Shimla is a beautiful hill station situated in the north-west Himalayas and is the capital of Himachal Pradesh. Located at an altitude of 2213 meters, this beautiful country side is surrounded by pine and deodar forests and is flocked by visitors during summers as the temperature there is pleasant. It is well connected by road with Kalka, Chandigarh, Delhi etc. It is advisable to take the train route from Kalka to Shimla especially to view the scenic beauty of the hill station. However, the shortest route to reach Shimla from Delhi is to take a flight from Delhi to Kullu and then to drive down to Shimla from Kullu. The main shopping centre of Shimla is The Mall and most tourists prefer to take a stroll and to enjoy the breath taking beauty of this place. The two main meeting points in The Mall is the Ridge and Scandal point. The second oldest church in Northern India is the Christ Church which is situated in the Ridge. Most people visit Jakhu Hill, the highest peak in Shimla to get a picturesque view of the hill station. It is 02 kms from Shimla and is situated at a height of 8000 feet. The Shimla State museum exhibits the cultural wealth of the state. One will find a lot of collection related to art, aarchaeology and cultural anthropology of the various states of Himachal Pradesh. Summer Hill is a lovely township situated at a distance of 5kms from the Ridge. There are a lot of beautiful places around Shimla which one must not miss. Mashobra (13kms from Shimla) has several picnic spots and is a perfect place to enjoy. 11kms from Shimla is the Tara Devi temple dedicated to the Goddess of Stars. It is atop a hill and is at an altitude of 6070 feet. Sankat Mochan is a very popular Hanuman Temple. People can get an excellent view of the hill station from here.