Shimla

In the early nineteenth century, the British in India found ShimlaТs climate and terrain akin to their homeland and sought to embalm their homesickness by developing this town like those in England. The echoes of this past history are evident in the Victorian architecture, the Mall, the Ridge and ambience of this hill resort.
Today it is one of the popular hill stations, due to easy accessibility and the variety of entertainment available. Shimla provides beautiful walks, day excursions, shopping avenues and ice skating too in winter. In short, Shimla has something for everyone. The capital of Himachal Pradesh has an airport and its nearest broad gauge railway station is at Kalka. Shimla is connected to other cities within the state and to Delhi by bus services.
Best time to visit: All the year round for scenic beauty and January, February for experiencing snowfall
Languages spoken: Hindi, English, Punjabi and Pahari
Climate: Pleasant summers, cold winters with snowfall
Heritage buildings: Christ Church, Tudor Library Building, Viceregal Lodge
Natural Wonders: Botanical gardens, Prospect Hill, Summer Hill, Potter Hill, Glenn, Elysium Hill, Annandale
Knowledge Centre: Himachal State Museum and Library

Shimla – Kufri – Jakhu Temple and Back Journey

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Early morning at around 6 oтАЩ clock, when rest of the family members were still asleep, I attended to daily routine and then decided (as usual) to wander and acquint myself a bit with the geography of Shimla. The first important thing I discovered was the fact that you didnтАЩt need to go through the Victory tunnel to reach other side of the town. The tunnel is for automobiles only (but you wonтАЩt get fined if you do venture into it). Even if you walk towards the Bus Stand, you would find lanes at your left side with very stiff heights to scale, which promise to leave you at other side of the hill i.e. Mall Road side. However, without going to the Mall Road side, I walked roughly 1 km. in the opposite direction of the railway station and discovered that I had reached Bus Stand. Well, I was as happy at my discovery as Vasco-de-gama must have been after discovering Bharat Varsh aka India! Regarding it enough achievement for the time being, I made a U-turn and arrived at the hotel. Since I didnтАЩt find any group of pahadi girls singing as I often see in Hindi movies, I had to hum a song myself and that too without any tabla or dholak (no it was not Abida Parveen this time but someone else which I donтАЩt remember! ) First rays of the Sun peeped into the room and blessed us with very exhilerating and invigorating feeling. Technically, these were not first rays of the Sun because when the Sun ascended high enough in the sky to defeat the hills and throw its rays directly into our room, our watch was already showing 8 a.m.

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Shimla by Toy Train

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While clicking through the window of my compartment, I couldnтАЩt help admiring the beautiful curves. (Again, donтАЩt get me wrong please! I am talking of the curves our train was taking ! ) The sharpest curve our train took was of 48.12 meter radius. As regards fastest speed of the train, please donтАЩt ever think that it can compete with Chinese Bullet Train. It can run at the maximum speed of 25 km. per hour. In case you are not happy with this speed, try the Rail Car which has an admirable speed of 30 km. / hour! From Kalka to Shimla, in all there are 20 railway stations. Although our train was labelled as Express train, it stopped at most of the stations especially in later half of the journey. It was as if it was a private bus wherein the cleaner had the moral obligation to halt the vehicle to enable an old lady to disembark. I think the guard of our train was going an extra mile by accompanying her up to the road and seeing her off before flagging the train to move on.

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Kinnaur-The land of apples (Part 2)

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After about two and a half hours we reached Reckong Peo,or Peo, as it is popularly known. Peo is situated at an altitude of around 2200 metres above sea level and is at the base of the Kinner Kailash massif. From here, Kalpa was a short 20 minute drive and by lunch time we reached Kalpa. Our plan was to halt at the PWD rest house, which turned out to be a cottage with an excellent view of the mountains. Staying in Kalpa can be compared to living in the lap of nature. Overlooking the Kinner Kailash range, this is one of the most picturesque ┬аhill stations one can ever visit. This quaint town was once the headquarters of Kinnaur district before it was replaced ┬аby Reckong Peo. The collector’s office has now been taken over by the HP Irrigation Department while the old SP office is now a small police outpost. The old building of the District Hospital is visible behind the new building of a recently constructed Primary Health Centre. ┬аFrom Kalpa, one can spot the famous Shiva Linga, nestled in the middle of the Kinner Kailash massif. It is a 2 day trek from Kalpa for the strong and sturdy.

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Blue sky country

Kinnaur-The land of apples (Part 1)

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On day 3, before starting off for Sangla, we were in a dilemma on whether to make the short trip to Hatu peak or not. As we had to reach Sangla before it was dark, we decided to skip Hatu peak, which is about 8 KMs from Narkanda. Thus, we hit the NH22 directly and road conditions being good, we reached the town of Rampur in about 2 hours. We refuelled the Ertiga here and noted a mileage of 15-16 KM/Litre in hilly road conditions.┬а After, Rampur, the highway, which was once known to the British as the Hindustan-Tibet road, leads you further on to Jeori before entering the district of Kinnaur at Chaura. After entering Kinnaur, the road, cut into sheer rock, rises steeply above the Satluj River. It follows the Satluj and is one of the most vertiginous roads in the whole country offering a spectacular view of rugged mountains.

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рдШреБрдордХреНрдХрдбрд╝реА – рдХреБрдЫ рдЦрдЯреНрдЯреА…рдХреБрдЫ рдореАрдареА (3)

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рдирд╛рд░рдХрдгреНрдбрд╛ рдореЗрдВ рдХреБрдЫ рджреЗрд░ рд░реБрдХрдиреЗ рдХреЗ рдмрд╛рдж рд╣рдо рд▓реЛрдЧ рд╡рд╛рдкрд┐рд╕ рдЪрд▓ рджрд┐рдпреЗ. рдЪрд╛рд░реЛрдВ рдУрд░ рдмрд░рдл рдкрдбрд╝реА рд╣реБрдИ рдереА, рд╣рдо рд▓реЛрдЧ рдзреАрд░реЗ-2 рд╕реНрдХреВрдЯрд░ рдЪрд▓рд╛рддреЗ рд╣реБрдП, рдЧрд╛рдиреЗ рд╕реБрдирддреЗ рд╣реБрдП рд╡рд╛рдкрд┐рд╕ рд╢рд┐рдорд▓рд╛-рджрд┐рд▓реНрд▓реА рдХреА рдУрд░ рдЪрд▓ рд░рд╣реЗ рдереЗ. рдард┐рдпреЛрдЧ рдареАрдХ рдард╛рдХ рдирд┐рдХрд▓ рдЧрдпрд╛ рдФрд░ рдЕрдм рд╣рдо рдлрд╛рдЧреВ рд╡рд╛ рдХреБрдлрд░реА рдХреЗ рдмреАрдЪ рдХрд╣реАрдВ рдереЗ. рдкреНрд░рджреАрдк рдЖрдЧреЗ рдЪреЗрддрдХ рдкрд░ рдерд╛ рдФрд░ рдореИрдВ рдкреАрдЫреЗ рдЕрдкрдиреЗ рд╕реБрдкрд░ рдкрд░. рдЕрдЪрд╛рдирдХ рджреЗрдЦрд╛, рдкреНрд░рджреАрдк рд▓рдбрд╝рдЦрдбрд╝рд╛ рдХрд░ рдиреАрдЪреЗ рдЧрд┐рд░рд╛… рд╡рд┐рдЬрдп рд╕рдбрд╝рдХ рдкрд░ рдкрдбрд╝рд╛ рдерд╛ рдФрд░ рдкреНрд░рджреАрдк рд╕реНрдХреВрдЯрд░ рдХреЗ рд╕рд╛рде рдШрд┐рд╕рдЯ рд░рд╣рд╛ рдерд╛…рдореИрдиреЗ рдЬреЛрд░ рд╕реЗ рдмреЛрд▓рд╛ – рдкреНрд░рджреАрдк рдХреНрдпрд╛ рд╣реБрдЖ, рдФрд░ рдмреНрд░реЗрдХ рд▓рдЧрд╛рдИ… рдмрд╕ рд╣рдорд╛рд░рд╛ рд╕реНрдХреВрдЯрд░ рднреА рд▓рдбрд╝рдЦрдбрд╝рд╛рдпрд╛ рдФрд░ рдореИрдВ рдФрд░ рдЕрд╡рд╕реНрдереА рднреА рдЬрдореАрди рдкрд░ рдШрд┐рд╕рдЯрдиреЗ рд▓рдЧреЗ. рдХрд┐рд╕реНрдордд рдмрдбрд╝реА рдЕрдЪреНрдЫреА рдереА рдХрд┐ рд╣рдо рджреЛрдиреЛрдВ рдХрд╛ рд╕реНрдХреВрдЯрд░ рдРрд╕реЗ рдХреЛрдг рдкрд░ рдЧрд┐рд░рд╛ рдерд╛ рдХрд┐ рд╣рдо рдФрд░ рд╣рдорд╛рд░реЗ рд╕реНрдХреВрдЯрд░ рдЦрд╛рдИ рдХреА рдУрд░ рди рдЬрд╛рдХрд░ рдкрд╣рд╛рдбрд╝ рдХреА рддрд░рдл рдлрд┐рд╕рд▓реЗ рдФрд░ рд╕рд╛рдЗрдб рдкрд░ рдкрдбрд╝реЗ рдмрд░реНрдл рдХреЗ рдвреЗрд░ рд╕реЗ рдЯрдХрд░рд╛ рдХрд░. рд╣рдо рд░реБрдХ рдЧрдпреЗ…
рдХреБрдЫ рд╕рдордЭ рдореЗрдВ рдирд╣реАрдВ рдЖ рд░рд╣рд╛ рдерд╛ рдХрд┐ рд╣реБрдЖ рдХреНрдпрд╛ рд╣реИ..

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Dare to Dream

Dare to Dream

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My boss and my work environment are worst! A pretty common statement echoes everywhere, but no truth lies in this, because whosoever says so,…

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