Kasauli where time stands still

Long walks in the lap of nature. Hidden trails into the heart of the misty mountains. Gossip session in the mornings with bed tea followed by digging into oven fresh bread for breakfast smeared with a generous spread of homemade cheese accompanied by steaming cups of freshly brewed chai as the sweet rays of morning sun sneaked into our room while the panoramic view of snow capped Himalayas soothed our senses.

Recipe for a perfect restful rejuvenating holiday. The town of Kasauli, bounded by the Himalayas on all sides leaves a lasting impression on a casual traveler like me due to its tranquility. Life here carries on at an unhurried pace.

The place is sweet and serene and even in the peak of summer it remains relatively less crowded. That was our idea when we selected the place for a summer weekend break and Kasauli actually surpassed our expectation on that count.

The weather was very pleasant, cool, and misty and was like a dream sequence from a typical Bollywood blockbuster.
This quaint little hill station near Chandigarh and on the way to Shimla was originally built by the British.

Kasauli is supposedly a corruption of the word Kasool a village that came under the erstwhile Bejja princely state. The British troops on a hunting expedition in the locality fell in love with the village.

They paid the local ruler Rs 5,000, took it away and set it up as a cantonment to garrison troops for war against the Sikhs (probably for the first Anglo-Sikh war of 1845).

After the Sikh kingdom had been annexed, the British troops felt that Kasauli was too pretty a place to remain just a garrison. So, they happily developed it as a hill resort. Although not as big as Shimla, Kasauli had its share of British visitors in summer. But some kind of an unwritten law kept the Indians at an arm's length from the place.

The Upper Mall where the best bungalows are situated was out of bounds for Indians. The Kasauli Club did not admit Indians either. The only contact with the white rulers took place in the market when memsahibs (English women) went shopping.

But things began to change during the World War II. The British men folk went off to war leaving their memsahibs and babalog (the children) behind. With the sahibs gone, the Indians mustered enough courage to take evening walks on the Upper Mall.

The pretty memsahibs were by now quite lonely and thus eager to befriend the Indians. Writer journalist Khushwant Singh who made Kasauli his home and lived there till he breathed his last writes suggestively about the changing trends in a short story, "Greetings were exchanged, followed by invitations to Tiffin..."

There are three main areas in Kasauli where one can wander around - Lower mall, Upper mall and the Main Bazaar. The upper mall during early morning and after monsoons offers magnificent view of Shimla hills (housing the Lawrence School) on one side and the plains on the other.

This is another must visit spot at night as the view of plains with all the townships glowing (including Chandigarh and at times Ambala) as tiny bulbs offers a stupendous experience. And last but not the least the Kasauli Bazar although small; with its small sprinkling of Tibetan merchants have lots of memorabilia to offer.

The Christ Church near the market is another amazing structure. It was previously an Anglican church and contains Spanish and Italian imported stained glass windows depicting Christ, Mary, Saint Barnabas and Saint Francis.

At Kasauli there is a Hanuman Mandir atop the 300 m high hillock shaped like a foot. The spot is called Monkey Point (locals call it Manki Point), where Lord Hanuman is supposed to have rested his foot while looking for the 'Sanjeevani herb'.

A temple was erected there in early 1970's when a shila (sacred stone) was discovered here after numerous accidents which took place during construction of Air Force Station in the spot. It might be interesting to know that no accidents took place after installation of the shila in the temple atop the mountain.

This temple lies within the confines of an air force radar station. The climb to this place is arduous and no photography is permitted in its vicinity. There is also a point in lower mall of Kasauli called as Gilbert point or Sunset point. One can sit here on the benches and enjoy the beautiful scene of nature.

We too, after taking a walk around the quaint hill station rested on a bench near the edge of the hill, witnessing the sunset marked by the magnificent colors of the sky.

Once the sun went down, we could see the lights of Simla twinkling far away across the hills. As we walked on the lower mall, we came across Kasauli Club, one of the most prestigious social clubs in India.

Established in 1880 during the British times, the club’s its membership is highly sought after even today and thus, there’s an average 15 year waiting time. The Club is managed by a regular Indian Army Officer assigned as ‘Club Secretary’.

Our holiday in Kasauli got over faster than we had expected it to be. We left the lovely place with yearnings to be back again at the first available opportunity. Everyone who loves hills and is not scared of height is sure to fall in love with this place.

Fact file
Location: Kasauli, a cantonment hill station in Himachal Pradesh, is located at an altitude of 1950 metres.
Access: Kasauli is about 65 kms from Chandigarh (nearest railway station and airport).
Accommodation: Though a wide range of accommodation is available to fit most pockets, Hotel Ross Common praised for its aesthetic design, unique architecture and exclusive style is one of the most preferred ones.
For further details, visit http://hotel-ross-common-kasauli.hotelsgds.com/
Activities: Must try the local delicacy of the young called 'Bun Samosa/Tikki' available at local sweetmeat shops

By:Sriparna Saha