History
The History of Shimla dates back to the year 1819. Before that Shimla was under the rule of the Gurkhas. It was after the Gurkha War that the British soldiers founded a dense forest near the temple of Goddess Shyamala and gave it the name Shimla. But some historians contradict it saying that Shimla is derived from the word “Shyamalaya” meaning the blue house based on a house built by blue slate by a fakir.The Story of Shimla would not have been there if the Britishers had not discovered it. It was only in 1819, that the then Assistant Political Agent of Hill States, Lt. Ross built the first British residence- a wooden one. Later Lt.
Charles Patt Kennedy followed him by building a two storey pucca house named “Kennedy House”. After 1830, Shimla became the hot spot among the Britishers. For men it was the favorite hangout to rejuvenate after the Gurkha War while for the women it was a relief from the hot and humid climate as well as mosquito-invaded plains. An account of Shimla History would be incomplete without the different names such as “Viceroy’s Shooting Box, Abode of the Little Tin Gods and Mount Olympus” given to it by the Britishers. But the most famous of all was “the Queen of all Hills”. It was due to this fascination of the Britishers for Shimla that it was made the “summer capital” in 1864. After the Independence, Shimla was made the capital of Punjab, but in 1966 it was named as the capital of Himachal Pradesh.
General Information
- Population: 813,384
- Geographical Area: 5,131 km2
- Tehsils: Rampur, Kumarsain, Seoni, Shimla(R), Shimla(U), Theog, Chaupal, Jubbal, Kotkhai, Rohru, Chirgaon, Dodra Kawar
- Sub-Tehsils: Nankhari Rampur, Junga Shimla (R), Cheta(Kupvi) Chaupal, Nerwa Chaupal, Tikar Rohru
- Sub-Divisions: Shimla(U), Shimla(R), Theog, Chaupal, Rohru, Rampur, Dodra Kawar
- Legislative Assembly: Rampur, Shimla(R), Shimla(U), Theog, Chaupal, Jubbal – Kotkhai, Rohru, Kasumpati
- Villages: 2,914
- Panchayts: 363
Map
Demographics
According to the 2011 census Shimla district has a population of 813,384,roughly equal to the nation of Comoros or the US state of South Dakota.This gives it a ranking of 483rd in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 159 inhabitants per square kilometre (410 /sq mi) . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 12.58 %. Shimla has a sex ratio of 916 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 84.55 %.
Climate
Shimla features a subtropical highland climate under the Köppen climate classification. The climate in Shimla is predominantly cool during winters, and moderately warm during summer. Temperatures typically range from −4 °C (25 °F) to 31 °C (88 °F) over the course of a year. The average temperature during summer is between 19 °C (66 °F) and 28 °C (82 °F), and between −1 °C (30 °F) and 10 °C (50 °F) in winter. Monthly precipitation varies between 15 millimetres (0.59 in) in November to 434 millimetres (17.1 in) in August.
It is typically around 45 millimetres (1.8 in) per month during winter and spring and around 175 millimetres (6.9 in) in June as the monsoon approaches. The average total annual precipitation is 1,575 millimetres (62 in), which is much less than most other hill stations but still greatly heavier than on the plains. Snowfall in the region, which historically has taken place in the month of December, has lately (over the last fifteen years) been happening in January or early February every year.
How To Reach
- By Air
Shimla’s Jubbarhatti Airport is nearly 25 km away from the heart of the city.The airport is connected to Delhi airport by daily flights.
- By Train
Shimla has a meter gauge railway station. It connects to the nearest broad gauge station at Kalka, which is at a distance of 96 km from Shilmla.
- By Road
A fine network of roads connects Shimla to all the major cities in India. Shimla, being the capital city remains the centre of all the tourist activity. Hence, there are several buses that run to and from the city to the other Indian cities and states. Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation operates regular buses to Shimla.
