An ode to the Queen of Hill Stations

The Sudden Opportunity

SHIMLA

&

MANALI

For years, I envisioned & dreamed of a trip to Shimla & Manali, but being a student the toll to my pocket was intimidating and so the idea was unceasingly adjourned. Surprisingly, during the summer of 2019, an economical opportunity to experience the Himalayan landscapes fell into my hands.

Commencing & experiencing the journey of our dreams

This time I couldn't let my dream go to waste, so I swiftly acted on the grasping opportunity and thoughtlessly reserved a trip to the „Queen of Hill stations‟ for myself along with two of my eccentric & adventure-loving friends. So we booked three tickets of Duronto Express travelling from Howrah station to New Delhi station. We reached New Delhi in the morning & from there we hired a car and commenced our road trip towards our dream destination "The Queen of Hill Stations- SHIMLA". We have already enjoyed a fun train journey and was now enjoying a road trip together with friends, thus fulfilling our desire & crossing off an item out of our bucket list. Gradually we ditched the conventional straight & hectic roads of mere mortals and initiated our journey towards the heaven, climbing the foothills of the mighty Himalayas, while seeing and admiring the mesmerizing scenery, the flora and fauna, and sensing the rise of chill in the air steadily, as we go up. The panoramic view of the Himalayan mountains from the car was chameleonic, mutating by the minute. For us, it was a moment of absolute bliss and harmony every time we watched outside the pane of our car. Following an immersive and alluring journey of 10 hours, it was almost twilight when we eventually arrived at Shimla.

Arriving & exploring the Eden of our desire(Shimla)

We checked into our hotel which we had previously booked, entered our room, and freshened up for an enchanting even-ing stroll throughout the mall road of Shimla.

The loopy and curvy Mall road is strung out along a 12km ridge, with steep forested hillsides sloping away in all directions, the Himachal capital is one of India's most popular hill resorts, buzzing with a happy flow of heat-escaping Indian vacationers. The only way to get around central Shimla is on foot. Vehicles, including taxis, are forbidden from The Ridge and much of The Mall, with traffic funnelled along Cart Rd and Circular Rd. As Traffic is outlawed from the central part of town, walking is pleasant, even with the huffing and puffing of hiking uphill. Subsequently reaching the highest point of the ridge there was a tableland where resides the 2nd oldest church of Northern India - Christ Church, Shimla. Of that elevated hilltop flatland, the panoramic view and the majestic grandeur of The Himalayas were breath-taking, I was lulled into a gentle complacency and was roused seeing the spectacular peaks of the mountain ranges against the skyline. I felt as if I was in a psychedelic trance. But no, this was real. This was Shimla. Following this visual treat, we went for a treat to subdue and conquer our hunger. There are several iconic restaurants, cafes & bars along The Mall (especially near the lift), there are dozens of simple, economical Indian eateries in Middle Bazaar, just a few short steps below The Mall's central section. Prices are especially good for thalis (multi-curry meals).

After a sumptuous meal, we retired ourselves in our hotel room for a good night's sleep. We woke up early & approached our hotel's open rooftop garden to experience the foreground gashes of a yellow-lit sky with a bluish texture in the background that slashes open the innards of the surrounding mountains while facing the chilly sensation & inhaling the purest form of air that enveloped the entire atmosphere of our surrounding scenery. Devouring a big nutritious breakfast we decided hiking to the local sight scenes named Scandal Point, Jakhu Hanuman Statue, Town Hall, Gorton castle, Gaiety Theatre, Himachal State Museum, The Viceregal Lodge, Shimla Heritage Museum etc while enjoying a lump sump meal of Himachali cuisine and thalis in between our local sight scene parikrama.

While capturing the picturesque landscapes along with ourselves in our DSLR's we also took our time capturing the experiences of the breathtaking views and scenery in our hearts and minds, taking our timeline towards dusk. It was dark now and we could see the small lights twinkling all over the mountains along with the city from the Ridge. We decided to halt & pause for a few moments to enjoy the beauty and serenity and calmness of Shimla and its views surrounding us, for it was our last day in this paradise and it was time to take the heights of adventure to the next level, which was Manali, thereafter enjoying a lavish dinner and resigning ourselves in our hotel's room for a comfy sleep.

A New Day comes with a New Destination

We were so excited that we woke up early at 5 am and packed our cases inside 5.30 and completed our breakfast within 6 am as we had a long journey ahead to Manali. There are many unforgettable bits in every man’s life. Nonetheless, only a few of them get indelibly engraved in our memories. Rare of my most memorable moments was associated with this road trip to Manali and the time we spent there. We commenced our journey towards Manali in a local car which we had previously booked.

Arriving at a different offbeat universe(Manali)

The chill in the air began flourishing as our car progressed up the serpentine roads in the Himalayas along with the sinuous Beas river on its side. On either side of the meandering road, spectacular vistas of unrivalled sylvan beauty appeased not only our eyes but our fidgety soul as well.

Deep vales, with pure verdurous slopes; idyllic, rustic agrarian human settlements, far off glimpses of the white sheep grazing on the slopes of the mountains under the awning of the azure sky are the enthralling illustrations one gets as a bonus for coming to this utopic Eden. As we approached Manali, the mountains became more towering. It was noon when we reached our hotel in Manali.

The harmony, tranquillity, and brilliance of Manali and its surroundings were hypnotic. We had booked a Riverside Resort on the banks of Beas River, so the nature was abundant. Of the room's balcony, the distant snow-clad white mountains and the calming sound of the Beas river gave the illusion of a different offbeat universe. It was evening now and our hotel manager beck-oned us, along with other groups for an enchanting bonfire camping in our resort grounds.

The chill in the air began flourishing as our car progressed up the serpentine roads in the Himalayas along with the sinuous Beas river on its side. On either side of the meandering road, spectacular vistas of unrivalled sylvan beauty appeased not only our eyes but our fidgety soul as well.

Deep vales, with pure verdurous slopes; idyllic, rustic agrarian human settlements, far off glimpses of the white sheep grazing on the slopes of the mountains under the awning of the azure sky are the enthralling illustrations one gets as a bonus for coming to this utopic Eden. As we approached Manali, the mountains became more towering. It was noon when we reached our hotel in Manali.

MANALI

Arriving at a different offbeat universe(Manali)

Under the dark starlit sky with the only sound of gushing stream of Beas river passing by including the warmth of the bonfire, was proving to be a magical evening. Following these enchanting events, we eventually had our dinner and went off to sleep.

The next day we hired a local cab to visit Rohtang pass and Solang valley. Rohtang Pass lies beyond the habitable world that continues to enchant travellers. During our journey to Rohtang pass, we braved bone-chilling gusts, slippery roads with their deadly curves, and sometimes extremely rough weather. The reward for this effort was being greeted by snow-capped mountains, encountering the thrill of a challenging journey, and breathing in the fresh mountain air along with few inches of fresh snow covered like a blanket all over the ground and slope of Rohtang pass. Now we understood the cunning location of the pass coupled with the spellbinding escapade of nature all around us, making Rohtang Pass so popular. Enchanting sights of glaciers, snow-covered peaks, and rivers continued to amaze nature lovers like ourselves to ride the bottlenecked roads that were unforgiving and wouldn‟t entertain amateur drivers. We spent more than an hour playing with the snow, sliding, skiing, and throwing snowballs at each other. Next, it was time to tour Solang valley, so we hopped back into our car and after an hour of treacherous drive, we reached Solang valley where we enjoyed the thrill and fun of adventurous activities like zorbing, paragliding, ATV riding, and skiing/skating, snowmobiling, etc individually depending on our choice of adventure sports. On our way back to Manali we also had the opportunity to visit the Hidimba Devi temple which was at the entrance of a forest covered with huge pine trees. We returned to our hotel in the evening and spent our last night gazing at the starlit sky blanketing over the towering mountains and eventually treating ourselves to a lavish dinner.

Waving GOODBYES!!!

We had spent a glorious midsummer, living our dream in Shimla & Manali, and the next morning my heart was heavy as we left the Eden of our fantasies. The beauty of Shimla & Manali was unforgettable; but far more beautiful was the journey itself. We discovered that there was no wifi in the mountains but you won't find a better connection. Concluding my travelogue with a thought that occupied my heart & mind during our journey:-

“Somewhere between the bottom of the climb and the summit is the answer to the mystery why we climb.” -Greg Child

-Pritam Maji