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| Ridge, Mall Road |
Shimla is the largest city of Himachal Pradesh, India, and also serves as the State capital. Surrounded by snow-capped Himalayan Mountains and dense green forests, the city is one of the most loved hill stations in India. During the British period, Shimla served as the summer capital of the British. Apart from some beautiful tourist attractions, the city now has the UNESCO world heritage Mountain Railways of India – The Kalka – Shimla Railway.
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| Kalka Shimla Train |
The best time to visit Shimla is from November to June. Shimla can be reached by road, train, or by air. The nearest railway station from Shimla is Kalka which is around 85Km away from them here. From Kalka, you reach Shimla either by bus, car, or can avail the famous Kalka-Shimla narrow gauge Toy-train. The Kalka-Shimla Toy train route passes mostly through the mountains and is well-known for the scenic views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. This route passes through a total of 103 tunnels and it takes almost 5 hours to reach Shimla from Kalka. The nearest major airport from Shimla is Chandigarh. The distance of Shimla from Chandigarh is around 114 km and it takes almost 4 hours to reach Shimla from Chandigarh by road.
You can visit Tara Devi Temple. This is a 250 years old temple. The temple is located on the Tara Parvatand you will get a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains and valleys from the courtyard of this temple. Next, you can go to visit Sankat Mochan Temple. It is approximately 5 km away from Shimla city-center. This tranquil temple is surrounded by a forest of beautiful pine and oak trees. This temple houses three deities Lord Rama, Lord Shiva, and Lord Hanuman. Nowadays, its one of the most famous tourist attractions near Shimla. From Sankat Mochan temple you can go to visit Shimla Kali Bari temple. This beautiful temple was constructed in the year 1845 and the main deity here is Goddess Kali.
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From Kali Bari temple go to visit famous Shimla Mall Road. It is the main street in Shimla and is the most happening place in the town. You will find all the government offices, post office, banks everything here. Other than the offices, there are numerous big and small stores located here. You will find mainly woolen garments, books, and handicraft items here. Your Shimla tour will be incomplete unless you taste the delicious cookies, cakes or hot chocolates from here.
The upper area of the Mall road is known as the Ridge, which is a huge open area. At the Ridge, you can also visit the famous Shimla Christ Church. It is the second oldest church in North India and was built in the neo-Gothic style in the year 1857. In the evening, the church is lightened up and looks like a magnificent castle. You can also witness spectacular sunset from here in the evening.
Next to Ridge is the famous Shimla Lakkar Bazar. This market sells mainly wooden handicraft products and is located adjacent to the famous Shimla Ridge. This is the heart of this beautiful hilly town and the place offers breath-taking views of surrounding mountains. This place also houses some notable shops and buildings.
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| Jakhoo Ropeway |
After breakfast, start your journey towards Jakhoo Temple. The temple is located on top of Jakhoo hill. It is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman. According to the Ramayana, Lord Hanuman rested here for sometimes while he was searching for Sanjivani Booti to revive Lakshman. Every year a festival held here during Dussehra. A giant 108 feet tall statue of Lord Hanuman was established here in the year 2010. You can reach the hilltop by taxi or by ropeway. From Jakhoo hill, you can move towards Kufri.
On your way first, you can stop at the Green valley. Green valley is a stunning mountain valley famous for its breath-taking views of the surrounding pine and deodar forest over vast hilly lands. After spending some time at Green Valley you can proceed towards Kufri. Enjoy the scenic beauty of the pine-clad valleys on your way.
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| Green Valley |
The car parking space of Kufri is a little ahead of the viewpoints and fun world. At the car parking space, you can enjoy a photo-shoot sitting on the back of a Yak. From the car parking space to the sightseeing point horse ride is available. Charges are Rs 500 per person. At the entrance of Kufri’s viewpoints, there is a small market having stalls of local hand-made products and local fast food. From here you can get a closer look at the Himalayan mountain ranges using the telescope. There is a guide who will explain every detail to you. Other than viewing telescope you can take photos sitting on a Yak’s back.
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| Kufri Snowfall |
If you are an adventure sports lover you can enjoy archery at this point. Beyond this, there is a local village. Enjoy a walk around this village and have a glimpse of the local life here. Next, go to visit Kufri Fun World. Kufri fun world is an amusement park where you will have numerous fun and adventure activities for both kids and adults. Other than these activities, there are some good eateries inside Fun world where you can enjoy snacks and a cup of hot tea. The package cost for all the adventure activities in Kufri is between Rs 200 and Rs 300 after completing your activities in the Kufri Fun-world go to visit Himalayan Nature Park or Kufri Zoo and enjoy the quality time here. From the zoo,, you visit the local market at Kufri – Chini Bazar. Here you will find many small wooden handcrafted products which you may collect as a souvenir.
