November 10, 2008
It had been my dream to visit Himachal Pradesh, especially Shimla, Kulu and Manali since I had heard so much of its natural beauty and varied topography, flora and fauna. This dream was fulfilled when I made a week’s trip to these places along with my wife, Gloria during the last week of October, 2008.
We reached Delhi by the Rajdhani Express and proceeded to Shimla. Being located in north-west Himalayas, Shimla was the summer capital of the British Raj since 1864 and was known as the ‘Queen of Hills’. Presently, it is the capital of Himachal Pradesh. The city is named after the goddess Shyamala Devi, another name of goddess Kali. Chandigarh is the nearest major city which is well-connected by road to Shimla. The Kalka-Shimla narrow-gauge railway line constructed in 1906 by the British connects the two cities. With more than 806 bridges and 103 tunnels, this railway line has been considered as the ‘British Jewel of the Orient’ and is still in operation.
A number of buildings with aesthetic architecture remind the tourist about the legacy of the British Raj. These buildings include the Vice-regal Lodge, Auckland House, Gorton Castle, Peterhoff House, etc. The Mall is the chief shopping center in Shimla. Christ Church situated on the ridge is the second oldest church in North India. Other places of interest include Jakhu hills, Shimla State Museum, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Temple of Tara Devi, Hanuman Temple at Sankat Mochan and Mashobra with excellent picnic spots.
The visit to Shimla would be incomplete if one does not make a trip to Kufri, a tiny hill station, 16 kilometers from Shimla. It is famous for a number of picnic spots, hiking and trekking trails and the panoramic view of the surrounding deep valleys and snow-capped Himalayan peaks. The interesting places to be visited in Kufri include the Himalayan Nature Park and the Indira Tourist Park. It was at Kufri that the famous Shimla Pact was signed between Indira Gandhi and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in 1972 following the end of the Indo-Pak War of 1971.
After two days stay at Shimla we proceeded to Kulu-Manali. The road to Manali winding through the valley of the Beas River presents beautiful scenery that is just out of the world. One has to witness the nature at its best rather than describing it.
Manali is a small town which was the base of an ancient trade route to Ladakh and beyond to the Karakoram Pass and to Yarkand and Khotan. The town ‘Manali’, meaning ‘The Abode of Manu’ gets its name from the ancient Hindu law-giver, Manu. In the old Manali village, there is a temple dedicated to Manu. Manali is also known as the ‘Valley of Gods’.
Manali is the popular tourist destination in the Himachal Pradesh. It is famous for adventure sports such as hiking, trekking, mountaineering, para-gliding, rafting, kayaking and above all skiing. Other than the valleys and mountains, hot springs, Hindu temples and Buddhist Gompas (monasteries) are other attractions of Manali.
The places of tourist interest in Manali include the Naggar Fort to the south of Manali belonging to the 1500-year-old Pal Dynasty and the Hidimba Temple, dedicated to the Pandav Prince, Bhim’s wife. It was built in Pagoda style with four storeys and has exquisite wooden carvings.
One of the most adventurous tourist journeys from Manali is to the Rohtang Pass with an altitude of 13,050 feet above sea level. It is the highest point on the Manali-Keylong road. It provides the most beautiful panoramic view of the Himalayas and the deep valleys below.
Across the Beas River, around 3 kilometers from Manali is the Vashist village with natural sulphur springs. There are two old stone temples opposite to each other-one dedicated to Guru Vashist and the other to Lord Shiva. Elaborate wood carvings line the interior of these temples.
The return journey from Manali to Chandigarh was equally pleasant and memorable. As we left Himachal Pradesh we could visualize why the visit to Shimla-Kulu-Manali is worth the amount of money and days that we had spent. The experience of visiting these places has been just out of the world.