The one place that has been declared the Summer Capital of British India is the Shimla Hill Station. Located at the lower levels of the Himalayas, it was back in 1819 when Lord William Bentinck persuaded the Raja to part with the small village. Since that time, the area soon grew into a resort settlement for the English to spend their summers at. While the winters at Shimla are very cold due to winds coming down the Himalayas, the summers are perfect and barely ever exceed 25 degrees Celcius.
When visiting Shimla Hill Station, you will have to be prepared to lay back and relax because there are a great number of locations to do just that. For starters you can make your way to the Ridge which is an open area that is usually filled with people at all hours of the day. After you have relaxed enough on the Ridge, you can make your way to Lakkad Bazaar where you can browse through an assortment of hand crafted wood objects. The best part about stopping by the bazaar is that you will not leave with empty pockets.
For the religios experience, make your way over to St. Micheal’s Cathedral which at one point was considered to be the finest cathedral in the whole of India. Adorned with a masterpiece of stained glass that depicts faith, humanity, hope and faith this cathedral is a definite must see.
There is also a number of older temples at the Shimla Hill Station for one to see and get a taste of the local cultural diversity. After all of this though, you can make your way to the cricket and polo grounds just at the edge of the Shimla Hill Station and then out into the natural surroundings which inspire the soul to explore this Himalayan foothills region.
None the less, no matter how you look at it, you will always be able to find something in this Summer resort Capital of British India to keep you satisfied and content. You will never the less want to see more of this picturesque town even though you know you will have to soon leave and go back to your home. |