|
|
The former 'summer capital' of Patiala, Chail is 43-km from
Shimla and
dwelling in the midst of a lush green setting. At 2,250m, it has the
world's highest cricket pitch and a polo ground, the old palace, now a
hotel and the possibility of some angling are added attractions.
Chail is hiker's paradise. The area is very peaceful away from the hustle
and bustle of Shimla. 3-kms from the hotel is the worlds highest Cricket
ground. Close by is a
National
Park, which has limited number of birds and deers.
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.
The picturesque resort located amidst scented forests of chir pine and
gigantic deodars. Chail is built on three hills, the palace is on Rajgarh
Hill, the Residency Snow View once occupied by British resident is on
Pandhewa Hill and on the third hill Sadh Tiba where Chail is situated.
Overlooking Satluj Valley,
Shimla and
Kasauli are
also visible at night from here. Chail has also the highest cricket ground
in the world. Well kept and well maintained the ground is surrounded by
huge trees of deodar and pine. On the other side of the town are situated
the massive Himalayan ranges spectacularly gleaming in the sun and
snow-covered every thing under it.
WILDLIFE
Chail
Wildlife Sanctuary: Ghoral, Kakkar, Sambhar, Red Jungle Fowl,
and Khalij, Cheer Pheasants are some of the inhabitants of the Chail
wildlife sanctuary. more...
TEMPLES
Sidh Baba Ka Mandir: Maharaja Bhupinder Singh had originally
intended this to be the site of his palace, and had even started building
it, but as is believed, a 'sidh', saintly person appeared in the
Maharaja's dream, and declared that this was the place where he had
meditated. Consequently, Bhupinder Singh shifted his venue and built a
temple on the spot.
OTHERS
Sadhupul: 14-km from Kandaghat a beautiful tiny village of
Sadhupul, and the bridge over the Ashwani stream, a popular picnic-spot.
Cricket Ground: Surrounded by gigantic deodar and well maintained
Chail Cricket ground is the highest cricket ground in the world. Built in
1893, this cricket pitch located at the height of 2,144m is also used as
polo ground.
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 including the Kandaghat to Chail, Chail to Rajgarh and Chur-Chandni, and the Chail to Shimla via Junga trek. And if nothing else, the long pine scented walk with the utopic beauty of the place is there. During winters, skiing is possible at Narkanda. more...
Air: There is always the option of flying to
Shimla .
Rail: The ideal way of covering the Kalka-Shimla track is by the
toy train. It takes five hours from Kalka to get to Kandaghat. 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.
Road: Chail is about 86-km from Kalka via
Kandaghat.
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 journey by road to Chail.
Accommodation options vary in Chail from luxurious hotels such as HPTDC's Palace Hotel to budget hotels, cottages and tourist lodges, which are available at reasonable prices.
Chail and its surrounding areas are 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 a paradise, when the snow casts its mantle and remains till the beginning of spring in April.