Hill Stations Chail

General Information about Chail hill station:

Altitude : Chail is believed to be roughly 2,150 m above sea level.

Languages : Himachali, Garhwali, Hindi and English

Best Time to Visit : May-July and September- November.

Introduction : Chail

The former 'summer capital' of Patiala, Chail is 43-km from Shimla and dwelling in the midst of a lush green setting. At 2,250m, it has the world highest cricket pitch and a polo ground, the old palace, now a hotel and the possibility of some angling are added attractions. Chail is hiker's paradise. The area is very peaceful away from the hustle and bustle of Shimla. 3-kms from the hotel is the worlds highest Cricket ground. Close by is a National Park, which has limited number of birds and deers.

History of Chail

According to the folk tales of the region, maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala incurred the wrath of Lord Kitchener, the Commander-in-Chief in the year 1891 resulting in the ban on the entry of the king to Shimla, the summer capital of the British. Angered by this, Maharaja planned to develop a new and much better summer retreat for himself. He found Chail, a small village near Shimla, the perfect place to develop as the summer capital. The village was developed according to the needs and requirements of the maharaja. A palace was also built for the king, which was taken over by the Himachal Pradesh Development Corporation in 1972 to convert it into a hotel. Chail is a Honeymooner's Paradise.

Accessibility rech Chail hill station:

By Air : There is always the option of flying to Shimla.

By Rail : The ideal way of covering the Kalka-Shimla track is by the toy train. It takes five hours from Kalka to get to Kandaghat. The toy train with a maximum of half a dozen bogies chugs through the most thickly forested tracks, breathtaking bends, deep ravines and never-ending tunnels.

By Road : Chail is about 86-km from Kalka via Kandaghat. The approach of Chail is along the Kalka-Shimla route. One has to take a detour from Kandaghat. From Kandaghat, it is an hour and a half journey by road to Chail.

Places to Visit

Chail Sanctuary Chail is a hill station visited by many tourists. The Deodar and Oak forests with grasslands around the township are the abode of wildlife. Chail sanctuary was notified on 21st March 1976 near Chail Town in District Shimla and covers an area of 10,854.36 hectares.

Hotel Mansingh Palace The little 'hill station' of Chail came into being when Bhupinder Singh, Maharaja of Patiala was banished from Shimla, the 'summer capital' of British India, after a dalliance with the Commander-in-Chief's daughter in the late 19th century.

Cricket Ground Surrounded by gigantic deodar and well maintained Chail Cricket ground is the highest cricket ground in the world. Built in 1893, this cricket pitch located at the height of 2,144m is also used as polo ground.

Maharaja'S Palace The magnificent Rajgarh palace, with elaborate furnishings, built in 1891. With comfortable log huts and cottages, dense forests and serene walks, sprawling lawns, a childrens park, a `lovers hill', and sports facilities, Chail is a resort in the real sense of the term.

Sidh Baba Ka Mandir Maharaja Bhupinder Singh had originally intended this to be the site of his palace, and had even started building it, but as is believed, a 'sidh', saintly person appeared in the Maharaja's dream, and declared that this was the place where he had meditated. Consequently, Bhupinder Singh shifted his venue and built a temple on the spot.