Kalka- Simla, an Exotic
Rail Journey
“I listened,
motionless and still, and as I mounted up the hill, the music in my heart I
heard, long after it was heard no more,” captivating lines by the iconic poet
William Wordsworth and a fitting description of the wondrous train journey from
Kalka to Simla.
Indian Railways proudly proclaim that it
transports ‘an Australia’ everyday on its wheels, no mean feat! However these
days airlines and roadways have built robust infrastructures and provide product,
price, place and promotion (the 4 Ps of marketing), luring travellers away from
the sedate pace of rail travel. Nevertheless, the narrative to unearth
landscapes as a train motors through the serpentine bends on some steep,
fascinating and enthralling routes in our vast country remains the domain and
bulwark of the Indian Railways. A backpacker uncovers diverse landscapes while
undertaking a rail journey. Steep mountain slopes, narrow valleys, dense
jungles and wide seas are just some of the jewels waiting to be discovered as
one chugs along the rail routes.
The Gen X or Y
perhaps are perhaps unaware of two momentous events which transpired at Simla.
Aeons ago in the summer of 1945, it was at Simla that Lord Wavell, the Viceroy
of India discussed the Cabinet Mission plan with various stake holders who were
at the forefront of India’s struggle. Exactly 27 years later, Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi of India and President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan inked the
Simla pact on 2 July 1972, paving the way to end hostilities between the two
warring and sparring nations. India had earlier vanquished Pakistan in December
1971 in a war that resulted in the creation of the new nation state of
Bangladesh. This Queen of Hills served as the Summer Capital when Indians were
the subjects of the British monarchy and was the seat of the estimable Railway
Board. Today it houses the academy for the probationers of the Indian Audit and
Accounts Service.
A vacationer who
cherishes a journey through picturesque valleys, up steep pathways and through
foggy meadows, would certainly not be disappointed as he or she travels in the
narrow gauge train on the Shivaliks from Kalka to Simla. This stretch from
Kalka to Simla along with the little toy train, a legacy bequeathed by the British,
has been declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.
The train journey
from Kalka to India’s erstwhile summer capital Simla at the crack of dawn
is quintessential rail-travel on the hills of India. The erstwhile quaint town
is today a hustling and bustling tourist spot, located in the north-western
ranges of the Himalayas at an altitude of 2,213m. The toy train weaves its
journey from Kalka, a town in its neighbouring state, Haryana and terminates at
the enchanting Simla.
The Kalka – Simla
rail line is a narrow gauge railway which traverses a distance of 96km. This
96-km long railway track was constructed over 889 short to long bridges and
passes through 102 tunnels in the foothills of the Himalayas; the longest
tunnel is located at Barog.
A Twist in the Tale – Barog Tunnel
On this enchanting trip famished tourists
break journey to savour delicious parathas and fried eggs, cutlets and
piping hot tea or coffee in a restaurant at Barog. There is mystique and
majesty attached to the place. Cool breeze wafts in and one can hear the sounds
of chirping birds and a rivulet as the Sun plays hide and seek.
The Barog Tunnel passes through the fissured
sandstone and has a tragic tale associated with from during its construction.
Colonel Barog, who was supervising the construction of Tunnel No. 33 committed
the cardinal mistake of boring the tunnel from both (opposite) ends of the
mountain, a strategy adopted to expedite construction.
The crew was divided into two halves, and
started the digging and blasting work for the tunnel from the opposite ends.
The Colonel instructed the crew members to bore the tunnel and according to his
calculations both the ends would intersect at the centre. He thereby envisioned
a single tunnel in the amphitheatre of his mind.
The workers kept
on boring from either end, but did not meet even after crossing the centre of
the mountain. After some time, the workers became restless and questioned the
decisions taken by Colonel Barog.
The Colonel too
realized that on account of his miscalculations, the alignment of the tunnels
had gone awry and the two ends of the tunnel did not meet. His miseries were
compounded as the British government decided to levy a hefty fine on the
Colonel for profligacy of public property and wealth. It was a double whammy
for Colonel Barog as the Government took umbrage and the staff became hostile.
In sheer despondency Colonel Barog snuffed his life through the barrel of his
gun.
On this
picturesque path ply several trains including the Kalka-Simla Express,
Himalayan Queen, and Shivalik Queen Express. The journey is enduringly
enchanting at a slow pace as the train ascends the slope rhythmically through
stations such as Dharampur, Solan, Kandaghat, Tara Devi, Barog, Salogra, Totu,
and Summerhill to reach the summer capital. The journey, which snakes its way
through imposing mountains leaves an indelible impression on the minds of the
pilgrim.
Silken and
pristine mountains, breathtaking lakes, salubrious climate, and alluring
greenery –Simla offers on the platter all that a tourist pines for.
The breathtaking
beauty of the city and the places in the vicinity never cease to leave the
traveller spellbound. There is this magical quality in air which endears Simla
to the visitor compelling them to visit time and again.
There are around
eighteen tourist spots which are habitually visited by sightseers. The more
celebrated among them are the Summer Hills, the Indian Institute of Advanced
Studies, Annandale, Jakhoo Hill and Temple, Tara Devi Temple, Chail (the Palace
of Maharaja of Patiala), Gaiety Theatre and the Viceregal Lodge. Summer or
winter, a stroll along Mall Road with a stop by for a hot cup of coffee is a
must do. Come winter and Kufri tops the list of must-visits.
Though tourists
throng the Queen of Hills by road, rail and by air, the journey by rail through
the thick forest cover and clouds floating through the coaches has an old world
charm which leaves an ineffaceable impression on the febrile mind of the
tipper. Thus seize every opportunity to visit Simla by rail for the amazing
magical quality attached with the rail journey.
“Trains are
wonderful.... To travel by train is to see nature and human beings, towns and
churches and rivers, in fact, to see life.”- Agatha Christie
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