thumb|Christ Church of Shimla captured with a scenic view of the surroundings
thumb|[[Government College, Sanjauli during winters]]
Shimla, also known as Simla (the official name until 1972), () is the capital and the largest city of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of British India. After independence, the city became the capital of East Punjab and was later made the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. It is the largest and most developed city of Himachal Pradesh, as well as the state's principal commercial, cultural and educational centre.
Small hamlets were recorded before 1815 when British forces took control of the area. The climatic conditions attracted the British to establish the city in the dense forests of the Himalayas. As the summer capital, Shimla hosted many important political meetings including the Simla Deputation of 1906, the Simla Accord of 1914 and the Simla Conference of 1945. After independence, the state of Himachal Pradesh came into being in 1948 as a result of the integration of 28 princely states. Even after independence, the city remained an important political centre, hosting the Simla Agreement of 1972. After the reorganisation of the state of Himachal Pradesh, the existing Mahasu district was named Shimla.
thumb|Beautiful sunset in Shimla
Shimla is home to several buildings that are styled in the Tudorbethan and neo-Gothic architectures dating from the colonial era, as well as multiple temples and churches. The colonial architecture and churches, the temples, and the natural environment of the city attract tourists. Major city centre's attractions include the Shri Hanuman Jakhu (Statue), Jakhu Temple, Viceregal Lodge, Christ Church, Mall Road, The Ridge and Annadale. The city centre's northernmost point is Jakhoo and the southernmost location is Annadale, the easternmost point is Sanjauli and the western point is Chotta Shimla. The Kalka–Shimla Railway line built by the British, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is also a major tourist attraction. Owing to its steep terrain, Shimla hosts the mountain biking race MTB Himalaya, which started in 2005 and is regarded as the biggest event of its kind in South Asia. Shimla also has the largest natural ice skating rink in South Asia. Apart from being a tourism centre, the city is also an educational hub with several colleges and research institutions.
Etymology
thumb|Kali Bari Mandir, after which the city is named
One theory suggests that the name "Shimla" was derived from Shyamalaya, meaning 'blue house', a solitary house made of blue slate on Jakhu Hill, built by a fakir.
According to another version, the city gets its name from Shamli or Shyamala, meaning 'blue lady', referring to the Hindu goddess Kali. It is believed that a temple dedicated to goddess Shamli, an incarnation of Kali, used to be on the Jakhu hillside near the Rothney Castle. Many believe that during the British period, the image of the goddess was shifted to a new place, the now-famous Kali Bari Temple.
In 2018, the state government decided to change the city's name from Shimla to Shyamala. However, seeing the negative response of the general public, the state government dismissed the plan.
History
Early modern history
Most of the area occupied by present-day Shimla city was dense forest during the 18th century. The only sign of civilisation was the Jakhu Temple and various other temples, a few scattered houses, and nearby villages which have now turned out as posh and major neighbourhoods of the city. The area was called 'Shimla', named after Hindu goddess Shyamala Devi, an incarnation of Kali.
In 1832, Shimla saw its first political meeting between the Governor-General Lord William Bentinck and the emissaries of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In a letter to Colonel Churchill, he wrote:
thumb|left|Jakhu Temple in 1910; the temple predates the British settlement in the area
Combermere's successor Earl Dalhousie visited Shimla in the same year. After this, the town was under Nawab (King) Kumar Ghosal of Bally, West Bengal, and saw regular visits from the Governors-General and Commanders-in-Chief of British India. Several young British officers started visiting the area to socialise with the higher-ups; they were followed by ladies looking for marriage alliances for their relatives. Shimla thus became a hill station famous for balls, parties, and other festivities. Subsequently, residential schools for pupils from upper-class families were established nearby.
Early urban development
By the late 1830s, the city also became a centre for theatre and art exhibitions. As the population increased, several bungalows were built and a big bazaar was established in the town. The Indian businessmen, mainly from Sood and Parsi communities, arrived in the area to cater to the needs of the growing European population. On 9 September 1844, the foundation of the Christ Church was laid. Subsequently, several roads were widened and the construction of the Hindustan-Tibet road with a tunnel was taken up in 1851–52. This tunnel, now known as the Dhalli Tunnel, was started by Major Briggs in 1850 and completed in the winter of 1851–52. The 1857 uprising caused a panic among the European residents of the town, but Shimla remained largely unaffected by the rebellion. Robert Bulwer-Lytton (Viceroy of India 1876–1880) made efforts to plan the town from 1876, when he first stayed in a rented house, but began plans for a Viceregal Lodge, later built on Observatory Hill. A fire cleared much of the area where the native Indian population lived (the "Upper Bazaar" nowadays known as the Ridge), and the planning of the eastern end to become the centre of the European town forced them to live in the Middle and Lower Bazaars on the lower terraces descending the steep slopes from the Ridge. The Upper Bazaar was cleared for a town hall, with many facilities such as a library and theatre, as well as offices for police and military volunteers as well as municipal administration.
right|thumb|Shimla's "[[Lower Bazaar, Shimla|Lower Bazaar" in a photograph taken between 1887 and 1889]]
During the "Hot Weather", Shimla was also the headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief, India, the head of the Indian Army, and many departments of the Government of India. The summer capital of the regional Government of the Punjab moved from Murree, in modern-day Pakistan, to Shimla in 1876. They were joined by many of the British wives and daughters of the men who remained on the plains. Together these formed the Shimla Society, which, according to Charles Allen, "was as close as British India ever came to having an upper crust." This may have been helped by the fact that it was very expensive, having an ideal climate and thus being desirable, as well as having limited accommodation. British soldiers, merchants, and civil servants moved here each year to escape from the heat during summer in the Indo-Gangetic Plain. The presence of many bachelors and unattached men, as well as the many women passing the hot weather there, gave Shimla a reputation for adultery, and at least gossip about adultery: as Rudyard Kipling said in a letter cited by Allen, it had a reputation for "frivolity, gossip, and intrigue".
The Lower Bazaar tunnel was built in 1905 and christened Khachhar Surang. The Elysium Tunnel (now known as the Auckland Tunnel), about in length, was also built in 1905. At the convention a demarcation line between Tibet and the North-east region of India was proposed by Sir Henry McMahon. The line came to be known as McMahon Line and is currently the effective boundary between China and India, although its legal status is disputed by the Chinese government. This was also the site of a series of talks held by Viceroy Wavell to discuss a plan for the independence of India with the Indian political leaders of the time. Known as the Simla Conference, the talks failed to bring about a resolution.
alt=showing the urbanisation of Shimla city|thumb|[[Victory Tunnel|Victory Tunnel Shimla]]
Shimla was the capital city in exile of British Burma (present-day Myanmar) from 1942 to 1945. In 1945, Victory Tunnel was opened immediately after the Allied victory in World War 2 on 8 May 1945, hence its name. It was the celebratory mark of the end of the War from British side. Since then it has become one of the busiest tunnel routes of Shimla, connecting two major parts of the city.
left|thumb|Passenger train on the [[Kalka-Shimla Railway route]]
The Kalka–Shimla railway line, opened in 1903, added to Shimla's accessibility and popularity. The railway route from Kalka to Shimla, with more than 806 bridges and 103 tunnels, was touted as an engineering feat and came to be known as the "British Jewel of the Orient".
Post-Independence Shimla
Following the partition of India, Shimla briefly served as the capital of East Punjab, until construction of the new city of Chandigarh (the present-day capital of the Indian states of Punjab and Haryana). Upon the formation of the state of Himachal Pradesh in 1971, Shimla was named its capital.
After independence, the Chief Commissioner's Province of Himachal Pradesh came into being on 15 April 1948 as a result of the integration of 28 petty princely states (including feudatory princes and zaildars) in the promontories of the western Himalaya, known in full as the Shimla Hills States and four Punjab southern hill states by the issue of the Himachal Pradesh (Administration) Order, 1948 under Sections 3 and 4 of the Extra-Provincial Jurisdiction Act, 1947 (later renamed as the Foreign Jurisdiction Act, 1947 vide A.O. of 1950). The State of Bilaspur was merged into the Himachal Pradesh on 1 April 1954 by the Himachal Pradesh and Bilaspur (New State) Act, 1954. Himachal became a part C state on 26 January 1950 with the implementation of the Constitution of India and the Lt. Governor was appointed. The legislative assembly was elected in 1952. Himachal Pradesh became a Union Territory on 1 November 1956. Following areas of Punjab State namely Shimla, Kangra, Kullu and Lahaul and Spiti Districts, Nalagarh Tehsil of Ambala District, Lohara, Amb and Una Kanungo circle, some areas of Santokhgarh Kanungo circle and some other specified area of Una tehsil of Hoshiarpur District besides some parts of Dhar Kalan Tehsil of Pathankot district; were merged with Himachal Pradesh on 1 November 1966 on the enactment of Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 by the Parliament. On 18 December 1970, The State of Himachal Pradesh Act was passed by Parliament and the new state came into being on 25 January 1971. Thus Himachal emerged as the eighteenth state of the Indian Union.
Pre-independence structures still dot Shimla; buildings such as the former Viceregal Lodge, Assembly Chamber, Auckland House, Christ Church, Gorton Castle, Shimla Town Hall and the Gaiety Theatre are reminders of British rule in India. The original Peterhoff, another Viceregal residence, burnt down in 1981. British Shimla extended about along the ridge between Jakhoo Hill and Prospect Hill. The central spine was the Mall Road, which ran along the length of the Ridge, with a Mall Extension southwards, closed to all carriages except those of the viceroy and his wife.
Geography
Shimla is on the south-western ranges of the Himalayas at . It has an average altitude of above mean sea level and extends along a ridge with seven spurs. The city stretches nearly from east to west. It comes under the historical cultural Mahasu region.
thumb|Simla and Jutogh, 1911 map
The city is a Zone IV (High Damage Risk Zone) per the Earthquake hazard zoning of India. Weak construction techniques and an increasing population pose a serious threat to the already earthquake prone region. There are no water bodies near the main city and the closest river, the Sutlej, is about away. Other rivers that flow through the Shimla district, although further from the city, are the Giri, and Pabbar (both tributaries of Yamuna).
The green belt in the Shimla planning area is spread over . Environmental degradation due to the increasing number of tourists every year without the infrastructure to support them has resulted in Shimla losing its popular appeal as an ecotourism spot. Another rising concern in the region are the frequent number of landslides that often take place after heavy rains.
The city is situated northeast of Kalka, northeast of Chandigarh, south of Manali and northeast of Delhi, the national capital. Kalka can be reached within hours, and Chandigarh can be reached in 3 hours 15 minutes. Delhi and Manali are both around 7 hours away from Shimla.
To the east of Shimla stand the Choor Mountains (Chuor, 3647 m). A passage over these mountains, from the Tons River to Shimla is described in Views in India, chiefly among the Himalaya Mountains, by George Francis White with accompanying drawings, Village of Khandoo, on the Ascent to the Choor, and two that were subsequently the subject of poetical illustrations by Letitia Elizabeth Landon, namely Crossing the Choor Mountains, and Village of Koghera and Deodar Forest, near the Choor.
The accompanying notes record that "During a considerable part of the year, the Choor is hoary with snow; and when moonlight falls upon the scene, an effect is produced as if floods of molten silver were poured over the surface. Moonlight in these regions assumes a novel charm."
Shimla city is geographically uniquely positioned in such a way, that if water is poured on the northern slope at the Ridge ground, it goes to the Arabian Sea via the Sutej River, and if water is poured on the southern slope, it meets the Bay of Bengal through the Yamuna River.
Seven Hills of Shimla
Shimla was built on top of seven hills: Inverarm Hill, Observatory Hill, Prospect Hill, Summer Hill, Bantony Hill, Elysium Hill and Jakhu Hill. The highest point in Shimla is the Jakhu hill, which is at a height of . In recent times the city has spread past the initial seven hills.
Climate
thumb|Dusk at Shimla|right
thumb|Shimla's Mall road after fresh snowfall in winter<gallery>
File:Shimla, Snow and the Sun.jpg
File:The Snow Warrior.jpg|The Shimla Snow
</gallery>Shimla features a subtropical highland climate (Cwb) under the Köppen climate classification. The climate in Shimla is predominantly cool during winters and moderately warm during summer.
The average temperature during summer is between , and between in winter. Monthly precipitation varies between in November and in August. It is typically around per month during winter and spring, and around in June as the monsoon approaches.
The average total annual precipitation is , which is much less than most other hill stations but still much heavier than on the plains. Snowfall in the region, which historically has taken place in December, has lately (over the last fifteen years) been happening in January or early February every year.
The maximum snowfall received in recent times was on 18 January 2013. On two consecutive days (17 and 18 January 2013), the town received of snow.
On the weekend of 12–13 August 2023, torrential rains attributed to climate change caused major landslides in Shimla, killing at least 57 people. These were part of the 2023 North India floods.
Highest recorded temperature: on 28 May 2010 (A temperature of was recorded on 22 May 2012 at Shimla airport.)
Lowest recorded temperature: on 13 December 1963.
| source 2 = Weather Atlas
Economy
Employment is largely driven by the government and tourism sectors. Education sector and horticultural produce processing comprise most of the remainder. Recently a Model Career Centre has been set-up at Regional Employment Exchange, Shimla to enable bridging the gap between job-seekers and employers.
thumb|[[Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, the largest Hospital of the state located in Snowdown, Shimla]]
In addition to being the local hub of transport and trade, Shimla is the area's healthcare centre, hosting a medical college and four major hospitals: Indira Gandhi Hospital (Snowdown Hospital,) Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital (formerly called Ripon Hospital), Kamla Nehru Hospital and Indus Hospital. The city's development plan aims to make Shimla an attractive health tourism spot.
thumb|National Academy of Audits and Accounts, Yarrows
Along with schools of higher education, several institutes are also present, namely Himachal Pradesh University and Indian Institute of Advanced Study. Recruitment to the IAAS is through the joint competitive examinations (the Civil Services Examination) and promotion from the subordinate cadre. Once recruited to IAAS, the directly recruited officers are trained mainly at the National Academy of Audit and Accounts. Students from across India prefer to study in Shimla because of its climate and Queen of Hill Stations status. These have added to the economy of the district as well as the state.
The government is trying to promote the technology and IT sector as the new area for growth and promotion although not many companies have yet settled in Shimla. There are many new startups in and around Shimla. There are over six call centres in Shimla.
Civic administration
right|thumb|Town Hall as seen from [[The Ridge, Shimla|The Ridge]]
right|thumb|upright|Statue of [[Rani Lakshmibai|Rani Laxmi Bai.]]
The administrative responsibilities of the city of Shimla and merged areas of Dhalli, Totu, and New Shimla reside with the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC). All three areas were taken under SMC in 2006–07. Established in 1851, the Shimla Municipal Corporation is an elected body comprising 41 councillors, three of whom are nominated by the government of Himachal Pradesh. The nominations are based on prominence in the fields of social service, academics, and other activities. 33% of the seats are reserved for women. The elections take place every five years and the mayor and deputy mayor are elected by and among the councillors themselves.
The administrative head of the corporation is the Commissioner who is appointed by the state government.
The two major political parties are the Bharatiya Janata Party and Indian National Congress with a third party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), emerging.
The city contributes one seat to the state assembly (Vidhan Sabha) and one seat to the lower house of parliament (Lok Sabha). Law and order in the city is collectively maintained by the Police Force, Vigilance Department, enforcement directorate, forensics, fire brigade, prisons service and Home Guard. There are five police stations and three fire stations in Shimla. The Superintendent of Police, Shimla heads the police force. The First Armed Police Battalion, one of the four armed police battalions in the state, is available for assistance to the local police.
There are 11 courts in the district including a fast-track court.
Demographics
Population
According to 2011 census, Shimla city spread over an area of 35.34 km<sup>2</sup> had a population of 169,578 with 93,152 males and 76,426 females.
The city area has grown considerably over time. It has stretched from Hiranagar to Dhalli from one side & Tara Devi to Malyana in the other. As per the 2001 India Census, the city has a population of 142,161 spread over an area of 19.55 km<sup>2</sup>. – is cause for concern, and much lower than the 974 versus 1,000 for Himachal Pradesh state as a whole.
The unemployment rate in the city has come down from 36% in 1992 to 22.6% in 2006. This drop is attributed to recent industrialisation, the growth of service industries, and education.
Language
thumb|[[George Abraham Grierson|G.A. Grierson's linguistic map of Mahasu region, as Shimla comes under it]]
Hindi is the lingua franca of the city, it is the principal spoken language of the city and also the most commonly used language for official purposes. English is also spoken by a sizeable population and is the second official language of the city. Other than Hindi, the Mahasu Pahari subdialect Keonthali, the native language of the region is mainly spoken here as well as other Pahari languages are also spoken by the ethnic Pahari people, who comprise the major part of the city's population. Punjabi language is prevalent among the ethnic Punjabi migrant population of the city, most of whom are refugees from West Punjab, who settled in the city after the Partition of India in 1947.