, oak and rhododendron forests. Its well developed
facilities, easy accessibility and numerous attractions make it one of
Indian's most popular and biggest hill-stations.
A narrow-railway links Kalka with Shimla. This important rail-link
was built in 1924 and its "toy trains" still ply between the
two stations, passing through 105 tunnels and beautiful rail-road
stations. Half-way through the journey, after Solan, the lights of
Shimla flow in the distance, looking like glimmering jewels studding
the dark green of the mountains, the train takes six hours.
Situated in the North-West Himalayas, the climate of
Shimla varies from a maximum of 10-11 degrees in winter to a maximum
of 25-26 degrees in summers. Shimla never allows the gods to raise the
temperature above that limit and the gods always oblige. Shimla
changes its moods with the seasons. In spring we see flowers of all
kinds, both wild and cultivated, smiling in each garden. During the
monsoon, we see some of the best sunsets in the world.
Winter in Shimla is known as the season of "Long
moon-night." It becomes a frost glistening silent city. A
gathering of dark clouds tells us of the approach of snow generally a
slight fall first, followed by a heavier one when the snowflakes sweep
down through the fine-needles bending long branches to the ground. The
following morning sees the town as a fantastic fairyland of white
beauty.
