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Mussorie 
Almost an alternate destination to Dehradun, Mussorie’s woods were first discovered in 1827 by an East India Company officer .He established the beginning of what would be one of India’s most popular hill stations. During the Raj, mussssoorie was a summer retreat go up to 34 kms to a height of 2000 metres.
The highest point in town in Gun Hill which offers a panoramic view of mountains and valley all around .During the Rays days the cannon on the hill will be shot at noon everyday to mark the time .An excellent walk
is the Cannel’s Back road, 3 km of wooded pathways, The Municipal Garden
is the picnic spot .The Child’s lodges has a telescope for viewing the mighty peaks. Take a walk along the Mackenzie Cartway and you where the entire Doon Valley can be seen.
About 25 km. away is the popular Kempti falls. Closer to Mussoorie is Jhansi Pani Falls both the places are beautifully set.
Ranakpur
One of the most important Jain pilgrimage centres, Ranakpur is the site of temples in the quit and picturesque Aravali Hills. The temples here are more than 500 tears old but are in excellent states of preservation. The central temple is called Charmukha (four-faced), and is dedicated to Sri Adinath Bashabhdeo, the first Jain Tirthankara, whose quadruple image is housed in the sanctum .Covering over 40,000 sq.feet of place it has 29 halls and 1,444 pillars, each covered with intricate carvings and no two of them alike.
The temple is built on a high plinth and rises to two or three stories. It has four subsidiary shrines with a total of 80 domes supported by 420 columns. In front of the shrines dedicated to Jain deities-Neminathji and Parshawarnakthji.
Samode
A detour of 42 km from Jaipur is Samode, where there is an enchanting 18th century palace built by Jai Singh II’s finance minister.His descentants have turned this into a quaint hotel .Surrounded by barriors scrubled and crowned by embattlements of an old fort up on a ridges, it has exquisite interiors, fine murals, gilded and painted surfaces, inlaid stones and mirrors as beautiful as the Sheeh Mahel at Amber.
Shimla
General Information
Shimla, now the capital of the state of Himachal Pradesh, came into prominence nearly a century ago as the summer capital of the British Raj .Many of the buildings of Kipling’s day days exist even now .
Shimla is today; a beautiful mountain resort .In summer there is the attraction of excellent walks and treks with the scenic beauty of flowers, wooded ravines and evergreen trees. Golf and fishing are popular sports.
In winter, known as the seasons of “long moon nights” there is snow and winter sports at Kufri and Narkanda. The only naturalice-skating rink in the country is in Shimla and ice-skating carnival is held during the winter.
The usual narrow-gauge rail journey from Kaika to Shimla is a great experience.
What to see
THE MALL:
Shimla’s main form is its crescent shaped Mall lined with English style buildings, shops and a mock-Indoor Gaiett theatre.At the top of the Mall is the Christ Church, a Gothic structure built in 1857 and the second oldest Church in north India .Inside old ask pews, and fascinating plagues commemorate deceased army regiments. Next to the church is Scandal Point, a large open square which got its name 50 years when a dashing young Indian prince eloped with a young British memsahib from this on horseback. Step terraces lead to the Middle and lower Bazaars, which brings with local handicrafts stalls, crafts, and worthy hill people.
Visit the State Museum for good Pahari school miniatures paintings, costumes, textiles, jewellery, wood-carvings, and bronze and stones sculptures. Also see the huge six storied Vice regal manor residence of the Viceroy. Now it houses the Institute for Advanced Studies.
JACKOO HILL:
For the best view of Shimla, make the exceedingly steep climb up to Jackoo hill at 3,438 metres which will take anything from 40 minutes for strapping mountaineers to 2 hours mere mortals. At the top is a little temple dedicated to Hanuman, presided over by its resident ash-smeared priest. In 1874, Shimla’s Victorian society was shocked when Charles de Pusseth became a discipline of the Jackoo Sadhu.
OTHER WALKS
Glen forest is 4 km away and a pretty picnic spot with a waterfall near the Annandale race course and cricket ground, Chadwick Falls, 2 km from
the city, is a 67-metre waterfall .On the Summer Hill is also the elegant
Georgian house of Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, where Mahatma Gandhi stayed during his visit to Shimla.Prospect hill is 5 km and a pleasant walk.
KUFRI & WILD FLOWER HALL
A stone’s throw away is Kufri, a picnic spot which also offers winter skeing.Ot has a Himalayan National Park. Nearby the walled flower Hall was built in 1903 by Lord Kitchener to rival the Viceroy Lodges and today is a peaceful hotel. Fagn a few kilometers away, has a rest home and offers a panoramic view of middle and upper Himalayas. At Naldera, play a game of golf at its mine-hole course.
Excursion
CHAIL
The former summer palace of the Maharaja of Patalia is today run by the state tourism department as an excellent hotel.
KASAULIA
cantonment town as sleepy as it is breath taking .At a slightly lower attitude than Shimla; Kasauli offers excellent forest walk and views of Himalayas. Also seen
SOLAN & BAROG
These two towns will really fall on your way to Shimla, if you are going there by road .Solan has the Mohan Meakins brewery and distillery and the place after which India’s first single malt whisky was distilled by Mohan Meakins-sadly, the whisky is not matured.
NARKANDA
Another winter ski resort, it is also an apple town, with hill after sloping hill, full of apple trees.Shimla, however, is not around the corner as in Kufri.In fact, the town falls on the crest of the main range of South of the Sutlej river. From here you can see the Suikhand Dhar which separates the Sutlej and the Beas rivers.
