September 25, 2010, my first weekend outing during my Autumns internship. I was staying in Panchkula (Haryana). I decided to enjoy the weekend with a trip to the hills. I wanted to go to a hill station that is not crowded. My colleagues suggested that I go to Kasauli. I started early in the morning from Panchkula and went to Chandigarh and took a bus from sector 43 to Dharampur. Took a minibus to Kasauli from Dharampur. The moment I set foot in Kasauli I felt... wow!!!
Kasauli is a small cantonment town in Solan district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is ruled by the Army, so to say which does not allow new constructions, and that is what has saved Kasauli from becoming another concrete jungle.
Kasauli has many outdoor trails where one can experience natural serenity. Some of the better round-trip ones are located off Upper Mall Road and originate near BSNL quarters located within the Indian Army premesis. One such trail leads to Manki Point. I took this route and started walking along the road. One can also go to Manki Point by taking a taxi from bus stand. But if you are a nature lover and love walking I would strongly suggest that u take a walk and enjoy the nature all along the route. Post rains the hill was looking beautiful with greenery all around. I could not resist clicking pics of so many beautiful flowers.
After a wonderful walk for an hour and half I went to Manki point. Legend has it that Kasauli came into being when Lord Hanuman, on his way to getting the Sanjeevani herb, stepped here for jumping on to the Sanjeevani hill. At Kasauli there is a Hanuman temple atop the 300 m high hillock, called Manki Point (locals call it Monkey Point ), where Lord Hanuman is supposed to have rested his foot. This temple lies within the confines of an air force radar station and base and is subject to security restrictions (no cameras or bags allowed). The gates to the station are closed at 4pm. So visitors need to be inside the gate before that. One can reach this point by road or on foot. On foot, it takes nearly an hour and a half from Kasauli town.
After the Manki point I took a cab to the Anglican Church, which is one of the major landmarks of Kasauli. It is a beautiful structure built inspired by gothic architecture. It has gothic arches, spires and beautiful stained glass windows. A grove of chestnut and fir trees surround this 159-year-old structure. Built in the shape of a cross, the church was built by the British families who also laid the foundation of Kasauli town in 1842.
After the wonderful trip I took a minibus to Dharampur and from there a bus to Chandigarh. This bus was crowded and I had to travel standing, for an hour. Finally I reached Panchkula and crashed on my bed for a good night's sleep.
