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About:
Once the summer Capital
of Maharaja Bhupendra Singh and later of his son Maharaja Yadvendra Singh of
the Patiala State is a reminder of lavish life style in the lap
of the Himalayas.
About 43 Kms. from Shimla, and located on a spur, Chail affords a splendid
view, on a clear day, of the valley through which the river Sutlej flows,
overlooking, at the same time, both the glittering town of Kasauli and
the splendid city of Shimla. On the other side
rise the massive Himalayan ranges, spectacular in sun and snow. Chail is
built on three hills one of which is topped by Chail Palace and the
other by the
ancient temple. Maharaja Bhupendra Singh of Patiala loved to play cricket
and he developed the highest pitch in the world, on the
third.
Nestling in the shelter
of virgin forests which cover many untrodden hills, Chail is a tiny resort in
the Shiwalik region of Himachal Pradesh, and has interesting history.
Originally, it was a part of Keonthal State. Then it came under the sway of
the Gorkha warrior Amar Singh. Finally it became a royal resort and summer
seat of Maharaja of Patiala. The story behind the rise of Chail as the
summer seat of Patiala state is quite interesting.
The year was 1891. Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala incurred the wrath of
the Commander-in-Chief, Lord Kitchener, who banned his entry into the
British summer Capital of Shimla. Enraged, the Maharaja resolved to build
himself a new summer Capital better than Shimla. The British Government had
already gifted him Chail.
The present Chail is spread over an area of 72 acres on three adjacent
hills-the Rajgarh Hill where the Palace is built, the Pandava Hill where the
old Residency 'Snow View' is located and where the British Resident lived,
and finally the Siddh Tibba, where the temple of Baba Sidhnath is located at
a height of 2226 ft.
How to access:
Chail is connected by road from Shimla via Kufri, the distance is
about 45 km and
via Kandaghat it is 61 km. Kalka is 86 km away. Regular buses for Chail
leave from Shimla, Chandigarh and Delhi. The closest airports are at
Chandigarh (120km) and Shimla Jubber Hatti Airport (63km).
Snowflake Travels, The Mall, Shimla organizes
sight-seeing tours to Chail.
Climate
In winter the temperature can drop below freezing point when heavy
woolens
are required. In summer the climate is mild and light woolens/cottons are
recommended.
Places of Interest in and around Chail
 Sidh Baba Ka Mandir (1.5 km) :
Maharaja Bhupinder Singh orginally began building his Palace at this site.
It is said that a "Sidh", saintly person, appeared before the Maharaja in a
dream and declared that this was the place where he had meditated, Bhupinder
Singh shifted his Palace and built this temple instead.
Chail Palace:
The palace of the Maharajas, built in the late 19th century and the pretty
cottages of the complex - that once accommodated the ADCs and guests of the
royal party - are now part of a charming holiday resort, owned
and run by HPTDC.
Chail has lovely walks and trails that meander
through the dense pine forests - the home of barking deer, wild boar,
pheasant and a variety of birds. Forest Rest Houses make overnight halts
possible. For those interested in sports, Chail has fine tennis and squash
courts and a putting green. There are excellent spots along the River Gaura,
down in the valley,
with opportunities for anglers to tangle with the Himalayan Mahaseer, a
local fish. Chail
has also the highest cricket ground in the world - 2,250 m above sea level.
Cricket Ground (3 km) :
Built in 1893, after leveling the top of the hill, the Cricket Ground stands at 2444m and is
the highest cricket pitch and polo ground in the world.
Kufri:
A long and enjoyable
drive through lush forests and quaint villages takes one to the small but
highly popular hill station of Kufri. Its main attractions are the
Himalayan Nature Park, a small high-altitude zoo, and the exciting trek and horse rides that leads to
the divine Mahasu peak.
Wildlife (3km):
The Chail Sanctuary has "Choral", "Kakkar, "Sambhar"
(Deer variety), red jungle fowl and "Khalij"
and "Cheer" pheasants. Machan-like sighting posts have been built near
a place called blossom and at Khariun. The deodar and
oak forests and grasslands around the town are part of the sanctuary. One
can see sambhar, ghoral and cheer pheasants at Blossom and Jhaja - where
there are pheasant breeding centers. Barking deer and khalij pheasant are
often spotted at dusk and dawn in the sanctuary. Treks from Chail to Gaura
and Chail to Jhaja are popular.
Sadhupul
(1360 m) : Halfway between Kandaghat (12 km) and Chail is this village
with a
bridge astride the Ashwani stream. A good picnic spot.
 Back
to Shimla Info.
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