SHIMLA, INDIA -1

Part 1

In November 2013 we spent 8 days in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India.

Shimla

Everywhere we went there were Ram Leela posters. I could not resist the temptation to pose with one

Leela Flavour

Shimla the capital of Himachal Pradesh was once known as Simla, the summer capital of the Raj. Steeped in history both Indian and British, Shimla is a gracious city. It is smoke free, plastic free and boasts 94.14 percent literacy rate.

At 2,200 metres (7,234ft) above sea level it seldom gets hot and enjoys snow in winter. A Camelot for me. We were in Shimla for 8 days at the end of November 2013. But alas no snow fell while we were there and there was no skating and skiing.

Sunny cool days, and chilly nights, temperatures ranging from 10c to 18c made November weather magical, but being dry it was a little too dusty, not quite right for body-warmed woolens that caught every mote.

And everywhere is bright and brilliant and colourful, more colour is added by the women in saris and other traditional clothes.

Girls

Garlands for Temple

Citizens of Shimla are kind, helpful, polite and amazingly generous. There are also a great number of dignified elderly people, calm and leisurely. At school break hordes of smartly uniformed students are seen everywhere. Shimla is also packed with local tourists, a haven for Indians from the south and other warm regions. We encountered very few overseas tourists. One thing that really stood out about the local tourists was when we were aiming our cameras at some scene they’d stroll right into our camera view and dawdle, fully aware of what was going on, so unlike Hong Kongers who are always extremely polite and accommodating when they see someone trying to take a photo.

The Ridge and the Mall are reminiscent of the Mall in Darjeeling. The area dominates social life of residents and tourists. It overlooks a ring of snow-capped mountains, and is lined by amazingly beautiful heritage buildings, an eclectic assortment of pleasing architecture many more than a 100 years old, some in ruins, others have aged well and are still in use.

Snow-capped

Mall Homes

Viceregal Lodge

Many of the very busy banks are tiny places, really old and sagging with the weight of Internet traffic. Only US dollars are welcome at the money exchange counters.
See Part 2