Essential Information About Shimla

Shimla is one of the most popular hill stations in India. Lakhs of tourists visit Shimla every year. It is popular because of its close proximity to major cities like Delhi and Chandigarh. It is very important for the tourists visiting Shimla, to know some important information of Shimla. This will not only help the tourists to plan their trip better, but this will also make their trip more enjoyable and memorable.

There are many interesting facts about Shimla, that the tourists must take a look at in order to have a more enjoyable trip to Shimla.  Let us look at some of the facts about Shimla.  

Shimla is located at an altitude of 2276 m above the sea level. Shimla is located on seven different hills. Shimla is one of the youngest cities in India. The only natural ice skating rink in Asia is located in Shimla. The Kalka Shimla railway has been declared as a world heritage site by the UNESCO. This route has 864 tunnels and 107 bridges.

Let us now look at climate of Shimla. Shimla has warm summers, with the average temperature around 27 degrees celsius. Shimla sees heavy rainfall during the period from July to October. The temperature in Shimla during this period lies between 15-25 degrees celsius. The weather of Shimla is cool during the winters. The main attraction during this period is the snowfall in Shimla. The temperature here can drop below zero degrees celsius during this period.  

Food in Shimla: Himachal Pradesh has some of the best cuisines in India. The local pahari food is famous worldwide. Shimla has some of the best restaurants and hotels in Himachal Pradesh. These hotels offer a variety of delicious cuisines to the tourists. Apart from this there are a variety of food stalls in Shimla. These food stalls offer some of the lip smacking pahari delicacies to the tourists. One of the special food of Shimla is Dham. It is a dish which is prepared by cooking red beans, green lentils and rice in curd. Another traditional food of Shimla is Mittha. It is a local dessert of Himachal Pradesh. Mittha is basically sweet rice mixed with almonds and other dry fruits. Another traditional food of Shimla is Sidu. It is basically bread only, but the way of cooking it is very unique.

Let us now take a look at the different festivals of Shimla.

There is an ice skating festival in Shimla during the period of December, January and February. Tourists can enjoy a plethora of ice sports like skiing, ice skating etc.  

Then there is a summer festival in Shimla. This is an annual festival that is held in Shimla during the month of May. Local People from across the state come to Shimla to showcase their skills. Many local handicraft items and other local produce are available in this festival. There are several stalls which have the traditional food of Himachal Pradesh. This festival is attended by the tourists in large numbers.