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North India Hill Station - Chail |
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 Chail
is a beautiful hill station
and a popular resort.
43-km from Shimla, Chail
is an enticing hill stations
of Himachal Pradesh. This
idyllic resort, set amidst
scented forests of pine
and deodar, was once the
summer resort of the maharajas
of Patiala. Chail (2,150
m) overlooks the Sutlej
Valley. Shimla and Kasauli
are also visible and at
night their twinkling
lights seem part of the
starlit sky. Chail is
just the summer destination
for those, who want to
take a break from the
traffic and pollution
of the city. Encompassing
the world's highest cricket
pitch and a polo ground,
the old palace, located
on a spur, Chail offers
a magnificent and splendid
view of the valley.
Chail
is built on three hills
– the palace on Rajgarh
Hill, the British Residency
on Pandhewa Hill and Sadh
Tiba is the third hill.
Sadh Tiba was originally
the site of the palace
but the Maharaja halted
construction there and
built a temple, Sidh Baba
ka Mandir. The drive to
Chail is scenic, winding
around the gorgeous valleys
of Kandaghat, past forests
thick with foliage and
fruit laden orchards.
During winters, skiing
is possible at Narkanda.
The Giri river at Gaura,
29 km away, is ideal for
fishing. Visitors can
enjoy the beauty of the
hill station by exploring
it on foot. You can enjoy
the fresh air, the greenery
and the tranquility, one
rarely finds in the cities.
People who love nature
Chail has lonely walks
and trails that meander
through the dense pine
forests - the home of
barking deer, wild boar,
pheasant and a variety
of birds.
Tourist
attractions in Chail
Chail Sanctuary : The
Deodar and Oak forests
that surround the hill
town of Chail was declared
a wildlife sanctuary in
the year 1976. The denizens
of this 10,854.36 hectares
sanctuary are Sambar,
Goral, Himalayan Black
Bear, Red Deer, Barking
Deer, Indian Hare Common
Langur and Leopard. The
deodar and oak forests
and grasslands around
the town are part of the
sanctuary. Also to be
found are Rhesus Macaque,
Himalayan Yellow Throated
Marten, Indian Porcupine,
Common Giant and Kashmiri
Flying Squirrel.
The Cricket Ground
at Chail is the highest
one in the entire world.
It was built in the year
1893 and is located at
an altitude of 2144 m.
The ground is also used
for playing polo.
Sadhupul
: A small but
beautiful village, Sadhupul
is a favourite destination
for picnickers.
Kandaghat
: Kandaghat is
around 20 km away from
Chail and has the Chail
View Palace, Shiva Temples,
Baba Thadda Mulla and
the Karol Ranges as its
prime attractions. The
palace today, houses the
Government Polytechnic
College for Women, though
the personal chambers
of the Maharaja are still
maintained as they were
in the bygone era.
Maharaja's
Palace : The
Rajgarh Hill, houses the
palace of the maharaja
that he built as a place
for his summer retreat.
The palace spreads over
an area of 75 acres and
offers some fantastic
views of the surroundings.
In the year 1972, the
palace was bought over
by the Himachal tourism
and converted into a heritage
hotel.
Sidh
Baba Ka Mandir :
Bhupinder Singh's palace
was originally planned
for this palace, however
a vision of the maharaja
changed everything. In
his vision, the maharaja
saw a sidh saint who told
him that the place was
meant for his meditation.
This vision made Bhupinder
Singh shift his palace
to other place and this
place became a spot for
a temple of Sidh Baba.
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