Shimla, “Queen of the Hills”, is the capital of Himachal Pradesh and one of India’s most famous hill stations. The Ridge and Mall Road are its heart – a wide open promenade lined with colonial buildings, Christ Church, Gaiety Theatre, shops, cafés and hotels. From here you see surrounding mountains, rooftops and evening lights, while people stroll, shop for woollens and handicrafts, eat street food and enjoy horse rides. The Ridge hosts New Year events, summer festivals and big cultural shows, so this whole zone feels like an open-air mall and meeting place.
About this place
History & highlights
Before British rule, Shimla was a tiny village on a forested ridge. In the early 1800s British officers discovered its cool climate; by 1864 Shimla was declared the summer capital of British India. The Ridge–Mall became the social and political centre where officers walked, gossiped and attended theatre and balls. Grand buildings, churches and clubs were raised along this spine, giving Shimla a European hill-town character. After Independence, Shimla became capital of Himachal Pradesh, but the Ridge and Mall were preserved as pedestrian heritage zones, still acting as the symbolic “drawing room” of the city.
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