Visiting Simla, a really quaint town perched on a narrow ridge with breathtaking drops on either side, is the major reason I wanted to visit India.
Its history is fascinating.
In the early 1800's at the end of the Gurka wars, the British decided to use some of the hospitals and sanitoriums they had built in the area as summer houses. More houses were built and by mid 1800's they used Shimla as their summer capital, moving up from Calcutta (and later Delhi) in April and returning in November, each year. So from 1864 to 1947 a large part of the world (about 1/3 of the world's population at the time) was ruled for more than half the year from this little hill town.
In the run up to India's independence and the partition of Pakistan in 1947, many of the negotiations took place here too, so it was visited by Mahatma Ghandi, Pundit Nehru etc etc.
Nowadays the town is still a very pleasant and popular holiday resort, with a good climate and amazing views.
On the main shopping street, the Mall.
To reach the Mall from below, the taxi drops you on a low road, and you take two high public lifts -
The lower lift.
Its history is fascinating.
In the early 1800's at the end of the Gurka wars, the British decided to use some of the hospitals and sanitoriums they had built in the area as summer houses. More houses were built and by mid 1800's they used Shimla as their summer capital, moving up from Calcutta (and later Delhi) in April and returning in November, each year. So from 1864 to 1947 a large part of the world (about 1/3 of the world's population at the time) was ruled for more than half the year from this little hill town.
In the run up to India's independence and the partition of Pakistan in 1947, many of the negotiations took place here too, so it was visited by Mahatma Ghandi, Pundit Nehru etc etc.
Statue of Ghandi on the Ridge.
On the main shopping street, the Mall.
To reach the Mall from below, the taxi drops you on a low road, and you take two high public lifts -
The lower lift.Shimla, like much of the rest of India. seems to enjoy excellent religious tolerance with Hindu, Christian, Muslims and Sikh all coexisting peacefully in the main.
Mosque on the Lower Bazaar from the Mall -
And Christian Church built mid 1800's, as seen from the Mall -
And everywhere awesome views of the forested high narrow ridges of surrounding mountains.
Amazing view from our hotel room in lower Shimla
Note - I have added extra pics to the Shimla Toy Train and Coach trip posts - by special request from Jen !
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