Road trip to Pinjore Gardens, Kufri and Shimla: Part 1

Of late Delhi has acclaimed a dubious distinction of the most polluted and crowded city in India. The hustle and bustle of the metros prompts residents to seek succour from the din and clamour by escaping to some calm environs. Being travel freaks we spontaneously embarked on a journey to Shimla 370 km from Delhi on Friday night. Hailing from the coastal area of Andhra Pradesh abode of lush green vegetation, nature allures us. The majestic disposition, serenity and the grandeur of hills seemed to be the best place for an ideal get-away from the concrete jungle. Our exhilarated spirits were dampened briefly by the huge traffic of the weekend and we had to meander through scores of vehicles to hit the Chandigarh (NH1) highway. It took two and half hours from South Delhi to hit the NH-1 highway. While driving on NH1 we couldn’t resist from appreciating the commendable work done by the Vajpayee government which focussed on the infrastructure. Though there were number of tolls along the highway it was worth the money as the speed limit was almost 90 km and the journey was comfortable.

Most of the travel advisors often recommend travelling to Shimla through Chandigarh, but having visited Chandigarh already; we bypassed Chandigarh and took New Delhi- Sonepat-Panipat-Karnal-Ambala-Zirakpur-Panchakula-Kalka-Parwanoo-Khandhaghat-Shimla route. Along the highway we travelled for about 140km and stopped over briefly at a brightly lit dhaba near Karnal for a late dinner. On the highway near Ambala we checked into Hotel Amrapali for a night stay. By 8am Saturday morning, we were all set for the final phase of our journey. The hotel keeper suggested that we should definitely visit Pinjore Gardens, in Panchakula on the way. The drive from Ambala to Zirakpur on wintery morning through the fog was a delightful experience. Driving past the lush green fields brimming with yellow mustard blossoms on either side of road was a visual treat. From Zirakpur the NH-22 highway opens up into a 14-lane road leading to Himalayan Expressway before passing through the cantonment area and the industrial area. The opulence of the buildings, malls and highways of Zirakpur bespeaks the richness of the land. This highway besides connecting Ambala to the congested towns of Pinjore and Kalka effectively caters to mobility of traffic between Haryana, Punjab and Uttarakhand. Along the highway, we stopped at Pinjore Gardens renamed as Yadavindra Gardens in the Panchakula district of Haryana.
 

Pinjore Gardens

 

Pinjore Gardens, located at the foot hills of the lower Shivalik ranges, were constructed in 17^th century by Patiala Dynasty rulers in Mughal architecture. Entrance of the garden had an elegantly painted elevated doom. The vast expanse of the garden spread across 100 acres is adorned with fountains in the centre. The garden descends into seven tiers and each tier has a Mahal with grand pavilions. All the Mahals (Rang Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, Jal Mahal, Hawa Mahal) were refurbished into restaurants and lounges. Unlike other gardens which are left to public apathy, these gardens are well maintained, meticulously clean with manicured lawns, colourful orchards and aromatic flowering plants. We walked into a regal building for quick breakfast. We savoured hot paranthas in the serene and calm lounge which had a mesmerising view of tall growing Bamboo trees and mango groves.  According to Indian Mythology, the Pandava brothers rested here during their exile enthralled by the beauty of the place. Pinjore Gardens also has a nursery, a small zoo, an amusement park and Bhima Devi Temple.

Next we stopped at the Kali Mata temple at Kalka on the Kalka-Shimla highway. The place derives its name from the Goddess Kalka. Kalka is gateway to Shimla and acclaimed great honour for its illustrious toy train operated on Kalka-Shimla narrow gauge railway line. Inaugurated in 1903 it is now included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. It covers a distance of 98 km in 5hrs and ascends an altitude of 4,735 ft.  Toy train travel offers a bird’s-eye view of the Shivalik hills as it meanders through 103 tunnels and crosses 864 bridges. It is described as the most authentic mountain railways in the world by the UNESCO.

Nestled in the hills, Kalka is a small town untouched by the developments of urban belts. The famous Kali temple is buzzing with activity and thronged by several devotees. We managed to get into the temple before its closure by 11am. The sanctum sanctorum had a small idol of the goddess in marble and the premises were vibrant. Outer corridors of temple had a huge queue of children waiting for a free meal served by the temple authorities.  Legends say that the temple was constructed by Pandavas during their “Agyat Vas”. After darshan we proceeded to Shimla via Parawanoo, an industrial town and has “timber trail” which operates a ropeway cable that ascends to an altitude of 5000ft. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions enroute Shimla.
 

On the way to Solan

 

As we moved up the hill on the bright sunny wintery morning, sun’s rays started stoking us gently dispelling the weariness of the congested weather of the crowded plains. The cold gentle breeze from the woods relaxed us. The hills wore a denuded look as most trees shed leaves in the autumn.  Even the green luscious apple orchards that bear dense vegetation in spring now turned into desolate and dried remnants. The thick dense bushes and wild grasses appeared pale and dull. Trees change their hues according to seasons, being winter, lower hills looked pale and devoid of vegetation. But at higher elevation the evergreen pines, deodars looked ever green, fresh and vibrant. At some hairpin bends we could see houses built at different elevation clearly as the tall trees which hindered the view are now bare. We enjoyed the real splendour, beauty and the ingenious architecture of the hills.

 

Kufri

 

In Solan, the little Shimla, a popular town with agriculture research station we purchased jams and preservatives prepared by the hilly woman from the local fruits. From Solan we directly drove to Kufri 21 km from Shimla via Dhalli bypass. To reach Kufri from Shimla we had to pass through Victory tunnel to Chotta Shimla, and through Sanjauli. Local guide briefed about the history of the 1 mt long Victory Tunnel saying that it was constructed by the imprisoned political prisoners and freedom fighters during the British regime. Before entering kufri, the winter sports capital of India, we briefly stopped at Green Valley. The place offers an awesome view of the thick pine and oak trees spread across the valley and ideally suited for clicking photographs. At the road side stall we had freshly prepared, piping hot Maggi noodles, the delicacy of these hills. With the characteristic fog of the higher elevations disappearing in the afternoon Sun, we had a spectacular view of the valley covered with dense vegetation.

Green Valley

 

Located at an elevation of 2,740 meters, the tiny charming village of Kufri is the highest point in the surrounding region and receives maximum amount of snow. It is very calm and pleasant and offers panoramic view of the snow covered hills. As we reached the place, we could find heaps of snow cleared off from the road to make way for the traffic. We were delighted to find snow covered trees, ridges and the surroundings for the first time in India. But bad patches on the road turned snow muddy and there were large pools of water all over the place. Hence we headed to the amusement park to relish our desire of play with snow. Amusement park with its adventurous sports activities in snow is the most sought-after place in Kufri. It is an excellent place for young and old. After our brief merriment with snow, we drove through the narrow patches of the roads to reach higher terrain. There we found people taking horse rides and rides on Yak along the overwhelmingly narrow hilly ridges to enjoy the panoramic view of the snow-clad mountains. Since it was very cloudy, the view of mountains was hazy. So we dropped the idea of horse ride and briefly enjoyed the scenic beauty of the place. We wanted to visit Chini bungalow but the road was closed due to snow so we proceeded to Shimla.

 

Amusement park

 

Photographs Courtesy Dr. T. L. S. Bhaskar & Samanvit Teegela

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