Entertainment in Shimla

Improved roadways and frequent airways and train services from Shimla to other places of North India and rest of India has promoted Shimla to the topmost position as a weekend and tourist destination. Shimla has lots to offer its visitors and local residents in terms of entertainment. Regular entertainment opportunities like shopping, eating out, movie watching are there and on top of that ample opportunities for adventure sports are there to offer full entertainment to the adventure enthusiasts. Picturesque landscapes of the city gets complemented by varieties of restaurants & bars, cinema halls, sightseeing options, adventure sports, shopping complexes in  Shimla.

Ardent shoppers consider Shimla as a paradise as they can get whatever they want in various markets of Shimla. The Mall of Shimla is famous for all types of items like dress materials, woolen items, fruits, jams, pickles etc. The Lakkar Bazaar is popular for its wooden items, dry fruits etc. The Lower Market or Anaj Mandi is well known for Woolen items, fruits, jewelry items etc. When it comes to the Tibetan Market you can buy carpets, rugs, Tibetan accessories, woolen items and lots more. Some of the very popular shops of Shimla are Himachal Emporium, Minchys, Minerva Book House and Honeyhut.

These markets are preferred by the tourists because all types of traditional items are found here. For the buyers who are looking for the locally made items like woolen items, handicrafts, decorative pieces and fresh fruit items in Shimla would never get disappointed because Shimla has important market places where buyers get all that they want. Right from the locally made items to the branded items, Shimla has all for the shopping freaks. The must buy items from Shimla are woolen products like pashmina shawls, Himachali caps, pullovers, scarves, mufflers, leather & woolen jackets, embroidered dress materials including thread work, mirror work, sequin work ; wood craft items like utensils, toys, figurine, pen-stands etc.

Fresh fruits, dry fruits, items made from fruits, honey, and honey based items; bakery items are also very popular in Shimla. Herbal products like soaps, shampoos and essential oils are also must-buy during shopping in Shimla. Metal and bead jewelry items, metal decorative pieces, feng-shui items are bought in great numbers as souvenirs and gifts here in Shimla. For branded items, buyers can visit the new shopping mall of Shimla, The City Center Mall, ISBT at Shimla on the Shimla-Delhi highway.

Also Read: Shopping in Shimla

Movies and theaters are very popular means of entertainment and Shimla is no exception. Gaiety Theater in Shimla is the oldest theater hall in Shimla City and has been entertaining people for years. Many well known personalities from Bollywood i.e. Raaj Kapoor, K.L. Saigal, Jeniffer Kapoor, Nasiruddin Shah, Anupam Kher etc. have performed here. Movie halls in Shimla are:

• The Shashi Theater
• The Ridge
• The SRS Movie Hall, City Center Mall
  
  

This year the Film Festival of Shimla is going to take place on 12th and 13th April’14. This fest would have two broad sections. One of the sections among the two would be for Himachal Filmmakers whereas the other one would give room to the international and national filmmakers. Mr. Ravinder Makhaik is the Director of this event. The six categories for which the entries are invited:

1. Promotional or Corporate Film
2. Spots
3. Music Videos
4. Documentary
5. Short Film and
6. Feature Film
   
   

The panel of Jury for the awards is enlightened with Vivek Mohan (Filmmaker), Rakesh Lohumi (Journalist), Sanjay Austa (Photographer). The honorable Chief Guest for the event would be Urmila Singh, Governor of Himachal Pradesh.

Good quality food including local delicacies as well as world-famous cuisines is available in various restaurants in Shimla. Fresh food, good ambience and friendly services are the features of restaurants and eateries in Shimla. Local food items like Sidu, made of wheat flour served with butter or ghee, Patande, pancake made of wheat flour,  and spicy meat preparation are some of the special cuisines that are offered at almost all restaurants. Fruit juices are also offered to the guests.

Some of the famous Restaurants in Shimla are:

• The Devicos, the Mall
• Bajees, The Mall
• The Oberoi Cecil Restaurant
• Ashiana & Goofa, the Band Stand
• Quilaa
• Sher-e-Punjab
  
  

 Some of the famous Coffee Houses in Shimla are:

• Wake & Bake Coffee
• Embassy restaurant Café
• Indian Coffee House
• Café Coffee Day
  
  

Travelers and locals of Shimla prefer to shed off their fatigue with a fresh cup of coffee.Fresh juices and other fruit-based drinks are found in Shimla in most of the shops. The popular fruit flavors are guava, litchi, strawberry, mango, apple, and guava. Fresh wine is found in most of the pubs and restaurants as Shimla is famous for huge fruit production. Fresh wines are prepared from apple, apricot, ginger and apricot cider. Chang, a popular drink from Tibet is also found in Shimla. Well known bars and pubs in Shimla are Lobby Lounge, Rendevous, Alfa Restaurant etc.

Also Read: Lounge Bars in Shimla, Restaurants in Shimla

Nothing can beat tourist places in Shimla in providing complete entertainment to the visitors of this city. There are monuments, heritage buildings, temple, churches, market places and many others. They are:

In the center of the city, this is a famous market place. The famous Gaiety Theater is also located here.

Located on the Jakhu Hills, this is a magnificent temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman. Also known as Monkey Temple.

During monsoons, this waterfall is a place to behold known for its scintillating landscapes.
Dorje Drag Monastery.

The hub of cultural and social life of Shimla.

Famous church at Ridge known for wonderful architecture and stained-glass work.

Tourist could get to see lots of fauna like leopard, flying squirrel, deer, barking deer, porcupine and others.

Famous temple dedicated to Goddess Kali otherwise known as Tara Devi.

This museum will take you through the journey of rich cultural heritage of this place.

Many adventure activities, video games, rides etc are available here. Restaurants and coffee shops are also here.

The highest point of the Mall in Shimla.

Dedicated to Lord Hanumana and is a place from where one can get wonderful view of entire Shimla City.

Adventure lovers would find Shimla one of the best places where they can enjoy lots of adventurous activities and have full entertainment. Trekking, mountain climbing are the most popular adventure activities in Shimla. Apart from these, river rafting, para-gliding, skiing, ice-skating, wild-life and bird watching, camping, are also popular adventure sports in Shimla. Angling is slowly getting popular in Shimla and arrangements are there for the tourists for all types of adventure activities.