There are some summers that demand sumptuous rest. And since Himachal, especially after the amazing Keylong Kaza Kalpa trip, had become a bit of an obsession, we found ourselves consulting Mr Mali (Mali-da for us) at the local HPTDC office. Mali-da is a man of exceptional powers of reception. He understands exactly what you are and what you need, and never pushes undue destinations. We know some agents who would send you to places just because they get more commission or have partner hotels/homestays there, and will discourage other places just because they have no access. The latter is much more objectionable. These agents have ruined trips, and have wasted the most valuable thing in our lives – time. But Mali-da we trust. He was the one who pointed us towards Chindi and Chail. Chail was a familiar name, but Chindi wasn’t. However, we could not go that summer, but we did not forego the plan either. The moment life gave us a chance, we took it, even though this was winter. And when the seemingly inhabitation-free bend on the road lead to the signboard and the dense foliage revealed the buildings we knew we were at the right place.

The HPTDC Tourist Rest House is located a few metres above the road. At least the restaurant and office are; the rooms are in the building that requires climbing another set of stairs. Even though Chindi is not that high up on the mountains (elevation 6404 ft), still all those stairs do not exactly inspire respiration of the normal kind. But the rooms are rewarding, with lovely views of the lush valley. Our suite (in the video my over-zealous autocorrect called it a suit, proving how non-existent my proof-reading skills are) was exquisite. It did seem a tad shabby, but that was due to the idea that this whole space should merge with the trees that were no less than abundant, and too much brightness would be far too jarring. We had come directly from Solang, which even at the loneliest times is as crowded as Shimla, and Chindi was the polar opposite. This was December, there were only one set of boarders except us, and the cold was a few degrees less than freezing. Solang was colder, but the hotel room was one of the best (not like Kalpa though). This suite was not as shielded against the cold, but it had the old-world charm.

HPTDC Tourist Rest House in Chindi is called The Mamleshwar, after the ancient Mamleshwar Mahadev temple. The temple is a few kilometres away in Mamel Village, in the lovely Karsog Valley. It is another amazing temple built in the Tibetan-Himachali style and it is said to be associated with the sage Bhrigu and the Pandavas. The wooden balcony and the atypical Garva-griha, or the inner sanctum, and the idol itlsef, are truly wonderful. The young priest was friendly and explained everything quickly and gave both J and me decent amounts of prasad. 

From the Mamleshwar temple we drove towards the Kamakhya Mata temple deep in the valley, in a village called Kao. This temple is quite interesting as it has this unique shape and seemed to have a very special connotation for the locals. There are supposedly only three Kamakhya temples in India, one in Assam (the most famous of the three), the second one in Kanchipuram; and the one in Kao being the lesser known. There are several statues that are claimed to be from the time of the Pandavas, and some claim that there is also an association with Parashurama.

The only drawback was the absence of a decent eatery, which is quite surprising when we are dealing with such religious spaces.

If you are driving from Manali, then do visit the Pangna Fort on the way. It isn’t exactly Mehrangarh, but it is built in the typical Himachali style and it reminded us Gondhla Fort which you can find on the way to Keylong from Manali. Pangna fort was built around 1211 AD by King Vir Sen of Suket Dynasty.

The wonderful Chindi Mata temple, with magnificent view of the Himalayas (which we missed as clouds played spoilsport) was just next to the TRH. We had decided quite intentionally to visit it last. By then we had had lunch in one of the typical hillside dhabas, and we had time. Dedicated to goddess Chandi, this temple has its own myth. The goddess came to these regions as a young girl and after being accepted, and then was attacked by enemies she promptly vanquished, and afterwards she found a home in Chindi. Although the temple wasn’t open, it still gave us a sense of peace which is quite often missing around temples of high renown.

I had shared a reel on Instagram. If you so wish, you can take a look here.

Sitting on the small lawn of The Mamleshwar, drinking coffee with some pakora, lazily looking at the sunlight losing it’s lustre, is a feeling rarely parallelled. Afternoons turn into evening slowly in Chindi.

Chail is very different. A 5 hour drive takes you to Chail from Chindi. When we had first planned the Chindi-Chail trip, it was a time in which a global pandemic was unthinkable and we had a full family. But within 15 days of booking – Covid happened. Even when we planned the second time, we had no idea that Chail Palace shared any link with idiots of any number. 3 Idiots was partially filmed in this palace (a trivia that had zero significance to us). What we did not know was many more idiots visit the palace on a regular basis. The first floor of the palace is off limits to day visitors as this was an area for guests who were staying. But not many can read, or understand, simple instructions and we had a rather unwelcome experience with these too inquisitive tourists pushing our door open and peeking in! A rare outburst from yours truly got them scampering away. The general lack of propriety and basic civility in some of our fellow countrymen never cease to amaze me. The fact that they had the same mother-tongue as us, was not really a comfort.

Chail Palace has an interesting vibe and an interesting history, which you get to appreciate only if you stay. The Maharaja of Patiala fell out with the British (apparently something of a romantic nature with a white lady had occurred) and was banned from Shimla. He decided to build a Palace of his own nearby, with his own cricket ground. And this Palace came into being in 1891. A day tour hardly gives you even glimpses. You need to have the fantastic Euro-Indian breakfast in the huge dining hall which lets sunlight seep through the French windows; you need to walk around the grounds; you need to invest time to admire the furniture and paintings and all the other royal knick-knacks; and you need to enjoy a soothing drink at the Palace Bar. None of these can be done in a two hour visit.

From Chail you may visit the Kali Ka Tibba that gives you amazing views of the valleys all around and a brilliant horizon.

Then there is the Kumbh Shiva temple which seems more like a game park than a temple (video here). Apparently this temple was created out of locally collected stones. The statue is as unique as the temple itself.

The rest of the day is yours and you can explore the Palace grounds as much as you can (you can have a virtual tour here). The picturesque Café is worth spending some moments in, but don’t fill yourself too much.

The Palace restaurant is quite good and serves good Mughlai food. Experience everything. Ours was the Wazir Room (probably the cheapest). The Dewan and other rooms (such as the Maharaja and Maharani) are more spacious and truly royal. Just one advice, try to get a room on the first floor. The floors beneath the reception area seemed damp. Otherwise, the Palace won’t disappoint you.

The Chindi-Chail trip for us was meant to be one of relaxation, and we enjoyed a laid back vacation here. If you are looking for adventure-filled experiences, then Manali-Solang or Barot-Bir would be more to your liking, this would certainly not be your cup of tea.

Relevant information

Chindi is 93 km from from Shimla, 168 km from Chandigarh

Chail is 45 km from from Shimla, 107 km from Chandigarh

In Chindi, it is best to stay at the HPTDC. Not many good options in the villages of Karsog Valley

Chail has several hotels, but Chail Palace, run by HPTDC, is the best

Located in Himachal Pradesh

Since HPTDC has limited accommodation, it is best to book early

Summer is the peak season

Famous for religious and historical monuments

Decent public transport – but convenient to have own / shared vehicle pre-arranged

Nearest airport – Shimla / Chandigarh

Nearest railhead – Shimla / Chandigarh

Earlier Posts:

1. Old Lucknow 2. Colonial Lucknow 3. Going Downhill – Versey to Dentam 4. Going to Garhwal 5. The Walkers 6. Palamau 7. Rishikesh 8. Kolkata Kolkata 9. The Roar of the Clouds – Santiniketan 10. Of Pests and Men – Uttarey 11. Where Hikers Fear to Tread – Rudranath 12. Old Times 13. History in Ruins – Pushpagiri 14. Once There was a Heaven 15. Serenity 16. Pilgrim’s Progress – Kedarnath 17. Unfinished – Gaumukh 18. Ghatshila 19. Nothing Important 20. Manu’s Alaya – Manali 21. Santiniketan 22. Little Lhasa – Dharamshala 23. From Varuna to Assi – Varanasi 24. Tunganath 25. Transitory Blues 26. Gurudongmar 27. The Beginning 28. Yumesamdong 29. Bangali in Bangkok 30. Mukutmanipur 31. Rasvanti 32. The Old Town and the Sea 33. Budapest 34. The Last Post of 2019 35. Travel Travails 36. Cluj-Napoça 37. Presenting the Past 38. Far From the Urban Crowd 39. Silent Night Sleepless Night 40. Norwich 41. Photo Essay – The Road 42. Photo Story – The Days of the Goddess 43. Badrinath 44. Monumental Mistakes 45. Odyssey Now 46. To the Mountains 47. Keylong 48. Where Moon River is Born 49. Kaza 50. Through the Valley of Spiti 51. Kalpa 52. Sarahan 53. Un-happy Journey (Meghalaya) 54. Shimla 55. Bhalukpong 56. Rissia Nature Camp – Kuldiha Forest 57. Arunachal Diaries – Dirang 58. Arunachal Diaries – Sela to Jong 59. Quest for Quietness – Barot