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Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

Shimla, also known as Simla, is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared as the summer capital of British India, succeeding Murree, northeast of Rawalpindi. After independence, the city became the capital of Punjab and was later made the capital of Himachal Pradesh. It is the principal commercial, cultural and educational centre of the state.

Shimla is home to a number of buildings that are styled in the Tudorbethan and neo-Gothic architectures dating from the colonial era, as well as multiple temples and churches. The colonial architecture and churches, the temples and the natural environment of the city attracts tourists. Attractions include the Viceregal Lodge, the Christ Church, the Jakhoo Temple, the Mall Road, the Ridge and Annadale which together form the city centre.

The Lift for Mall Road.
Not many cities in India can boast of a phenomenon such as The Lift which is essentially a series of regular lifts which transports tourists and locals from the lowest point of Shimla - the Cart Road to the highest point which is Mall Road.


View of Shimla from the top of the lift.

Gaitey Theater as seen from Mall Road.
Gaiety Theatre or Gaiety Heritage Cultural Complex is historic theatre and tourist destination in Shimla. It is located on The Ridge, Shimla. It is the hub of cultural events of the state.

  • Gaiety Theatre was opened on 30 May 1887, to a design by the English architect Henry Irwin. It is an example of the Gothic Revival style of architecture, derived from British Victorian examples.
  • See more at Gaiety Theatre, Shimla - Wikipedia.

    • Entrance to the Gaiety Theatre.
    Shimla’s Gaiety Theatre was once part of the large town hall complex.

    • Designed by the renowned English architect Henry Irwin, it was constructed in the Gothic style and opened its doors in 1887 to accommodate more than 300 people.

    Entering the theater.

    Theater performance room.
    The room has superb acoustics, and though it has undergone some minor renovations, the screen used is still the same as the one designed by the architect.


    Theater stage.

    Leaving the theater onto Mall Road.
    Constructed during British colonial rule, the Mall road is located a level below The Ridge. The offices of municipal corporation, fire service and police headquarters are located here. Automobiles, except emergency vehicles are not allowed on this road.

    • Mall Road has a number of showrooms, department stores, shops, restaurants and cafes.
    • A Himachal emporium that offers handicraft products of Himachal Pradesh like locally designed woollen clothes, branded clothes, pottery items, wooden products, and jewellery is also located here.
    • See more at Mall Road, Shimla - Wikipedia.

    Scandal point, as seen from the Ridge.
    Scandal point is where the Mall road joins Ridge road on the west side. The name arose from the commotion caused by the supposed elopement of a British lady with an Indian Maharaja.

    • The story goes that the Maharaja of Patiala had eloped with the daughter of the British Viceroy. This had led to the Maharaja being banished from entering Shimla by the British authorities. He countered the move by setting himself a new summer capital – now famous hill resort of Chail, 45 km from Shimla.
    • See more at Mall Road, Shimla, Scandal Point - Wikipedia.

    The Ridge.
    The Ridge is the hub of all cultural activities of Shimla. It is situated along the Mall Road, which is the famous shopping center of Shimla. Most major places of Shimla like Sanjauli Snowdown (IGMC), Mall Road, Jakhu Temple, Oakover, Kali Bari, Annadale, etc. are connected through the Ridge.

    • It runs east to west alongside the Mall Road, and joins it at the Scandal Point on the west side. On the east side, The Ridge road leads to Lakkar Bazaar, a wooden crafts market.
    • See more at The Ridge, Shimla - Wikipedia.

    Christ Church.
    Christ Church is the second oldest church in North India, after St John's Church in Meerut. It is a parish in the Diocese of Amritsar in the Church of North India. Worship is conducted in Hindi and English.

    • Built in the neo-Gothic style in 1857 to serve the largely Anglican British community in what was formerly called Simla, Christ Church is situated on The Ridge.
    • See more at Christ Church, Shimla - Wikipedia.

    Entering inside the church.

    Interior of Christ Church.
    The church contains five fine stained glass windows. One represents the Christian virtues of Faith, Hope, Charity, Fortitude, Patience, and Humility.

    • The chancel window was designed by Lockwood Kipling (father of Rudyard Kipling).
    • The pipe-organ of Christ Church is the largest in the Indian subcontinent; it was installed in September 1899.

    Public library on The Ridge.
    Shimla has two state libraries with a collection of over 47,000 old books divided between them.

    • The one at Gandhi Bhavan in the university has over 40,000 books and the other library, also a heritage building on The Ridge has 7,000.

    Monkeys living in an abandoned house.

    Kali Bari Road.
    Street vendors set up one after the other.


    Kali Bari Temple.
    Kali Bari Mandir is a Hindu temple situated on Bantony Hill, Shimla. The temple is dedicated to fearsome reincarnation of Goddess Kali, known as Shyamala, after which the Shimla city is named. The goddess is believed to have existed near Jakhoo.

    • It is one of the ancient temples of the city and features a unique Hindu-style architecture along with blue coloured wooden idol of goddess Kali.
    • The temple is located in middle of the city center. It has a beautiful scenic charm of the city as well as of nature.
    • See more at Kali Bari, Shimla - Wikipedia.

    Entrance gate to the temple.

    Temple courtyard.

    Shyamala, a fearsome reincarnation of Goddess Kali.
    Kali or Kalika is a major Hindu goddess associated with time, change, creation, power, destruction and death in Shaktism.

    • Kali's earliest appearance is when she emerged from Durga. The goddess is stated to destroy evil in order to defend the innocent.
    • Over time, Kali has been worshipped by devotional movements and Tantric sects variously as the Divine Mother, Mother of the Universe, Principal energy Adi Shakti.
    • Shakta Hindu and Tantric sects additionally worship her as the ultimate reality or Brahman.
    • She is also seen as the divine protector and the one who bestows liberation (moksha).
    • See more at Kali - Wikipedia.

    Hanuman Jakhu statue.
    In the distance, on the right side of the photos, we can see Hanuman's statue emerging from among the trees.

    • Shri Hanuman Jakhu, deemed to be as the Pride of Shimla, is a statue of Lord Hanuman situated under the periphery of Jakhu Temple on Jakhu Hill in Shimla.
    • It is one of the tallest statues in the world with the height of 33 metres (108 feet).
    • See more at Shri Hanuman Jakhu (statue) - Wikipedia.

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    Location

    Location: Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India