Geography:
Shimla is located at an altitude of 2,202 metres and experiences a cold and chilly weather during winters. In the month of December, it also gets snowfall which is a major tourist attraction in this region. It can be visited throughout the year as every season has something to offer to the visitors. While in summers, people can relish the walks and trekking along the scenic beauty of this place,in winters they can enjoy ice-skating and other sporting activities. However, the best time to visit Shimla is from April to August and from December to January.
Popular Attractions:
The 'Queen of Hill Stations', Shimla is one of the prominent tourist destinations in north India. There are many places of interest in the city. Some of them are:
Christ Church and St. Michael's Cathedral: The Christ Church was built in 1846-1857 and is the second oldest church of north India. The stained glasses on the windows of the Church enhance its beauty and represent hope, faith, patience, charity and humility.
Jakhu Hill and Jakhu Temple: The Jakhu Hill is the highest peak in the city that offers a beautiful and a scenic view of the town. On top of the hill, there is a temple devoted to Lord Hanuman. The temple is also a home to a large number of monkeys who are generally fed by the visitors.
Himachal State Museum and Library: The museum built in 1974 has a collection of Pahari sculptures, paintings, textile, jewellery, costumes etc. The library has a range of historical books and manuscripts. Summer Hill: It is a township located about 5 kms away from The Ridge along the Shimla-Kalka railway line. During his visit to Shimla, Mahatma Gandhi had lived in this lovely township.
The Mall: It is the main shopping street of the city with many clubs, restaurants, bars, tourist offices etc. Gaiety Theatre, an old British theatre and a centre for many cultural activities, is also located here.
There are many more places of interest in Shimla including Jutogh, Tara Devi Temple, Junga, Totu, Kufri, Kali Bari, Potter Hill, Prospect Hill, Elysium Hill and Sankat Mochan temple. There are many hotels in Shimla which fulfil the accommodation needs of the tourists, ranging from budget hotels to three or five star hotels. One can also find accommodation in government-aided or private guest houses. There are many restaurants at The Mall where you can enjoy a variety of food and cuisines. The dhabas here offer delicious food at reasonable prices. For the shopping lovers, there are many shops in Shimla, especially in the Lower Bazaar, Lakkar Bazaar, The Mall and the Tibetan Bazaar. Here you can buy goods like handicrafts, metalwork, toys, tweeds, Himachali shawls, caps and many more.
How to reach:
The Jubarhatti airport is the nearest airport to the city, havingdirect flights from Delhi and Chandigarh. Taxi and cab services can be easily availed from the airport to reach the main town. Through rail, Shimla is connected to Kalka by an amazing narrow gauge rail track that has 103 tunnels, longest being over a kilometre long. Kalka is connected to Delhi and Chandigarh with regular trains plying between the two stations. A toy train runs between Kalka and Shimla, which covers a distance of about 96 km in five to six hours. The National Highway 22 connects Shimla to Chandigarh. Shimla can also be reached easily from the neighbouring states via road. One can take buses run by the state governments or private owners or can opt for a private/shared taxi to reach the town of Shimla.
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Shimla City Information | |
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Country | India |
State | Himachal Pradesh |
District | Shimla |
Established Year | 1864 |
Area | 25 km2 (10 sq mi) |
Population | 171817 as Census January 2011 |
Population Density | 120/km2 (300/sq mi) as Census January 2011 |
Language | Himachali, English, Punjabi, Hindi |
Official Languages | Hindi |
Literacy Rate | 83.64% as Census January 2011 |
Sex Ratio | 915/1000 |
Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
Pin code | 171 001 |
Area code | 177 |
Lat Long | 31.1033° N, 77.1722° E |
Religion | Hinduism |
Festivals | Bharara Fair, Bhoj Fair, Lavi fair, Pathar Ka Khel, Sipi Fair, Summer Festival, Baisakhi, Rhyali. |
University | Himachal University |
Sister Cities | Carbondale, Illinois, USA |
Sports | Golf, Ice skating, Mountaineering, Paragliding, skiing, Trekking, River Rafting. |
Airport | Shimla Airport |
Railway Station | Shimla Railway Station (SML) |
Tourist Attractions | Christ Church, Junga, Totu, Mashobra, Kufri, Chharabra, Chail, Sanjauli |
Nearby Tourist Attractions | Jakhoo Temple, The Ridge of Shimla, Shimla State Museum, Tara Devi Temple, Sankat Mochan |
Popular Things | Jakhu Temple, Fagu, Kalka - Shimla Railway, Gaiety Theatre, Viceregal Lodge |
Notable People | Shahid Javed Burki, Horatio Boileau Goad, Anupam Kher, Priety Zinta, Rahat Kazmi, Salmaan Taseer, |
National Highway | National Highway 22 |