Places to visit in Chail

Chail is known for its natural beauty but the landmarks associated with the town are the Rastriya Military School and the Chail Palace. No trip to the hill station will be complete without visiting these two landmarks of Chail. What makes these two destinations fascinating is the rich history which can be traced back to the history of Chail.

The residential school is one of the five Rastriya Military Schools in India, which was established in 1922 after World War I. Also known as King George Royal Indian Military College, the school seems like a sanctuary amidst the green forest. The school grounds also houses a cricket ground which is the world’s highest cricket ground at an altitude of 2144 meters above sea level. This ground is is used as the school playground by Rastriya Military School in Chail. During school vacations it is also used as polo ground. Football is also played in the ground. While visiting the school, check the tree which stands tall in the school ground.

Approximately 29 kilometres away, this is a small town located in the Solan district of the state. Like Chail, Kandghat is a picturesque town rich in natural splendours. 

Though there are no parks in the region, what comes closest to this category is the Rastriya Military School which has well-manicured gardens and lawns.

Sidh Baba kaMandir is one of the most famous religious landmarks in Chail. This mandir is located on the hill connecting Rajgarh and Pandhawa. Found from the legends is that Maharaja Bhupinder Singh had initiated the construction of a palace at the site butthe construction could not be completed. After a few failed attempts, he dreamt of a saint who instructed him to construct a temple instead of the palace. He listened and built the temple dedicated to the saint - Sidh Baba. The fascinating legends and the history make it a great attraction in Chail. Not only tourists, devotees throng the temple on a yearly basis especially during the temple fair in the month of June. 

The Sikh temple was built in 1907 and is commonly known as the GurudwaracSaheb. It was constructed by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala but after Punjab’s partition the Gurudwara came under the jurisdiction of the Himachal Pradesh government and since then the affairs of the temple is looked after by the Department of Art & Culture of the state government. Located around 200 meters from the bus station depot, the best way to reach it is walking down the steep mountain roads. The best time to visit the Gurudwara is during the festival season of Baishakhi and Guruparab. Another festival which attracts a number of devotees is the local Sidh Baba mela in June. 

Kali ka Tibba, a temple dedicated to the goddess Kali, is discovered at the top of the mountain Blossom. The mount has been named as Rajmata’s Cottage, as named after the goddess Kali. You can get a beautiful view of the surrounding Shivalik Range and the Choor Chandni Peak from here. Trekking to the temple is also an interesting activity.

Though known as a paradise for adventure tourists, children will also love Chail. The hills and the postcard-perfect landscape will not only fascinate the adults but also the children. The cricket ground and the sanctuary are an almost favourite for children. What makes Chail a fun filled destination for kids is the toy train journey from Kalka. The travel across the tunnels will leave make memories like never before. 

The Maharaja loyalties started this sanctuary in 1976. The sanctuary is spread over 100 square kilometers and is covered with pine, oak and grassland vegetation. It is a protection center for some endangered animals. Few of the common animals found in the sanctuary include mammals such as leopards, goral, kakkar, porcupines, Rhesus Macaque, the Himalayan black bear, the wild boar, and the black nabbed hare. Most of these can be spotted on a daily basis; hence, if you are an avid animal lover and love watching wild beings amidst their natural habitat, a visit to Chail and its sanctuary must feature in your ‘must visit’ tourist destinations in India. 

The most popular tourist attraction in Chail, the palace was built in 1891 by the Maharaja Royalties. Spread across 70 acres of land, the palace grounds also enclose well-maintained tennis and badminton lawns along with spacious cottages and orchards. Today, the palace has been converted into a jungle heritage hotel offering accommodation facilities rooms including Deluxe rooms, Maharaja Suites, Log Huts and three cottages spread across the lush garden scape of the hotel. The hotel also has a sub unit named Hotel Himneel, which offers 16 accommodations and lies within the palace grounds. That is not all! The hotel also boasts of a restaurant serving the best North Indian cuisines in the region. Run by the Himachal Tourism, it is known to be one of the best heritage hotels in the country. The hotel offers state-of-the best services and amenities which will only make your stay in Chail more and more memorable.