About Shimla

Source: Flickr
Shimla is visited by hordes of tourists for its unparallel natural beauty. Known as one of the most popular hill stations of north, Shimal is also popularly called as “Queen of the Hills”. The name “Shimla” has been derived from the name of the Goddess “ Shymala Devi”, that is a form of Goddess Kali. Due to wonderful scenic terrains of Shimla, in the year 2005, MTB Himalaya biking Race has been started in Shimla. It is considered as one of the biggest events of South East Asia. Nestled among the lap of the nature, Shimla has a picture perfect look. The town is nestled among the snow-clad ranges of Himalaya and has many lakes and lush green plantation. The ambience created by this city is not found anywhere else in India.
History of Shimla

Post Independence, Shimla used to be the capital of Punjab until 1966 and then it became part of Himachal Pradesh and became its capital.
Read more on history of Shimla, right here
Geography and Climate of Shimla

Shimla enjoys subtropical highland climate. Winters are very cool where temperature ranges from -4-31 degree Celsius and summer temperature ranges from 19-28 degree Celsius. Landslides in the region takes place and become major concern especially after the rains.
Read more on the geography of Shimla, right here
Industries in Shimla

All the industries in Shimla are small scale industries. The most important is the fruit processing industry. As abundant fruits are produced here, jam, jelly, squash and juices are made out of them and sold. The main industries in Shimla are:
- Food Industry
- Wood based industry
- Paper, glass and leather industry
- Chemical industry
- Hosiery and textile industry
- Jute bags industry
- Bakery products industry
- Essential oil industry
Art and Culture in Shimla

The Winter Carnival and the Summer Carnival are the major events of this town. Almost all the major festivals of Hindus, Christians, Sikhs , Muslims and Buddhists are celebrated here. The Photo Art Gallery of Shimla is one of the best places to know about rich culture and heritage of Shimla.
Shimla handicrafts and artworks are encouraged by the government. Embroidered shawls, leather garments and various art and craft items carved out of wood are the major attractions of Shimla. Varieties of items like jewelry boxes, fruit bowls, idols are carved out of woods of Pine and deodar trees that are abundant in Shimla. Beaded and metal jewelries are also the specialty of this place. Many sculptured items showcase the workmanship of artists of Shimla. Carpets and rugs with different types of motifs and embroidery are also the bearers of artistic insight of the craftsmen here.
Read more on Culture of Shimla, right here
Entertainment in Shimla
Festivals in Shimla

Rhyali Festival
Christmas
This winter festival is celebrated with pomp and the city looks dazzling during this festival.
Ice Skating Carnival
Shimla Summer Festival
Tourist Places in Shimla

- The Mall
- Jakhu Temple on Jakhu Hills
- Dorje Drag Monastery
- Chadwick Falls
- Christ Church
- The Ridge
- Shimla Water Catchment Sanctuary
- Tara Devi
- Hip Hip Hurray Amusement Park
- State Museum of Shimla
- Photo Art Gallery
- Santak Mochan Temple
- Tattapani
- Naldehra
- Chail
- Kinnaur
- Kufri
- Sanjauri
Transportation in Shimla
By Air: The nearest airport of Shimla is the Jubbarhatti Airport that is only 23 KM away from Shimla Town. There are frequent domestic airlines services available to Shimla from places like Delhi, Kullu and travelers can avail Vaudoot flights from these places to Shimla on daily basis.
By Road: Major places like Amritsar, Delhi, Kalka, Jammu, Chandigarh, Kalka and many important towns of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab are very well connected to Shimla by road. Solan, Chail, Rampur, Sarahan, and Kasauli are some other places around Shimla that have all-weather roads. Regular buses, tourist coaches and taxi services are there. Many travelers prefer to use their private vehicles to reach Shimla by road.
By Rail: Shimla has connection through rail up to Kalka and it is a broad gauge railway line. From Kalka, the railway line is a narrow line and toy train or rail car is taken to reach Shimla. During the journey from Kalka to Shimla, about 103 tunnels are to be crossed. From Kalka regular train services are available to major cities of India like Kolkata, Delhi, Amritsar and others.
Fact File of Shimla
Latitude: 30º 45' 48'' - 30º 43' 0'' North
Longitude: 76º 59' 22'' - 78º 18' 40'' East
Major Rivers: Pabbar, Giri, Sutlej
Total Population: 8, 14,0,10
Sex Ratio per 1000 - 915
Male Literacy Rate: 95.75%
Female Literacy Rate: 93.35%
Density of Population/per sq. km: 159
Main Languages Spoken: Hindi, Pahari, Punjabi