By: Eesha Duggal
Shimla is indeed not just about the Mall Road, the Ridge, Kufri, etc. Away from the concrete jungles of the city are some beautiful places that can certainly take your breath away. It’s not just about the places, but particularly about the boulevards, the alleys where only a few feet tread through. So if you are one adventurous dude out there, plan your next adventure to these places.
Chadwick Falls
About 7-km away from Shimla is Chadwick Fall. All you need to do is take a walk from Summerhill bus stand to the spot. What could be better than getting out of your car and let your feet do some walking! One can stop at a small village of Sangti to again get ready for a long walk to the ravishing Chadwick Fall. The scenic beauty of the valley from a rather stumbling road will soak up all your tiredness. The fall is inside the thick woods, so beware of the wild. Don’t forget to see other two falls, down the major Chadwick fall.
Tuttikandi
Tuttikandi is yet another place, which serves a good combination of peace and beauty. One can toddle down ‘Ek Sau Teen’ (The last tunnel – No. 103 – on the railway track from Kalka to Shimla) to reach the place. Though the idea of capturing animals ain’t so impressive, but one can see the exotic animals in a small zoo anyway. It has three leopards and five bears. The end point of the zoo is perhaps the best. The dazzling straw lying all around, shines in all its glory when tall magnificent devdars and chirs allow little sun rays to pass through and fall on it which makes you go ‘Wow’! The passage again is the best feature.
Jutogh
Situated on the top of the hill, is Kendriya Vidyalaya Jutogh, which can be reached climbing a stunning road. The place is very calm and serene (school is not on off course). The road to the top is pretty steep but the mysterious woods on the left will surely not make one realise it. Bracketed by a number of species of flora, the school offers a majestic view of Shivalik and Himalayas.
Kamna Devi Temple
Queen of ‘Hills’ is all about living on the hills and climbing them. Kamna Devi temple, about 1-km from the suburbs of Boileuganj is one such place. The place can be approached by walking up a picturesque lane running between the trees on either sides.
Vice Regal Lodge
A promenade from Vice Regal Lodge, Indian Institute of Advanced Studies to Summerhill is one of the best in Shimla. The passage having trees on one side and view of a railway track down the road is quite popular for morning walks, shy wild cocks can often be spotted in the jungle, and off course monkeys and their kids riding on their mummas’ backs look quite amusing.
Bishop Cotton School
Another incredibly silent boulevard one can walk on in Shimla is the one leading to Bishop Cotton School. The road so deep into the jungle may gives you some shivers but nothing can be better than that for nature lovers. But don’t forget the ‘Face in the Dark‘ by Ruskin Bond, while taking this path. It was on this path, while on his way to the school, from Simla Club, the author, had an encounter with one of his students – the ghost…
One of the many great things about Shimla is that you need not wait for the morning or the evening to go for a walk. Get the real essence of the hills, visit these places and see what more this state capital has to offer. Have a nice time!
Nice update and reminder.
I wish you'd added the walk from Jakhu or Sanjauli to Five Benches. The path which has a lot of Red Rhododendron trees – your last article. Why this name Five Benches? Actually, during the British era there were Five Benches there and till the early 80s as well. Soon they started vanishing, and there's only rubble.
The Himachal government hasn't done anything to revive the place. The place gives a nice view of Shimla, and during my school days, this used to be a place where I used to come to study along with my father, before the exams or on Sundays. I could find many students from college, schools, and IAS/HAS aspirants visiting this place and making themselves cosy under a tree, with a chadru or shawl to wrap around and a bori/sack to sit on and heaps of books.
There's even a nice view of Shimla from the place. Even the walk – from wherever you come from – Titla Hotel side or from Sanjauli, the path is mesmerising. I wish they discontinued with the traffic on this road. Even now, whenever I come to Shimla, I take out time and take a walk on this road, and sometimes just lie down besides the road, and hear the birds and the insects. The bells of Jakhu Temple that at times disturb the nature's song – just take you to an ethereal world.
Keep it up Eesha!
Even the walk to Annadale through the longer route via Vidhan Sabha and Kumar House. Used to play cricket matches at the Annadale ground and I would take this route instead of going through Kaithu. Those were the days when no buses plied on this road and there were no marutis around. Mom used to pack lunch for the day, as you got nothing to eat at the ground. I would finish my lunch sitting below one of the trees even before reaching the cricket ground. Not to mention, with a full belly, yours faithfully must have scored the maximum ducks but the charm of the woods won everytime.
It is very interesting to note that Shimla Municipal Corporation has undertaken a project to restore old walkways in forest areas of Jakhu and Annadale. One path old from Viceregal Lodge that leads towards Glen, which during the british rule was used only by the Viceroy to drive down in his 'buggy'to Annadle has been revived. The cobbled path was dug out after nearly 50 years from under heaps of rubble. Now the path is popular among the nature lovers, especially I have seen foreign tourits putting up at Hotel Cecil walking down this road, which was the only one that saw most of the rhododendrons this summer.
Good one Eesha!
People especially tourists seem to know only about Mall Road and Jakhu temple.
A walk to Tara Devi is as fascinating as a walk to Chotta Shimla through CM's residence…
My favourite walk goes down from Cecil to Annadale via Glen Urquhart (the lovely old home turned hotel), past St. Ninian's, down to the Raakhi Devtaa's temple & into the Army Heritage museum.
Ages ago, one would walk down to the little brook that flowed through Glen. The walk's still fascinating, but the brook has reduced to a mere trickle.
Another lovely walk is along the old carriage track from Viceregal Lodge to Glen.
I'd love to walk down from 103 to the Dhanu Devtaa ka mandir, but the thought of the steep slope is daunting!
Those of us who live in Shimla should count our blessings!
i am an engineer in mc shimla.i want details of old pathways that were in use in early british days.i want tne restoration of these.are there any details for this available in any books.do inform.
lalit bhushan
er.lalit.bhushan@gmail.com
Yes, there’s a book by Raja Bhasin…
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