Chail
Encyclopedia
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It once served as the summer capital of His Highness Maharaja Adhiraj Bhupinder Singh of Patiala .
Overview
Chail is 49 km from ShimlaShimla
Shimla , formerly known as Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British...
. The Chail Palace is well known for its architecture. The cricket ground and a polo ground which is there at an altitude of 2,444 m was owned by erstwhile royal family of Patiala. The ground has the world's highest cricket ground.
Chail is also considered as the hiker's paradise. The area is away from the bustling life of the state capital Shimla
Shimla
Shimla , formerly known as Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British...
.
In 1891, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala incurred the rage of Lord Kitchener
Henry Kitchener, 2nd Earl Kitchener
Colonel Henry Elliott Chevallier Kitchener, 2nd Earl Kitchener , was a British soldier and peer.-Early life and career:...
. It led to the restriction of his entry into the summer capital, Shimla. This incensed the Maharaja and he vowed to build a new summer capital for himself. So he rebuilt the place (Chail) as per his requirements.
After accession to the Indian Union, Maharaja of Patiala
Maharaja of Patiala
The Maharaja of Patiala was a maharaja in India and the ruler of the princely state of Patiala in Punjab. The first Maharaja of Patiala was Baba Ala Singh , who was granted the title by Ahmed Shah Abdali of Afghanistan in 1764....
donated most of his buildings to Chail Military School and Government of India
Geography
Chail is situated at an altitude of - 2,250 m, higher than Shimla. The place is surrounded by the forests of chir pinePine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
and gigantic deodars. Shimla and Kasauli can also be viewed at night from here by overlooking Satluj river. Chail
Chail
Chail is a hill station in Himachal Pradesh, India. It once served as the summer capital of His Highness Maharaja Adhiraj Bhupinder Singh of Patiala .-Overview:...
is pleasant in summers and cold in winter. Average annual rainfall is about 150 mm.
Attractions
- Chail SanctuaryChail SanctuaryChail Sanctuary is located at Chail, a hill station which is abode of wildlife. One can see Sambar, Goral and Cheer Pheasants at Blossom and Jhaja. Barking deer and Kalijin are seen during dusk and dawn. The best time to visit is from March to October....
, SadhupulSadhupulSadhupul is a small village in Himachal Pradesh between Solan and Chail based around a small bridge constructed over the hill river "Ashwini"....
(3 km)- The sanctuary was notified on 21 March 1976 near the town in district Shimla and covers an area of about 10,854.36 hectareHectareThe hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s. The Chail sanctuary has 'ghoral', 'kakkar', 'sambhar', 'red jungle fowl' and 'khalij' and 'cheer' pheasants. Machan like sighting posts have been built at Khuruin.
- CricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
Ground- Surrounded by thick forests of deodar, a well maintained Chail Cricket ground is the highest cricket ground in the world. It was built in 1893. This ground located at an altitude of 2,444 m. It is used as the school playground by Chail Military School. During school vacations it is also used as polo ground. There is a well maintained Basket Ball court and the same cricket ground is used for playing football as the ground also has goal posts.In one corner of the ground there is a historic tree on which the Military School has constructed a beautiful tree house. - Chail Military SchoolChail Military SchoolChail Military School is a residential school in Himachal Pradesh, India, established after the First World War in 1922 with a donation of 250,000 from King George V’s patriotic fund. The foundation stone of the school was laid by King George V in February 1922...
, situated in ancient buildings made by Maharaja of Patiala.
Access
Chail is connected by road. From Shimla via Kufri the distance is 45 km and via Kandaghat is 49 km. Kalka is 86 km away. Regular buses for Chail leave from Shimla, Chandigarh and Delhi. The closest airports are at Chandigarh (120 km) and Shimla (63 km).- AirwayAirwayThe pulmonary airway comprises those parts of the respiratory system through which air flows, conceptually beginning at the nose and mouth, and terminating in the alveoli...
s- Jubbarhati airport in Shimla. - Railways- Kalka-Shimla railways.
- Roadways- Chail has well connectivity by road.