The Roving Eye On Himachal

Himalayas, a Great Wall, much greater than even the Great Wall of China, stand proudly between India and the rest of the World. The entire range spreads over a1000 miles, housing many a stunningly beautiful places God’s choicest amongst them is Himachal Pradesh.

Himachal is a beautiful state at the foothills of the Himalayas and mean different things to different people - for being one of the holiest states in India - the abode of the Nine Goddesses, to a state full of scenic beauty, heritage & culture..

The British Viceroy was so overwhelmed by the state that in1863 he made Shimla the Summer Capital of India moving the entire Government almost 1000 miles from Calcutta to Shimla every summer.

You should begin your tour of Himachal from its capital – Shimla. A journey by road covering the nearly fifty miles from Chandigarh to Shimla takes nearly four hours, however I strongly recommend a ride to Shimla in the 109-year old Toy Train, travelling at about 10 miles/hour.

Shimla is well networked by road with all the famous cities frequented by tourists and also with those lesser known towns that are a travellers’ delight.

I am now quite used to the slightly foggy and chilly mornings where the Sun seems to be fighting hard to take charge of its daily routine of shining down upon us, its golden light spreading over the hill after hill till the time the first rays of Sun actually hit you and fill you with its warmth – yes, every morning in Himachal is a glorious one.

Himachal offers beautiful serpentine-like mountain rivers, the rafters simply love them other than some of the highest motorable roads in the world, like Khardung La Pass, standing at over 5,500 meters.

Himachal is a great place to trek or drive through, offering terrains ranging from lush green valleys, to fiercest of jungles and even such difficult terrains where you are lucky if you can see another human soul earlier than a week. I learnt during one of my earlier trips to Himachal that on Map it has three types of roads – motorable, Jeepable and the third – imagine!

If you are the family types, spend time wading through the Tibet Bazaars, picking up souvenirs and trivia. If adventurous, take one of the umpteen trek routes and if more daring then get yourr thrills traversing the mountain biking and motorbiking routes cut out in the heart of jungles and the mountains.

I found it & love it - time you discovered it too, trust me, every second spent there will be exhilarating.