Planning Ladakh by Bus from Delhi

On various travel forums, I often come across questions regarding traveling to Ladakh by bus as well as traveling to various destinations in Ladakh by bus. In this article, my endeavor is to shed light on the routes available to reach Leh and then traveling to popular destinations in Ladakh like Nubra Valley, Tso Moriri and Pangong Tso by bus service. I have also mentioned tariff (which are accurate to best of knowledge) along the various routes along with departure timings.

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Bus Service in Ladakh is a boon for budget traveler but then you will be on a tight schedule as bus services in Ladakh are very limited and don’t operate on a daily basis on long routes. It means you need to go to a particular destination like Pangong Tso and return the next day or else have a month time up your sleeve and you could spend 2-3 days in Pangong or Nubra Valley and catch the next scheduled bus.

Even then, if you are traveling to destination like Tso Moriri, the bus service is available on ten days interval if you miss the next day’s bus to Leh. So read on and plan your trip to Ladakh by Bus.

[Also Read my Post on Road Trip to Ladakh on Motorcycle]

Planning Trip to Leh Ladakh by Bus and Bus Service inside Ladakh

Buses ply regularly from Manali and Srinagar to Leh. Sri Nagar side bus halts for the night in Kargil and reaches Leh the next day. Similarly, night halt in Manali Leh highway is at Keylong. Bus service from Srinagar to Leh is more frequent than bus service from Manali to Leh as many private and state run buses ferry passenger to Leh from Srinagar some directly without a night halt.

Bus Service from Delhi to Leh, Ladakh

Direct bus from Delhi was available to Leh in 2015. Currently the official site is showing this message: No Such Route Exist. However it is very likely that this bus service from Delhi to Leh will resume this season too when the road will open via Manali route in July.

Bus Service from Delhi to Leh Details

Departure: Daily (till Sept 15) from ISBT, Counter 7

Timing: 3.45 PM

However the irony of this is that even the ground staff at HPTDC, Delhi ISBT are not aware of this service. Better call Manali or Keylong office and take the required information regarding departure date and timing from there to be on the safe side.

Useful Phone no. for information for bus service from Delhi to Leh

ISBT Delhi: 011- 23868694

ISBT Chandigarh: 0172-2668943

Manali Bus Stand: 01902-252323, 01902-252116 & 01902-253147

Keylong Bus Stand: 01900-222245

Last year, this bus service from Delhi to Leh started from first week of July but it depends on whether road at Rohtang Pass is opened or not. The bus is operated by Himachal Pradesh Tourism (HPTDC).

One could also catch a bus from Delhi to Manali and catch the connecting bus to Leh from there. Delhi to Manali will cost you INR 1300 per person in AC VOLVO and INR INR 750 in Non AC Deluxe.

Bus Fare from Delhi to Leh, Ladakh: INR 1350 per person

Bus Service from Manali to Leh

From Manali to Leh, the bus service will operate from 1^st July till 15^th September. The one way fare in Non AC Deluxe Bus is INR 2500 per person with a night halt in Keylong. Volvo don’t ply on this route.

Departure time from Manali ISBT is 09:00 AM and the return journey from this route could be made from Fort Road in Leh with bus scheduled to depart at 05:00 AM in the morning.

Bus Fare from Manali to Leh Ladakh: Rs.2500/-

Transport Charges INR 1900 + Accommodation charges INR 600 (M.A.P) and bus stops for sightseeing

For booking in advance, try this link.

http://www.hptdc.nic.in/

Bus Service from Srinagar to Leh Ladakh

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The two day bus journey from Srinagar to Leh with a night halt in Kargil starts from Srinagar ISBT at 8:00 AM in the morning. Fare for JKSRTC operated buses from Srinagar to Leh is INR 1050 per person for Deluxe and INR 650 per person for semi deluxe. Many private and other state run buses also ply regularly on this route making it far better connected to Leh than the Manali Leh route. And there are no direct bus from Jammu to Ladakh. Direct bus service is available from Srinagar only.

Bus fare from Srinagar to Leh, Ladakh: INR 1050 per person

Bus Service from Leh to Pangong Tso

Every Saturday and Sunday bus from Leh goes to Pangong via Chang La, the second highest mountain pass in Ladakh according to some. The departure is at 6.30 AM. Yet another bus ferry passengers to Tangtse that also leaves at 6:30 AM on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday but doesn’t go all the way till Pangong. Fare of these bus is Rs. 256 per person. The return journey to Leh is made the next day by both these buses.

Bus Service from Leh to Tso Moriri

Bus from Leh to Tso Moriri, yet another of the major tourist attraction featuring a high altitude lake runs thrice in a month. The dates are 10th, 20th and 30th of the month. Return journey is next day i.e. 11th, 21st and 31st or 1st (depending upon days in the month). The fare for this route is INR 370 per person.

Bus Service from Leh to Nubra Valley

The bus from Leh ply to Diskit in Nubra Valley every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. It leaves from Leh in the morning at 8:00 AM. The return journey to Leh is made the next day at 7:00 AM and per person fare is INR 350.

Bus Service from Leh to Hanle

Bus from Leh leaves for Hanle every Saturday at 6:00 AM in the morning. The fare for this route is INR 492 per person. The return journey from Hanle to Leh is made the next day.

Bus Service from Leh to Stok

Bus to Stok runs twice daily from Leh. The fare for the journey is INR 25 each. The bus leaves from Leh at 8:00 AM in the morning and 5:00 PM in the evening.

These are the latest updates on the bus service to Leh and for internal traveling for sightseeing in Ladakh by bus. If there are any variation in current fare it would only be minor. Let me know if you have any updates on the same so that I could update the same on this post.

For more on planning Ladakh tour, read my previous post on planning trip to Ladakh and also read tips if you are planning Ladakh trip on bike

Other Useful Links for Rates and Time Tables of Bus Services in Leh Ladakh:

• http://vargiskhan.com/log/leh-bus-service-buses-ladakh/


• http://devilonwheels.com/rates-time-table-of-bus-services-in-leh-ladakh/


• www.lehladakhindia.com/resource/

Planning Ladakh by Bus from Delhi

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Trip Report: Narkanda from Delhi & Hatu Peak Trek

“Somewhere between the bottom of the climb and the summit is the answer to the mystery why we climb.”

Greg Child

After a long hiatus, finally we – I along with 2 of my colleagues – decided it’s time we pack our bags and go footloose in Himalayas. But the catch is we have just 2 days that is, a not so long weekend break from Delhi. Destination I had in mind for a long time. It is Narkanda. We’ll go to and do the Hatu Peak Trek.

Breathtaking view from the Hatu Peak

Yes you heard it right; not the usual road that is available to the Hatu Temple. But a meandering road that cuts across the mountain and converge once or twice on the road that leads vehicle to the top. So read along and hope you enjoy my trip report on Narkanda from Delhi and Hatu Peak Trek.

On a not so cold winter day in Delhi we boarded the bus from Kashmiri Gate ISBT in Delhi to Narkanda. We had pre-booked the ticket from HPTDC site. And believe me I am wiser for it now. So my New Year commitment that I made myself is from next time whenever I’ll plan a trip, I’ll book my tickets online.

The ticket to Narkanda from Delhi costs 486 per person when booked online. A few bucks more than what you’ll otherwise have to shell out. The bus was scheduled to departure at 10 PM from ISBT and we reached Narkanda at around 11 AM. We got down to the point from where the road leads to Hatu Temple.

Famished as were, the first thing to do after disembarking from the bus was to settle down on the chairs of the dhaba that was around the corner there and had a hearty meal to replenish our energy for what was to come. In just 218 bucks we four had butter aloo paranthas and tea. It was delicious!

At the start of the climb a signboard greets you telling that the road is 6 kilometers long and that it is only suitable for cars, jeeps and gypsies.

But I tell you it lies. The road is perfectly suitable for wanderers and barefoot travelers like us. And you got to walk it to truly experience the bliss that it or for that matter most of the trails in Himalayas offer if you submit yourself to it.

After having filled our bellies, we hit the road and started to look for any trails that might enable us to leave the road well travel. We soon found one. The goat trail we took was densely forested and occasionally there were clearings or what they call Bugyals in Uttarakhand for grazing of herds.

Wherever the trail opened up to these pastures view were mesmerizing. Undulating Himalayas, lush coniferous forest, and wildflower conjured up the scene for which Himalayas in romanticized by so many. Here you take every other breath to keep it safe in your heart. To treasure it for times to come.

As we climbed on somewhere which I think should be midway we came across a mud hut, a frozen pond and loads of snow. It was a sight to behold. The people there come from the town every day to cater to the travelers who go to Hatu Peak. You could rest here, have tea and snacks and that wonderful thing that I absolutely love whenever I am footloose in Himalayas. It is called Maggi!

As we reached there, the fun started, we climbed the slopes with thick snow and did some sledging sans the sledge. Along with my companions I too become a child and did a lot of crazy adventure as if I were 5 years old and as if I had encountered snow for the first time.

That’s the best part of travelling I believe. It brings back the innocence in you. It is a return to innocence for me. I am completely there. I become for a few moments or days ‘I’. Not that I am escapist but I have this dream to live a nomadic life. Travelling around the world, taking a lot of photographs, partake in the local culture and collect a lot of memories

So after spending like half an hour or so and enjoying ourselves to the hilt and a crazy number of photographs, it was time to move on in was late in the afternoon and we had to return and look for a hotel too.

Yes! You heard me right. You might be thinking we were crazy to go to Narkanda that too on Christmas long weekend and not pre-booking a hotel. As it turned out we made a mistake but that will come later

So off we go.

We started uphill climb. The entire trail till we reached the peak from here onward was carpeted with thick snow. The temple itself was not covered in snow but all around it, there was thick cover of snow, pure white!

The view from the top is worth all the effort you’ll have to make to reach the peak. Surprisingly, this is the only trail that I have undertook till now which didn’t even made me sweat or puff. Not for a single stretch did I feel any fatigue. The peak is situated at an altitude of 11,000 feet. It’s an elevation higher than Leh. Peaks visible from here include Hanuman Tibba, Shiri Khand Mahadev, Kailash & Paravatti and the Friendship Peak.

My Prashar Lake experience was agonizing and so was Triund Trek. Same happened when I did Deoriya Tal. The Nagtibba was relatively less tiring but made me take a lots of break in between so did Dodital. Compared to them, trek to Hatu Peak was a cakewalk

Coming back to the view. An awesome sight greeted me at the top near Hatu Temple. The view is 360 is raw awesomeness! You could see miles stretching right beside your year in every direction. Sights of azure sky, towering mountain peaks, undulating valleys and lush pine and spruce forest and apple orchards will take your breath away.

The temple itself looks majestic. It’s a beautifully carved temple which is held sacred by locals. Hatu Mata temple is dedicated to ‘Mandodari’ who was Ravana’s wife. Ravana is none other than the demon king of Lanka in Indian epic Ramayana who abducted Lord Rama’s wife Sita.

The craftsmanship in the wooden work which is intricate to say the least is impressive. I found this temple even more impressive that the Sage Prashar’s Temple or even the popular Hidimba Temple in Manali.

The current structure of Hatu Temple was built some 5 years ago after tearing down the original one. The architectural style used is traditional but the fine wooden carving work is mesmerizing.

On the first Sunday of Jyeshtha, the third month in the Hindu calendar, locals arrive here in large number for ritual in which goats are sacrificed near temple at the place where Pandava brothers of Mahabharata (yet another Indian epic) cooked their meal during ‘agyat vaas’ (Period of exile).

There is a tourist house nearby the temple but I have heard it is seldom used by the authorities. The peak is inhabited and facilities as such were not available when we were there.

After spending an hour or so. It was time to walk back to Narkanda. For the descent, we took the road to save some time. To my surprise, it took longer to us to make the downhill climb. It was due to the snow that had hardened on the road. It had become very slippery. Each of us took a fall. But most of us fell just once and adapted quickly. It was Gaurav, one of my colleagues who had his bums sored even before we were a 1000 meters down.

Deepak came to his rescue and took his hand literally and helped him descend till the snow cover diminished. Soon the entire surrounding was shrouded in darkness and we were yet to reach the point from where the road bifurcated towards Hatu Peak.

It was around 5 PM that we reached the point from where it started and it was almost dark if not for some light provided by the stars and moon in the great firmament. Now was the time for panic as we couldn’t see any signs of human settlements.

What happens on hills is that road are sinuous enough and a village or town might be located just at the next roundabout and you wouldn’t know it. It is okay if it is daytime but when you have no conveyance and its dark and you don’t know if a bus would come or not and you are not finding any sign post on the road that could offer reassurance then it’s scary.

So I took the lead and started to jog along. Gaurav and one of our other companion were exhausted so they decided to take rest. But I couldn’t because we had to find the town as soon as possible. After some hours of frantic walk between which we tried to stop many vehicle which wouldn’t stop, finally I saw the lights.

Lights mean settlements and it was a relief to see the lights. Finally, we were in Narkanda. Now started the search for hotels. Oh boy how they fleece you when they know you don’t have much option.

As I said, it was a Christmas long weekend and we didn’t pre-book our accommodation which could have come as cheap as 800K per night.

But when we reached the hotel in Narkanda, it charged us 2.2K and there were no bargaining to be made. There were no other option. The room for which we paid 2.2K, I swear couldn’t have been worth more than 500 bucks.

But I let go. It was our fault that we didn’t pre-book.

Looking back, it was a great weekend break from Delhi. We enjoyed it till the hilt. It was a mix of pleasure and pain for some

Now for the facts:

Bus from Delhi to Narkanda: 486 per person (Online booking) Time taken: 12 Hours

Hotel in Narkanda: 2200 shared by 4 person

Bus from Narkanda to Kufri by Bus: 70 per person Time taken: 3 hrs

Bus Kufri to Shimla by Bus: 25 per person Time taken: 1 hrs

From Shimla to Kalka by Toy Train: 50 per person Time Taken 6 hrs approx.

From Kalka to Delhi by Kalka Mail: 105 per person Time Taken 6 hrs approx.

Of course, you could always choose bus for return journey which is more comfortable than the train journey which is mostly second class (passenger) wooden seat type. There are no reservation in Toy Trains and you have to run and literally capture seat for yourself.

If you are used to travelling in Mumbai Local as am I, I guarantee you seat in the Kalka Shimla Railway a.k.a. toy train. I even managed to reserve seat for my companions as I was the first one to get inside the train at Shimla.

From Kalka as well, the journey we undertook was in unreserved class. But I made good use of the sleeping bag that I was carrying and slept like a baby throughout the night making the most of the aisle space. Definitely not recommended if you are traveling with family or are a female.

Go for bus both side when making this trip. Of course I am assuming you are traveling on budget and not hiring or own a four wheeler.

But traveling on “Toy Train” the Shimla Kalka Narrow Gauge Railway which is a UNESCO World Heritage was a longtime dream of mine. That was the reason we decided for it. And it was a fun trip. It would have been even better had we travelled during day as I missed on the photo ops along the way.

Looking back; our weekend trip to Narkanda from Delhi was a great adventure. We covered three destinations that is Narkanda, Kufri, and Shimla and undertook a trek to Hatu Peak and travelled aboard World Heritage Kalka Shimla Railways.

To sum it up 3 days were well spent and the money well spent. It came to 1750 per person excluding the booze and fag. If not for the overpriced hotel or the fact that it was getting late in night we would have managed it under 1500 per person.

Now that is something you call travelling on a budget or traveling like a backpacker. You see I am getting better at it

And remember this saying from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, one of my favorite book “The only Zen you find on tops of mountains is the Zen you bring there.”

Trip Report: Narkanda from Delhi & Hatu Peak Trek

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Weekend Trek From Delhi to Narkanda Hatu Peak

The commitment I made to myself was fulfilled as I embarked from Delhi to Narkanda for a weekend break that included trek to Hatu Peak. I was amazing how I managed to cover Kufri Shimla and Narkanda in span of just 2 days. The 7 kilometers trek to Hatu Peak was mesmerizing and for the first time I didn’t even felt tired. I was just a little worried as we sauntered down and it got dark and thre was no light to guide our way. But somehow we managed to reach town. The entire trip was a revelation which I will reveal in my upcoming post. For now let the pictures tell the story

Christ Church, Shimla

Here We Go

Take a Nap…Will Ya

Hatu Temple View

Yet Another

Just Lie Down…Let it seep in!

Remember the rules

Really…I am standing over a pond

In a Nutshell: Shimla

No Thoroughfare

Azure: At The Mall Road in Shimla

Sledging or Whatever

In The Background

Here we go…Ale ale ale

A View to Thrill

Weekend Trek From Delhi to Narkanda Hatu Peak

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Dancing in Delight

Saw this beautiful poem on Instagram and related so much to it that I can’t help but share it with the world. What do you think?

Last night,

as I closed my eyes

I saw words

dancing in delight.

I plucked them

out of thin air

and tried to form

a coherent line.

As I dipped

my pen in the ink

the words started

to flow in.

So, this is what

I scribbled last night

when I saw words

dancing in delight.

With permission from Thinking Hat

And a photo to go with it:

Dancing in Delight

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In Defense of Aamir Khan: Indian TV Channels, Social Media & Rise of Intolerance

In the aftermath of Aamir Khan episode, did you – like me – ever wondered about the role of Indian TV channels, social media in rising intolerance in country?

Blown out of Proportion

Indeed I strongly believe that it is the media specially National TV channels both English and Hindi, which has made Indian public this much intolerant and impatient and 10 second fame seekers. All they want is TRP, sensationalism and ad revenue. If an anchor like Arnab Goswami is watched by so many with high TRP, I could only feel dismay and not so proud to be Indian.

What Aamir Khan said in a personal context – disappointing as it was as it was televised on National TV channels – was taken out of context and blown out of proportion. Most of the people overreacting to what he said wouldn’t have any inkling of what he actually said. So I couldn’t help but pen down some of my thoughts in defense of Aamir Khan.

Have you seen the state of our news channels…Just contrast them with Western media like BBC, CNN, RT or AL Jazeera and you’d know what kind of farce and cheap entertainment and not news is presented by most of our news channels save Doordarshan.

Debates are more of argument where uncouth politicians, page 3 people, so called holy peoples let each other’s turn cut down. Those with loudest voice try to win over just because they have stronger windpipe and strongest of them indeed belongs to no other than our Mr. Arnab Goswami the news anchor turned embarrassing self-parody and then debates are cut short for advertisement breaks. There are more minutes of ads than actual discussion (arguments).

Almost every news channel’s anchors have their own (or production team’s) personal view, which they projects onto as the public opinion and mood of the nation which then shapes the tone of the show. The primary purpose of the debate – to get all sides and facets of a problem get lost in all the din and fury of anchor’s questions, debaters arguments and frequent ad breaks.

Argumentative, interrupting, opinionated, know-it-all and the more ads then news is what exemplifies our news channels best. Be it Hindi or English each one is propagating their own agenda in race to win more TRP. To counterpart other news channels each one is on lookout of one after another ridiculous Breaking News.

Here are a few:

• Stairway to heaven [aka “Swarg Ki Sidhi”]


• Two snakes getting married in some remote village of India


• Do Alien Drink Cow’s Milk

Here are some more:

http://www.scoopwhoop.com/news/wtf-news-headlines/

Then, there is the proliferation of social media and some attention seeking vainglorious people looking for fun and cheap publicity go to any extent to get likes and retweets. Some of the photo shared on social media of Aamir Khan just cross any level of decency.

One of my fellow blogger rightly pointed out these trends that have taken Indian social media sphere by storm. Here’s what he has to say and I quote:

“One thing that has changed dramatically in the last decade is the rise of social media. It has helped connect millions of Indians and gave them a platform to raise their voice at the click of a button and become a hero. Most people write post for ‘likes’ that boosts their ego and make them feel better…Also, intolerant people make more noise and thus are all over the media, even if their number is low…

…Bad-intolerance is when instead of debates we start insulting people having different opinions. Calling others by names like ‘feku’, ‘bhakt’, ‘sickular’, ‘pseudo-liberal’, ‘aaptards’, ‘anti-national’ etc. is a sign of immaturity. Such immaturity has filled the social media world over, not just in India. The reaction of social media to the comments of Aamir Khan is one such incident of our immaturity…

…Aamir Khan’s comment came as a shock to me. Being a national icon and the brand ambassador of Incredible India my personal opinion is that he should have been more sensitive. But, people’s reaction to his comment was even worse. It just proved his point. We can disagree with him and have a debate on it. We can share a few jokes and enjoy the controversy. But abusing and insulting him was immaturity. It was our show of bad-intolerance. In a democratic country, people have a right to give their opinion and feel free to express their sentiments. Did we try to understand why he said that, before we shouted in protest? The way people reacted to his movie PK and threatened him because he was a Muslim, even though the majority of the people who made the movie was a Hindu, could be a reason. From calling him a terrorist, burning his effigy, to telling him to go to Pakistan was not a sign of our tolerance. If he or his family felt threatened, they had reasons. While the actual intolerance may not have gone up, our behaviour in the social media has increased the perception of intolerance. That is alarming because it does not take much for the intolerance to spill over from social media to our real lives. The responsibility lies with us to make sure that we do not let that happen.”

Read full post here: http://khonjtheeternalsearch.blogspot.in/2015/11/india-and-intolerance.html

No wonder our public has become so intolerant. Just like child learns what he observes in his home and neighborhood, our nation which is now addicted to 24X7 news channels is being – and I dare say brain washed just like radical Islamists do to gullible discontent youth – made to react to naïve thing and small, trivial issues to the way they do. More than BJP, Hindu Sena, Shiv Sena or VHP; it is the news channels of India who I’d hold responsible for violent reaction and outrages over simple things.

People have lost the sense of how to debate. Now they know believe in arguments. Just as Arnab and other opinionated anchors and loud-mouthed and so called experts and opinion leaders suppress the milder speakers on national TV, we the Indians and common people are now overreacting to things which wouldn’t have bothered us a few years ago.

Prime Minister Modi invokes Gandhi often saying India is land of Gandhi. When overreacting to issues such as this Aamir Khan episode aren’t we only contradicting Modi? Didn’t Gandhi said “Nobody can hurt me without my permission?” Why are we, the proud Indians, feeling so hurt over a trivial personal statement made by Aamir Khan? Didn’t Gandhi said the weak can never forgive? Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. When did we become so weak? We only need to remember Mahatma rightly said that an eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.

And well I even saw cricketer Ravindra Jadeja tweeted something against Aamir that he should leave the country if he wants but he shouldn’t insult India…Well all I will say that India is indeed tolerant when non-performer like him are tolerated in India year after years nonperformance. Its dud like him irresponsibly advising Aamir Khan to leave country and not insult India are such disgrace to nation who fuel the flame without even knowing what was actually said. Just like our media who take pride in misquoting or quoting out of context and goes on to prove how hollow in spirit as a true Indian he is.

In Defense of Aamir Khan: Indian TV Channels, Social Media & Rise of Intolerance

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Scandal Point: Things to do in Shimla

It is a place that you would likely miss. I did too when I first visited Mall Road in Shimla. But Scandal Point (the name sounds intriguing isn’t it?) has an interesting legend behind it which was narrated to me by one of the drivers in the early morning in the hotel where I was staying in Shimla. He also proclaimed to be a former driver of none other than our Iron Lady and first and only lady Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi. According to him, once at the intersection now known as Scandal Point, the daughter of Viceroy was coming from one side on her chariot and the Maharaja of Patiala on his from the other. The road was narrow so both chariots had to stop.

There the dashing maharaja was bewitched by the beauty of lovely daughter of the British Viceroy who was enjoying his break in the then summer capital of India. The Maharaja – a tall handsome man with cult personality and charm according to the person narrating the story – got out of the chariot and asked the lady to accompany him…well for the rest of his life so the story goes.

The lady herself fell in love at sight with the flamboyant maharaja at once and took his hand and got into his chariot. They eloped together and got married. When the Viceroy heard of his daughter elopement he was infuriated. Fumed by the incidence the British Viceroy to India banished the maharaja from entering Shimla for rest of his life and he also sentenced his beloved daughter to exile.

So what did the maharaja do? He was undeterred and in love with the lady. To ensure that his lady got all the lavishness, indulgence and elegance characteristic of the maharajas of those times, he build her a palace. The same palace that is now the pride of Chail. Yes, the Chail Palace was built by the maharaja for his lovely lady so the folklore goes.

After hearing the legend, I was compelled to revisit the Mall Road once again just to go see Scandal Point and relive a few moment of the legendary tell that was narrated to me in the early morning. The man had all the quality of a court bard the way he romanticized the entire incidence.

Scandal Point is something that you are most likely to overlook if you are not aware of this folklore behind the place being named so. The place itself is more of a landmark due to the legend attached with it. There are no statues celebrating or glorifying the legendary maharaja and the lovely British lady. If you are a photography enthusiast, you will find some good photo ops at the point especially in the evening and after sunset when the church and street are lit.

If you are in Shimla I’d recommend that you do give a few moment to this historical place whose folklore are still shared my many old residents of Shimla and storytellers like the chauffeur that I had the good luck to meet at the hotel.

And this do reminds me of a song by one of my fave Simon and Garfunkel. It goes like:

A time it was, and what a time it was, it was

A time of innocence

A time of confidences

Long ago it must be

I have a photograph

Preserve your memories

They’re all that’s left you

Some photos which are not mine. Due credit has been given.

Reportedly the Maharaja of Patiala fell in love with the daughter of the then Viceroy of India and without wasting much time he eloped with her from this very point. Source

 

Scandal Point. Source

Source

Source

Scandal Point: Things to do in Shimla

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