season's greetings

Have you ever had the opportunity to visit a place at the best time of the year? If you have, some of you will agree with me that it can be a pretty traumatic experience. All the scenic ‘must see’ places are strewn with human heads, hotels that cost triple the amount, every intention you have of spending a quiet, relaxed holiday is shattered in queuing up for various things beginning with a dinner table to a shop counter, not to mention the entrance of a “must see” structure. How that could be a vacation to get away from a stressful routine is difficult to figure out. Having said that I cannot deny that ‘season time’ has some positive aspects as well. I am not quite sure what that is but my guess is it has something to do with tourists!

In my personal experience I discovered the joys of being in a hot tourist destination (read Goa, Kerala, Simla, Tawang) during off-season. Each of the experiences was mind blowing. There is a certain laid back, easy going attitude that creeps in to folks in regular tourist hot spots, when the tourists are not there. There is no wild race for business and so they shift to the holiday mode, revel in the beauty of their hometown. The lifestyle is contagious and if you happen to be there at the time, there is no choice but to sit back and let your hair down. Think about one of the Goa beaches without a soul around…you will know what I am talking about!

One such experience has been a recent trip to Simla. They say, the best, albeit expensive, time to visit Simla is from April to November when it is a perfect getaway from the heat in the plains. I had heard horror stories about the ‘commercialization’ of Simla and the crowds in Mall Road when half the country and the entire northern India are there. By the same belief, Simla is off-limits in the winter. Explains why I caught many a snigger and sneering look when I told people that I was going to Simla in December.

To begin with, a vacation is defined by long leisurely drives, stopping along the way to breathe the air and clear your lungs. Driving someplace when everybody else has the same idea makes for long waiting hours in traffic. This is especially true of going upto Simla during peak season. A five-hour drive from Chandigarh can become harrowing and nauseating.

Imagine those wide roads all to yourself…that is pretty much the scenario driving to Simla in December! Hills that are otherwise covered by smog lay lush green and clean, the drive isn’t interrupted by ugly road accidents or trucks and buses, barring the odd. The bonus is that one can stop whenever hunger pangs strike at any of the many roadside dhabas or eateries and actually find a place to sit. With just a handful of people requesting service, it tends to be very courteous and clean. One also gets to enjoy the beauty around, as these motels are perched on hilltops overlooking the expanse of earth and sky. The most impressive thing about driving up north is the apparent affluence and therefore the facilities available. I allude to the variety of food, chocolates, cigarettes and other goodies that you can pick up from these roadside places. Believe it, most other highways do not support such luxuries.

The same is true of hotels and lodging along the highway and in Simla. Being a tourist favorite, it isn’t difficult to find a place to stay, especially when you don’t have contenders! There is a Leela and there are economy hotels like the Himachal Government’s Holiday Home. Each will offer a great view of the city, particularly by night. The hills appear as if adorned with glittering bejeweled necklaces.

Describing Simla itself brings to mind part Ruskin Bond’s novels and part English India. The latter built its summer capital in Simla and rightly so…in those days when the colonized Indian couldn’t travel as much as s/he does now, it must’ve been perfect vacation site for the viceroys and their ladies. One can picture long walks being taken around the small township, which now has expanded across the adjoining hills and is ‘small’ no more. The Viceregal’s Lodge now more commonly known, as the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAP) remains perched on the tallest hill overlooking the city and the Himalayan snowline. The breathtaking view is in sharp contrast to the building itself, which lies in relative disrepair. The garden is full of empty flowerbeds and overgrown bushes. A neat lawn is maintained at the entrance that clearly instructs visitors to stay off it. However, the instruction was of no consequence when our fellow travelers decided to take pictures. The atmosphere, although officious now, has lost none of its majesty or serenity with beautifully knarled heritage trees, over 300 years old, in the backyard…a perfect place to sit and read on a cool summer morning. It is anybody’s guess why it used to be the viceroy’s retreat. The Bungalow itself is off-limits to visitors except at certain times during the day. One can only hope that it has been maintained in its original décor.

The most famous, written about part of Simla is the Mall. It also has the reputation of attracting ALL tourists who visit Simla. No one leaves Simla without going to the Mall. It deserves the honour. When you go in December, it’s a pleasure because there are no queues to the lift that takes you to the Mall. The idea of using the symbol of modern technology - an elevator - to get from the bottom of a hill to the top is fantastic. Kudos to whoever came up with the idea! The lift isn’t the only indication that Simla is way past the threshold of urbanity, the shops in the Mall scream ‘hip’. All major brands have outlets and one saw the latest in fashion and accessories that were doing the rounds in Delhi.

Right in the middle of it all, stands the Gaiety Theater set up by the Amateur Theater Club set up in the 1800s. This structure lies in complete contrast to the Levis store and the Barista coffee shop opposite it. It was built to suit the old European style of architecture with large stones and wooden windows. It belonged to an alley in London rather than a busy street in the heart of Simla. Nevertheless, the blend is fascinating. Right beside it stands the Town Hall, now converted to a local government office. The town hall overlooks the Himalayan snowline on one side and the town square on the other. Like in a European city, Simla’s town square is a wonderful place at the center of the Mall. It has benches where people sit and chat or wait in the sun for their turn to meet the local babu or simply watch the beautiful snow capped mountains lining the horizon.

The other two hot spots around Simla are Kufri and Chail, popular with the snow-seeking tourists. It is evident when you have touts and tourist mongers stopping your car offering you a guided tour of Kufri, discounted pony rides et all. Kufri is 20 kms from Simla, about a half hour drive. The barren mountains bear testimony that they are adorned with ice for most part of the year. Traces of it still remain and more of it is imminent. Himachal Tourism has ensured the true tourist experience by managing resorts on strategic locations along the way. One such is the restaurant perched atop a hill overlooking the expanse of earth and sky. The temperatures radically drop at that height making for an ideal lazy afternoon lunch in the sun. The food and service, even when you are the only customers, is impeccable.

The uniqueness of Chail is the world’s highest cricket ground. Maintained and used by the army, it is of historic significance, unknown to the rest of the world. Chail also has the usual pony rides for visitors around the neighbouring woods. There is astounding beauty hidden within the pine trees and wild flowers that can be smelled and felt only through long strolls amid them.

I am in strong disagreement with everyone who feels that Simla has lost its charm. It is very much there except that it reveals itself when its not clothed in tourist garb.

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