Kalka - Shimla Railway - World Heritage Site

Kalka -Shimla Railway - World Heritage Site

Hi ! Today's Post is a very specific Post from Shimla - The Queen of Hills. I am really proud to write about the beautiful toy train which is run between Kalka and Shimla and has been declared as the World Heritage Site by UNESCO on 10 July 2008. This train is one of the biggest attractions for tourists visiting Shimla. It covers 102 tunnels (Originally the route had 103 tunnels) on way to Kalka- Shimla in about 5 and half hours. This distance can be covered by taxi in less than 3 hours. But the long journey in train gives a very romantic and pleasing experience going up and down through steep hills. The picturesque view from the train gives visitors a lifetime pleasing experience. One can easily see there the Deodar belt of trees is gradually replaced by Pine trees as we go down from Shimla to Kalka. The typical beautiful small railway stations have their own beauty with a small tea shop with few snacks. These are always ready to charm you with a hot cup of tea. These stations are never crowded like the other railway stations . You can see only two or three persons moving about and sometimes there is none. At night they give a deserted look. The design of these stations is of a typical hill architecture with sloping tin roof which is very special and attrctive. The train slowly moves that you can catch it while running. When you visit Shimla never miss this beautiful train. It is attraction for people of every age group. I have travelled several times in this train and it is always a new and lovely experience. Here is the special cover released to make it more special issued on 9 th November by Himachal Pradesh Postal Circle. In our regular series some beautiful se-tenant FDCs from the collection of Mr. Shrikant Parikh. This is all for today...Till next Post.......Have a Fantastic Time !.......

Special Cover released by H.P. Postal Circle on 9 November 2008

Kalka Shimla Railway Track

The 105-year-old railway line that meanders through the hills between Kalka and Shimla, covering 102 tunnels and 800 bridges, was officially declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on 10 July 2008.Minister of State for Railways R. Velu unveiled the inscription plaque of the Kalka-Shimla Railway as a World Heritage Site at the Kalka railway station ( around 25 km from Chandigarh) on November 9, 2008,. The Kalka-Shimla railway line was built in 1898 during British rule to connect the then summer capital of India, Shimla, with other parts of the country. The two-feet-six-inches narrow gauge railway line that covers a distance of 96 km was officially opened for traffic Nov 9, 1903. Although the world has entered the computer age, the ancient communication and track control system, called Neals Token Instrument System, is still in use on the Kalka-Shimla route. “There is a unique exchange of tokens at all stations on the route to get the line clearance. This old system exists nowhere else in our country.The rail line is the fourth in the country to get this status. Kalka is the last town in Haryana’s Panchkula district on the state’s border with Himachal Pradesh.

The journey that starts from Kalka at 656 meters above the sea level finishes at Shimla at an altitude of 2,076 meters above the sea level. The line offers a panoramic view of the hills.“There are over 20 railway stations on this 96 km stretch. The journey covers prominent tourist spots like Dharampur, Solan, Kandaghat, Taradevi, Barog, Salogra and Summerhill. The train runs through 102 tunnels and crosses over 800 bridges on the journey. There are over 900 curves on the way, the sharpest being a 48 degree one.

There are also ghost tales associated with these tunnels. A popular lore is of the engineer who built the tunnel at Barog town. He is said to have committed suicide after committing an error while drafting its design. “Many passengers have claimed to have seen the ghost of the engineer sitting near the railway track. This is the longest tunnel on this route - it is around one-and-a-half kilometres.Five trains depart daily for Shimla from Kalka at 4 a.m., 5.30 a.m., 6 a.m., 8.30 a.m. and 12.10 p.m. — and five trains arrive here from Shimla. The ticket rates vary from Rs.19 to Rs280.

A Journey to Indian Stamps - FDCs of se-tenant stamps

From Collection of Shrikant Parikh

Mangroves of India - Strip from M/S -30 October 2002

Handicrafts of India - 15 November 2002

A.Mukherjee + M.Hazra - 17 December 2002