| FACTS
& FIGURES
Altitude : 2,150
m (7,054 ft)
Languages : Hindi, Himachali, Garhwali, English
Best time to visit : May–July and September–November
STD Code : 01792
LOCATION
The clouds, the hills, and the sprawling
greens—all these signify Chail, a honeymooners’
paradise. It turns you poetic, transforms your honeymoon
into dream and a piece of land on earth into paradise.
Located in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh,
the small hamlet called Chail is a place where time
stands still. Nature is at her exuberant best and words
like pollution and deforestation have never entered
the dictionary of a person living in Chail.
HISTORY
This small town, the summer residence
of the Patiala state rulers has a story to tell. In
1891, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala incurred the
wrath of Lord Kitchener, the then Commander-in-Chief.
As a result, he was banned entry into the summer capital
of the Raj, Shimla. This enraged the Maharaja and he
vowed to build a new and better summer capital for himself.
He looked around and after quite some time realized
it had all the while been in his possession. Chail,
a little village close to Shimla, was a ‘slice
of heaven’ surrounded by lush forests with a commanding
view of the snow-capped Himalayas. He rebuilt the city
according to his requirements and built himself a wonderful
palace. Today this palace is run as a hotel.
In 1972, it was taken over by the Himachal Pradesh
Development Corporation and has since been a luxury
resort combining nostalgia with modern-day conveniences.
It is an experience well worth it, particularly on one’s
honeymoon.
WEATHER
Chail and its surrounding areas is a
delight for tourists in every season. It is charming
in summer, fascinating in autumn when the fields and
the forests are covered with a cloak of russet and gold
and, of course, in winter it is nothing less than paradise.
Everything about this place is as perfect as perfection
can possibly be. The air here is crisp, invigorating
and there is some kind of warmth in the snow.
REACHING THERE
Chail is about 86 km from Kalka via
Kandaghat (roughly 380 km from Delhi). The approach
of Chail is along the Kalka–Shimla route. One
has to take a detour from Kandaghat. From Kandaghat,
it is an hour and a half’s journey by road to
Chail. The ideal way of covering the Kalka–Shimla
track is by the toy train. It takes five hours from
Kalka to get to Kandaghat. These five hours mark the
beginning of this sojourn into the world of make-belief.
The toy train with a maximum of half a dozen bogies
chugs through the most thickly forested tracks, breathtaking
bends, deep ravines and never-ending tunnels.
There is always the option of flying to Shimla. This
flight operates only when the weather is favorable,
but that will be like fast forwarding a wonderful beginning
and landing yourself in the middle of a story.
ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD
Chail is a very small town on the hills
with barely five to six hotels. Chail’s Mall is
worth walking down on. It has precisely twelve shops
and half a dozen hotels on one single stretch and that
is the end of it. Commercialization seems to be still
knocking at Chail.
There are, however, various categories of accommodation
to suit every kind of pocket ranging from Rs 600 to
Rs 6,000 per day during the tourist season (which is
primarily the summer months). Each type of accommodation
has a specific name. There are Maharaja suites, Maharani
suites, Rajgarh cottages, Woodrose cottages, Monal cottages,
Himneel cottages and log huts.
The log huts can be a fascinating experience for those
who love to live amidst nature. They are situated about
a kilometer away from the main building and overlook
a valley. From within these huts one can watch the clouds
settle down on the valley, the lights shimmering at
night and the cold seeping right into your bones. One
can also experience total silence and quietude.
The Chail Palace Hotel is spread over 75 acres of land.
It appears endless with vast stretches of land neatly
manicured along cobbled pathways. The whole garden is
yours and if you go when there are not too many tourists,
it is more therapeutic than any medicine on earth.
The gourmet need not fear. Amidst nature, the hotel
authorities offer a wide variety of food and a satisfied
burp is not out of place. A curio shop panders to your
other desires. For still other desires, Chail offers
its best—from dewdrop at dawn break to thick lush
deodar forests and many a dreams woven within.
TO SEE
With the majestic snow-capped Shivalik
peaks in the background and the beautiful orchards and
sylvan pine valleys around reminding one of the many
wonders of nature, Chail is sure to cast a spell.
Maharaja Bhupinder Singh developed the highest cricket
field in the world in Chail. Well-kept and scrupulously
maintained, more than the excitement of the game, the
pitch offers a picturesque view of the surroundings,
with tall forest trees all around it. Chail has everything
that Shimla doesn’t. The proud ruler made sure
that Chail matched Shimla in every respect.
Located on a spur, on a clear day, Chail offers a magnificent
and splendid view of the valley. It is an out-of-this-world
experience to look down and see the River Sutlej winding
its way between the mountains, overlooking at the same
time both Kasauli and Shimla (45 km) further via Kufri.
It is an even more splendid view in the night, with
the distant lights of the surroundings creating its
own magic pattern on the horizon.
One has to see to believe what poets and writers have
been describing the Himalayas as since time immemorial.
One is awestruck to see the massive Himalayan ranges,
their snow-capped peaks spectacularly gleaming in the
sun. It is definitely an out-of-this-world sight and
one can spend hours and hours together, admiring the
magic it creates in the mind. The snow remains there
until the beginning of the spring when the flowers come
out in full bloom. This is the time when the meadows
are filled with hyacinth and celandine, while the carmine
and rhododendron trees are surrounded bysolemn forests
of deodar and towering pine trees.
A must see in this place is the palace of the maharaja.
Built on three hills, the palace is on Rajgarh Hill,
while the Residency Snow View, which was occupied once
upon a time by the British Resident, is on Pandhewa
Hill. On the third hill, Sabba Tibba, is the township
of Chail. The maharaja had planned this palace as a
retreat, replete with all necessary things he’d
need for relaxation, and therefore, he built hunting
and fishing lodges, which are open to the public.
ADVENTURE
Take a walk and you’ll see what
Chail is all about. There is everything that is dear
to a sportsman’s heart. If one is interested in
angling, the Gaura River is rich with mahseer fish.
If one is an ardent trekker, there are a number of high-attitude
trekking routes that will put your adrenalin to test.
These treks include the Kandaghat to Chail, Chail to
Rajgarh and Chur Chandni, and the Chail to Shimla via
Junga. And if nothing else, the long pine scented walk
with the Utopic beauty of the place is there, something
you always crave for in a city dwelling.
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