Kasauli cantonment was established by the Britishers in the year 1842 as hill station for its officers. Kasauli is located in the Solan district of Himachal Pradesh.
This sleepy little town is at an an elevation of 1,900 metres above sea level.
Kasauli has a pleasant climate throughout the year. In Winter temperature drops down to 5 degrees Celsius, with Summer temperatures rarely touching 34 degrees Celsius or more. One can get a break from the biting heat or the severe winter conditions in the plains.
SUMMERS MAXIMUM 30 & MINIMUM 18 Degree Celsius.
WINTERS MAXIMUM 15 & MINIMUM 0 Degree Celsius .
Monsoon is an ideal season to enjoy the low flying clouds.
Kasauli is known for its pleasant climate conditions. It’s being easily approachable from the plains makes it an ideal getaway for the tourists. It isn’t heavily crowded by the tourists so one can enjoy clean pollution free air .
DECEMBER TO MARCH : One must carry heavy woolens as the weather can change any moment.
APRIL TO JULY : One must carry light jacket or a shawl and t-shirts.
JULY TO SEPTEMBER: An umbrella is a must as it’s rainy season. Light jacket and shawl would be recommended.
PLACES TO VISIT IN KASAULI
MONKEY POINT
Monkey Point is the highest point of the town of Kasauli equivalent to shimla and is among the the attractions in kasauli and is very popular paces to visit in kasauli. From here one can get a complete panoramic view of the plains of Chandigarh region and the river kaushalya flowing through the valleys. One can also spot a snow covered peak of chur dhar which is the highest peak of the surrounding region. A temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman, is also situated at the Monkey Point. Lord Hanuman set his foot on this peak while returning from Himalayas with Sanjeevani booti. The top of hill is in a foot shape and the temple is said to be engraved with footmarks of the Hanuman.
Monkey point
SUNSET POINT
located on the upper mall is the sunset point. This area is popular among the tourists and one can enjoy the sunset and a quiet nature walk among amazing scenery. It offers a bird eye view of the plains.
GILBERT TRAIL
A little ahead of the sunset point is the gilbert trail.One can enjoy long walks admits the pine trees and capture some breathtaking sceneries.
gilbert trail
THE HERITAGE MARKET
One can enjoy a walk down the cobbled pathway into the heritage market. One can get many eating options here. You must try the famous bun samosas of kasauli at the local tannu halwais shop.
heritage market
SHARMA PHOTO STUDIO
You can visit the Sharma photo studio situated in the jakki mull building. One gets to see some rare photographs of prominent personalities.
CHURCH OF ENGLAND
Adjoining to the Sharma photo studio is the church of England. It was set up as a retreat for the British army men and their families. It was previously known as the Anglican church.
KASAULI CLUB
It was established in 1880 by the civilans and service personnel as the kasauli reading and assembly room. It gained its present name in 1898 when a limited company was established. There is a dress code to be followed by the members.
LATEST ON KASAULI
Helicopter Service Helicopter service to start in Kasauli. Pawan Hans is to launch service on this route. This would make it easier for tourist to reach kasauli more easily. operations at Kasauli, The fare would be between Rs 2,480 andRs 2,880.The new routes are Kasauli-Shimla-Kasauli, Manali-Kullu, Mandi-Dharamsala, Mandi-Kullu, Mandi-Shimla-Mandi, Nathpa Jhakri-Rampur-Nathpa Jhakri and Rampur-Shimla-Rampur
Pawan Hans would connect seven new routes in Himachal Pradesh through helicopters under the regional air-connectivity scheme Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik
This would not only boost tourism in the kasauli, but also provide business opportunities for the underserved helipads.
A toy train ride gives you the most scenic splendour in Kasauli. The toy train is one of the three such trains still functioning , the other two in ooty and darjeeling . It is said a local holy man guided the british surveyers where to lay the rail track.You can travel by taxi to Dharampur bus stand below which is the Dharampur railway station true for you through the dense pine forests and tunnels and the heritage Barog tunnel.
Plan your trip in such a way that you can catch the down train from Shimla at Barog station. The ride can be dream come true. You can board the local toy train up to barog station. Here you can deboard the the train. After taking a walk around the Heritage Barog station and the tunnel you can board the down train upto Dharampur station. If you wish to trek upto the Barog bus stand and catch a local bus to kasauli, this could be another option. This can be a nice way to enjoy your holiday in kasauli.
The Kalka–Shimla Railway is a narrow gauge railway mostly through mountainous route from Kalka to Shimla. It is known for dramatic views of the hills and surrounding villages. The Kalka–Shimla Railway was built in 1898. to connect Shimla, the summer capital of India during the British Raj, with the rest of the Indian rail system. At the time of construction 107 tunnels and 864 bridges, were built throughout the course of the track. The Chief Engineer of the project was H.S. Herlington.
The locomotives used during the earlier period were manufactured by Sharp, Stewart and Company, and larger locomotives were introduced which were manufactured by Hunslet Engine Company. The diesel and diesel-hydraulic locomotives were started operation in 1955 and 1970 respectively.
The railway was declared a heritage by the Himachal Pradesh government in 2007, and in 2008 it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site alongwith the other Mountain Railways of India. When you are in kasauli you must not miss the toy train ride. One can take a taxi from kasauli to dharampur .
Toy train
From dharampur one can board the toy train upto barog station. It is a one hour ride through the pine forest and long tunnels.It can be a lifetime experience. One can get down at barog station and trek to the main road which is 0.4 kms from the station. From the main road one can board a bus or taxi back to kasauli.
The 94.5 Kalka-Shimla rail track has 102 operational tunnels on the route. This track, was functional on November 9, 1903, and is a masterpiece of the engineers who dared to bore a number of 107 tunnels and also a lesson to learn for us that how a railway line could be laid through a mountainous terrain without harming the trees and beauty of the hills. The two of the longest tunnels on this track are at Barog and Tara Devi.
The tunnels once again were renumbered in 1930 and from 107, their number was reduced to 103, and this was further came down to 102 when tunnel no. 46 near the Solan Brewery had to be demolished. All the tunnels were built between 1900 and 1903. The longest tunnel on this track is the Barog tunnel (no 33). It is named after Barog, a British railway engineer.
112 YEAR OLD STEAM ENGINE RUNS ON THE KALKA SHIMLA RAIL TRACK
Today on Tuesdat 13 March 2018 at 9:33 AM IST Steam locomotive engine was witnessd running on the kalka shimla rail track. As a part of Glorious Trains of india tour , visitors from england took a ride in this steam engine train from shimla to kaithlighat. There were three crew members to run this engine. The driver started the engine, then the first fireman put the coal in the cabin and slowly the steam engine moved forward.
As a passenger of this ride Stephen Gad, Haslon John and Clair shappy are retired officers said that their ancesstors also had travelled by this steam engine.
They were here to cherish the old memories of their parents.
CLEANLINESS DRIVE ON THE KALKA SHIMLA RAIL TRACK ON 12 MAY 2018
Did you know that Old Monk was the brand leader till 2002, not only rum but the entire spirit business in India.Till date Old Monk is one of the top selling rums in India. A smooth dark coloured rum with a hint of vanilla, it has an alcohol content of 42%. Loved world wide, the Old Monk had been awarded a gold medal at Monde World Selections since 1982.
With the first drop of Old Monk Rum, stirs up the age old legend. Old Monk Rum is a form of the legendary ‘Som ras’ of India’s centuries old scriptures-The Drink of Gods and Lords of India.
About the distillery
Situated in a picturesque location of snow covered mountains with fresh spring water made Edward Dyer Father of Col dyer responsible for the Jaillian wala bagh masacre) to set up the first brewery in kasauli. This later came to be known as Dyer Breweries in the year 1820s. Kasauli Brewery is supposed to be the world’s highest distillery the Himalayas and happens to be the first distillery for Scotch Wiskey in Asia. The entire equipment for the unit was imported from England and Scotland and still being used in the distillery . Since fresh spring water was available in Kussowlie so Edward decided to set up his unit here. Primary reason for setting up the Brewrey unit was the climatic condition similar to scotland and a market sponsored by the British and civilians and the nearby consumer market. In the begining India Pale Ale and malt whisky were the first brands of the distillery. With the increase in population and lack of spring water supply the brewery to be shifted to Solan.
The main whisky brand was single malt SOLAN NUMBER 1 which was named after the Solan town. Solan No.1 was considered to be one of he top brands and the best selling whiskies in India but has declined due to the upcoming brands and competitors.
The Kasauli brewery launched Asia’s first beer, Lion, which was very poplar amongst the British rulers and troops stationed in the hot climate of India. The Kasauli brewery site was converted to a distillery, which is still operatational. later H G Meakin, moved to India and bought the Solan Breweries from Edward Dyer .
The wine barrels are stored in a cold storage in order to keep the temperature . Wine barrels are wrapped in gunny bags and constantly sprayed with water sprinklers.
Later Colonel V.R. Mohan took over as Managing Director. Later the manufacturing activities of the company were diversified into other fields including breakfast cereals, fruit juices and mineral water under the leadership of Brigadier (Dr.) Kapil Mohan . Subsequently the word brewery was dropped from the company name .
Today, Mohan Meakin’s principal brands are Old Monk Rum and Golden Eagle Beer. Its other products include Diplomat Deluxe, Colonel’s Special, Black Knight, Meakin 10,000 and Solan No 1 whiskies, Asia’s original beer, Lion, is still sold in northern India.
