Trip to Kasauli

Distance : 77km from Shimla

Kasauli is a good detour between Shimla and Kalka, and is often called lesser Shimla. It is the first hill station you see as you approach the Shimla hills on the toy train and is easily recognized by its huge TV tower. This pretty hill resort is a picture of tranquility, soaked in the charm of chir pines, firs, rhododendrons, oaks and willows, ideal for a travel trip in Kasauli. Kasauli is marked by roads and old-fashioned bungalows in secluded gardens which have been with the same family for years.


¤ Formation of The Town

It is said that Kasauli is a corruption of the word Kasool. The British, of course, gave it their own spelling – Kusowlie. Kasauli was a village that came under the erstwhile Bejja princely state but when the British fell in love with it, they paid the local Rana Rs 5,000 and took it away. It was first set 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, they felt that Kusowlie was too pretty to remain a garrison so they happily developed it as a hill resort.


¤ A Summer Town of Europeans

Although not as big an attraction as Shimla, Kasauli had its population of British visitors in summer. But some kind of an unwritten law kept the Indians at an arm’s length from the gora sahibs (white Europeans). The Upper Mall where the best bungalows stood was out of bounds for Indians. The Kasauli Club did not admit Indians either. The only contact with the while rulers took place in the bazaar when memsahibs (term used for the English women) went shopping.

But things began to change during the World War II. The sahibs went off to war leaving their memsahibs, babalog (the children), ayahs (the children’s nurses), khansamas (cooks) and bearers 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 trails off suggestively, "Greetings were exchanged, followed by invitations to tiffin…"

Although the British departed decades ago, they left some ghosts behind. It is believed that a sergeant who was shot dead for insulting his officer can be seen walking along the Lower Mall in full uniform on moonlight nights!
A number of Tibetan stalls in the little bazaar offer bargain woollens of the best quality, do check them out. For gastronomic pleasure of the Kasauli kind, try chicken salami at Daily Needs and pies at Hotel Alasia.


¤ Flora & Fauna

Kasauli is truly a nature lover’s delight. Wild blooms spring up everywhere between April to June. The landscape, then, is a riot of wild roses, rhododendrons, coral tree, flame of the forest, kachnar and kashmal.
During the monsoon, wild cacti bloom. The two most spectacular cacti are the Raambaan (Yucca gloriosa) with its ivory bell-shaped flowers and the Century with its bright golden-yellow blossoms.
Multi-coloured cosmos dot the hillsides in autumn while the light-pink gorse is forever in bloom.
A cute English saying goes like this: ‘Kissing is not in season when the gorse is not in bloom’. So like the gorse in Kasauli, kissing is always in season.

Bird lovers will have lot more on their Kasauli trip. Expected to be woken up by the trill of blackbirds and enjoy the cries of white-necked bulbuls, mynahs and hill-crows.
Flocks of scarlet minivets flit between tall pines and koels and Himalayan magpies with long curved tails can easily be spotted on warm afternoons. After the sun goes over the western hill, a deep shadow envelops the town and the blackbirds bid you goodnight.


¤ Places of Interest

Christ’s Church
The Christ’s Church is an attractive remnant of the Raj. It is a typical Anglican church with bewitching spires, Gothic arches and buttresses.
Dedicated to St. Barnabas and St. Francis, the church has some fine stained glass windows with delicately carved borders, a sundial and lovely brass memorials. The grey stone church set amongst verdant green makes a very pretty picture.

The Malls
The Upper and Lower Malls are the two main roads which run along the length of Kasauli.
These are bordered by chir pine, horse chestnuts, Himalayan oak and the odd juniper. The Lower Mall has rows of hotels and restaurants. While entering the Upper Mall you’ll see a signboard, ‘No vehicles please’.
Thanks to this, the ambience of the place is still intact, and the generous sprinkling of foliage seems evergreen. The Malls are also not as crowded as in Shimla, which is where lies the charm of Kasauli.

Monkey Point
Monkey Point is a 4km walk trip from the town and offers some excellent views. It is the highest point in Kasauli and chockful with mischievous monkeys.
But that’s not the reason why its called Monkey Point. It gets its name from the steep cliff that only monkeys can negotiate.

There’s a strange rock formation here which the sahibs dubbed Tapp’s Nose because it looked like the long Romanesque snout of a worthy English squire! The area comes under the jurisdiction of the Indian Airforce, so you’ll need their permission to get to Monkey Point.

More ghosts here. Two Irish sisters, while descending this peak on horseback, fell to death. They were buried at the base of the hill and cypress trees were planted around their grave. Soon it became the town’s favourite picnic spot but few dared to visit it at night when, it is believed, the girls emerged from their graves to play tennis!

On a clear night, the lights of Chandigarh are visible from Monkey Point. Incidentally, this proximity to Chandigarh – it’s only a couple of hours away – is also the most serious threat to the serenity of this town. Kasauli is becoming the favourite weekend haunt of party animals who litter the hill sides with cartons, smashed beer bottles, and cigarette butts.

¤ Other Attractions

The surrounding hills of Kasauli are a veritable feast for the eyes. Some well-known Hindi writers like Mohan Rakesh, Nirmal Verma, Upendra Natha Ashaq and Gulshan Nanda have penned their best works in Kasauli.
The well-known journalist Khushwant Singh has a house here called Raj Villa. The new arts centre that has been set up at Ivy College by Vivan Sundaram, one of India’s leading artists and nephew of the legendary Amrita Sher-Gil, organizes occasional seminars and exhibitions.
The centre of social life in Kasauli, however, remains the Kasauli Club; a sprawling English building more than 100 years old.

Even at the peak of summer, Kasauli is never crowded. The only time to avoid, taking a trip to Kasauli is during the first four days of October when it is overrun by proud parents attending Founder’s Day at the nearby Lawrence School in Sanawar. Sanawar, 4km away, provides for a lovely walk.


¤ Facilities

Transport
The closest railway station is at Dharampur. Catch a bus or hire a cab to cover the 15km to Kasauli.

¤ Accommodations

Roscommon (Himachal Tourism)
Alasia Hotel
Anchal Guest House
Mahamaya Palace