Carrying the British legacy

Wed, May 14 12:45 AM

A quaint and pretty little town in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India, Shimla is the oldest and also one of the most developed hill stations with many good schools, hospitals and colleges to boast of. The British discovered Shimla in 1819 after the Gurkha War.

It was known for the temple of Hindu Goddess Shyamala Devi at that time. In 1864, this town was declared the summer capital of the erstwhile British Raj in India.

A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the 'Queen of Hills'. And it surely is! Pure mountain breeze I started my journey to this wonderful place very early in the morning with my friend Emily.

We'd been looking forward to this trip for weeks, what with Delhi becoming hotter by the day. We were extremely lucky to have chosen Wildflower Hall by the Oberoi Group to stay in; it's a fairytale resort located 8,350 feet above sea level.

Ensconced in intense cedar forests and offering an awe-inspiring view of snow peaks, this region is renowned for its innate beauty and wide-ranging flora and fauna, all set against a backdrop of quiet and tranquillity. Something for everyone We took many leisurely walks through the aromatic cedar forests, had gourmet picnics and indulged in rejuvenating treatments at our hotel's spa, which is rated as one of the best in the world.

There are a lot of fun activities that one can go for in Shimla. And for the adventurous, there's river rafting, horse riding, trekking, ice skating (in winter) and mountain biking.

The highest point in Shimla, at 2454 meters, is the Jakhoo hill. Local hangouts like the Mall road and ridge are at the heart of the city.

Most of the heritage buildings are preserved in their original tudorbethan, or mock tudor, architecture. Interestingly, Shimla is often called the temple town.

There are many beautiful temples here like Kali Bari, Jakhoo and Sankat Mochan, which draw countless devotees from all parts of India. We had left Delhi with the intention of relaxing, and basically, doing nothing.

But we did end up taking a small, 'unofficial' tour of the place with our cab driver, which turned out to be really nice, educating and fun. Before catching our flight back to Delhi, we spent the last two hours in our hotel's outdoor jacuzzi.

Mountains and forests stared right at us, and we inhaled pure, fresh air - a far cry from Delhi's pollution! And even though we're back in Delhi, every time we close our eyes and think about these moments, a wave of cool breeze hits us, and it's Shimla calling all over again.

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