Of snow and ice... and cricket!
... an unusual hill town of Himachal Pradesh
Amrapali Singh
 It is the cruelest thing to do -- to talk of winter and ice and snow, while the sun scorches the atmosphere and rivulets of sweat trickle down your back. But I can never think of Chail without thinking of snow, though I am told that it is equally beautiful in the summer.
We went to Chail in January -- when Shimla and its surrounding areas were reeling under a record snowfall. The quiet and peace of this little town, located in a forest surrounding and shadowed by snowy peaks, were an undeniable attraction. We were sure our vacation would not be interrupted by unruly troublemakers interested only in creating noise and litter.
 The peace of Chail -- with its negligible population, by Indian standards, of 20,000 -- exceeded our expectations!
It has a quaint history that goes back to Shimla... to the time when the city was the summer capital of the British. There is a location in Shimla called Scandal Point, situated at the juncture where the town's main road bifurcates into the famous Mall and the Ridge. Today, this point is dominated by Lala Lajpatrai's statue. But history has it that this was the spot from where the colourful Maharaja of Patiala, Bhupinder Singh, eloped with the beautiful daughter of some big-shot British officer. The furious Brits expelled him from the hill resort.
Not to be cowed down, Singh decided to create his own summer capital. And the little village of Chail was a perfect location. Surrounded by magnificent, towering deodhar forests, Chail at 2,250 metres was higher than British-administered Shimla and could easily be seen from the hill station. That was exactly what Singh wanted.
 The cricket-crazy Maharaja even created the world's highest cricket and polo ground in 1893, by levelling the top of an adjoining hill. This field, at 2,444 metres above sea level, is the world's highest cricket and polo ground. Located about three kilometres from the town, the place was cock-a-snook at the Brits. Unfortunately, Singh's architectural marvels -- his majestic wooden palace complexes -- have been destroyed by frequent fires. In their place stand stone structures, similar to the ones that were built by the British in Shimla.
But the main grey stone palace, the Rajgarh palace, built in 1891, still retains its former glory. Bought by the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Corporation in 1972 and refashioned into a palace hotel, it is a must see, even for those who cannot afford its five star rates. Its spectacular views, and the 75 acre regal setting of the palace is a breathtaking phenomenon. The palace still retains its exotic furnishings and is surrounded by log cottages, rolling lawns, a kiddie park, and the cool, aloof deodhar forests
 One miserable, chilly, wet afternoon, we decided we needed a pep up and lunched at the palace hotel. Boy! Were we treated like royals! A special table was arranged for us in front of the fireplace, with an obliging attendant stoking the flame into a glorious blaze. And the food -- my mouth still waters at the memory!
 Getting to Chail is another experience worth cherishing. There are two routes to Chail -- either through Kandaghat (61 km) or via Shimla and Kufri ( 45 km). Though the former is a straight, smooth route and the easiest way to get to Chail, it's the latter which is my favourite.
We hired a taxi from Shimla and, believe me, every penny was well spent. Once you cross Kufri -- a beautiful halt if you feel like refreshments -- the view is breathtaking. Every curve of the serpentine road surprised you with the sheerest dips and the steepest highs.
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