Shimla is fondly known as The Queen of Hills. Located at the base of the Himalayas, Shimla is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. Its stunning beauty and picturesque views make it a favourite spot for travellers all across the world. With a pleasant climate throughout the year, Shimla is a wonderful place to visit for your holidays. However, there are a few unknown facts about Shimla that you won’t know. So read on to find out what they are.
Located on Seven Hills
Not many people know, but Shimla is located on 7 hills. These seven hills are Prospect Hill, Summer Hill, Observatory Hill, Bantony Hill, Jakhu Hill, Inverarm Hill and Elysium Hill. The highest among this is the Jakhu hill.
Must Know Before You Travel to
Shimla
• Vehicles are not allowed on the Mall Road, however there’s a car parking facility at a walkable distance.
• From the lower mall road to the upper mall road, there’s a lift facility at INR 10 per head. The lift operates from 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM.
• It is preferable to hire an experienced driver to drive in steep hilly regions of Shimla.
• Photography is strictly not allowed in most temples, however, feel free to enquire before clicking pictures.
• Some of the attractions like Kali Bari
Temple, Green Valley are over hill tops hence they require tourists to go on foot.
It’s best to be precautious if you have physical ailments.
• Attractions like Jakhu Temple have a ropeway/cable car to reach the top which can be avalled with a ticket. It’s mostly free for children below the age of 3.
The Ridge
The Ridge is the heart of Shimla, offering breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. It’s a spacious open space where locals and tourists alike gather to enjoy the scenic beauty and participate in various cultural events
The Ridge is also home to the iconic Christ Church, the second oldest church in Northern India.
Mall Road
No visit to Shimla is complete without strolling along the famous Mall Road.
Lined with shops, cafes, and colonial-era buildings, this bustling street is perfect for leisurely walks, shopping for local handicrafts, and savoring delectable
Himachali cuisine.
Jakhoo Temple
Perched atop Jakhoo Hill, the jakhoo Temple is dedicated to Lord Hanuman and offers panoramic views of the Shivalik Range. The temple is famous for its giant statue of Lord Hanuman, which is visible from various parts of the town.
Green valley
5 km from city centre
The Green Valley is a beautiful and breathtaking mountain range that falls on the way to Kufri from Shimla. It is not uncommon to sight some Yaks wandering and grazing around in the valley. The place is undeveloped for tourism, nevertheless, it continues to be a crowd puller and capture the attention of tourists with its dense deodar and pine trees that line the majestic hills. Best Time to Visit: July to October and from February to April.
Kufri
A short drive from Shimla, Kufri is a paradise for nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts. Famous for its picturesque landscapes and the Himalayan Nature Park, Kufri offers activities like skiing, tobogganing, and horse riding.
Narkanda
Hatu Mata Temple
Temple situated on Hatu peak is one of the main temples in Narkanda region of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Hatu, being a common tourist place and must go place for bikers, has an important significance in this region. It’s one of the highest motorable peaks in this region, although disconnects from rest of the world in winters.
Hatu Peak
At 3300 meters and 8 km from Narkanda, when you travel through the road surrounded by pine and spruce trees, on top of the hill, is situated an ancient Hatu Mata temple. The peaks offers spectacular view of the entire Himalayan ranges, snow clad mountains and in depths are the dense forests, green fields and apple orchards. On one side are the deep and steep valleys with tall deodar trees forming charming patterns and on the other side you can see rock solid mountains almost pushing you into the valley. With every turn of the road, you feel the sharp ascent and the scenery around you changes. Best view is of course from the top of the Hatu Peak viewpoint. On a clear day, you get a panoramic view of the snow capped Shrikhand Mahadev peaks from here. Hiking is recommended to reach the peak.
HATU Temple History:
Hatu is a ancient Temple located in dense forest.It ‘s enclosed by lush greenery,Pine and spruce trees on the hill top.With serene view of Peak . It is highest peak of the area at 11000 feet .Hatu is ultimate destination for tourist and devotees.Fascinating and astonish landscape makes people to visit again and again .Hatu is a small beautiful wooden temple .People comes with their wishes to temple ,it is a belive that asking with true heart will definitly get fulfilled something . According to local belief the famous hatu mata temple is the temple of ‘Mandodari’ wife of ‘Ravna’. People come in great number on the first Sunday of ‘Jeth’ (name of hindi month) to pay ritual here. Goat sacrifice is still in practice near the temple.hat it’s where the Pandavas brothers prepared and cooked their food during their agyaat vaas.

There is a legend, which stems from the Bhagwad Gita, that the Pandavas brothers spent part of their time in exile on the top of this Himalayan mountain. Having gambled away their fortune and wife, they were cast out from their clan for thirteen years. They also had to remain invisible to people for a period of one year. Should that condition be broken they had to spend a further thirteen years in exile (apparently they succeeded). There is a legend that Pandavas spent part of their life during there exile here on Hatu peak. There are two giant stones, shaped like a chullah called “Bheem Chullah” stands as an evidence in the vicinity.