After a fabulous stay in Dharamshala, we were off to Shimla. This was the longest drive between cities, taking about 6 hours. Upon arrival in Shimla, we had to wait along the side of the road for my local guide. Why, I wasn’t sure why, but I waited. It turns out that the hotel I was staying in, Hotel Willow Banks, was not accessible by car. So, I needed the guide to show me the way to get to the hotel. As I soon came to understand, most things in Shimla are either up or down; the hotel was up! Upon check-in to the hotel, I took in the view from my room and stretched as the rain began to fall. It poured that first evening, so I opted for room service and an early bed time.
Jakhu Hill
The next morning the guide met me at the hotel to take me on a tour of the city. Our first stop was Jakhu (or Jakhoo) Hill. Jakhu Hill is the highest peak in the city, offering amazing views, if you are lucky enough to be there when no clouds are present. In Shimla, like the other cities I visited during this trip, the clouds roll in and out often. When we left the hotel we were cloud free, but by the time we made it to Jakhu Hill, that was no longer true. There are some steep one-way looking roads (that serve 2-way traffic) to get to the car park. From there it is a hill of stairs one must trek to get to the top.
Lord Hanuman
At the top, we first came to a very large Lord Hanuman statue. The size of the statue is very impressive, standing at 108 feet tall (for comparison, Christ the Redeemer is 98 feet tall). This is a popular picture-taking spot, and the monkeys seem to enjoy trying to get in the pictures as well. I was warned that the monkeys here can be very aggressive and are notorious for snatching food, hats and sunglasses. As we wandered a bit further, we came to Jakhu Temple, dedicated to Lord Hanuman. Before entering the temple we had to take off our shoes and put them in the shoe house. The monkeys also enjoy taking shoes, so this shoe house has a gate to keep them out.
Upon entering the temple, the guide explained to me the customs that the locals in the temple were participating, including ringing the bell at the entrance to tell the gods of their arrival and ward off evil spirits. He then walked me around the temple, explaining all the paintings along the walls showing Lord Hanuman’s journey. After the temple, we got our shoes and then walked around the rest of the grounds. It is a park like atmosphere, with grass, and a lot of monkeys. There are some eateries at the top of the hill, but we did not partake. Instead we got back in the car to continue our tour of Shimla.
Visceral Lodge
Next we traveled across town to the Visceral Lodge which was constructed from 1884-1888 during the tenure of Lord Dufferin. As Shimla was the summer home of the British Raj, Lord Dufferin had this home constructed for his summer stays (May – November). The building is made of Himalayan grey stone in an English Renaissance style. Round staircases can be seen from the outside, which served as fire exits, and a sprinkler system was installed inside the ceiling of the building. Surrounding the large structure are beautiful gardens, filled with roses, hydrangeas and pine trees.
Today the building houses the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, but tours are given of a few rooms on the first floor that have been preserved. During the tour, the guide would first speak about each room in Hindu, and then would call together a small group of us (4 of us – myself, a male European tourist, and a newly married Indian couple) and give us the same information in English. We only saw 3 rooms, but the entry hall, filled with 3-stores of teak paneling, was the most impressive. Much of the furniture reminded me of that found in my grandparents house, as did the paintings and old books. Unfortunately, there were no pictures allowed inside.
The Mall
After the Visceral Lodge tour, we headed to The Mall. Shimla is famously known for its Mall, a pedestrian only thoroughfare lined with shops, restaurants, banks and hotels. My hotel was at the opposite end of the mall, so we walked along the entire length. Towards the center of the Mall, there is a spot known as Scandal Point. Rumor is that the towns people used to meet at this spot to discuss the town gossip, and any scandals or scandalous behavior that might be going on. As we came to the opposite end of the Mall, my city tour of Shimla ended, and I was now free to explore on my own.
I found the Mall to be great for tourists. You don’t have to worry about traffic, it is basically one long street so you don’t have to worry about getting lost, and almost anything you could need or want can be found along this mall. Having a hotel on the mall made venturing out easy. I ate lunch and dinner on the Mall that day, went in several shops, walked side-by-side with the locals, and felt very safe. For those not so sure about traveling to India, Shimla and the Hill Stations could serve as a great gateway to a wonderful country.
The next day this glorious trip came to an end. My driver drove me to Kolka where I boarded the train back to Delhi. I spent one night in Delhi, and then boarded a plane back to the U.S. I was sad to leave India, but am anxiously awaiting my next travel adventure.
