Solan Shimla

Solan is a more low-key hill station ideal for travellers looking just some time away from city rush. A beautiful city in Himachal Pradesh, Solan has ancient temples and monasteries that attract hundreds of tourists and devotees every year. Being set in the backdrop of majestic hills adds and quaint charm to these centres of worship. Solan has one of the oldest breweries in the country and is popularly known as the mushroom capital of the country owing to the amount of mushrooms produced every year. Solan is also called as the city of red gold as it produces bulk quantities of tomatoes. This city also has a 300-year old fort located at the top of a hill which is in ruins but has an awe-inspiring panoramic view of the countryside. The Shoolini Mata Temple and jatoli Shiv Temple are must-visits for both devotees and tourists. One of the most famous monasteries in this region is the Yundung Monastery, which must be visited by everyone travelling to Solan.

Solan is a land with a rich and multilayered history. This is the place where every nook and corner is steeped in the past. Legends say that the place was once inhabited by the Pandavas. There is a cave on the top of the Karol peak in Solan; it is believed that the Pandavas resided here during their exile. Dagshai, one of the oldest cantonment towns in Solan, is the place where the Irish mutiny of 1920 took place against the British Army. Known as the "Mushroom Capital of India," the place produces mushrooms in bulk and it even houses the Directorate of Mushroom Research (DMR. Solan is crowned the "City of Red Gold" because the town produces tomatoes in large numbers as well.

In the early 19th century, Solan was the contaminant center of Britain. Decades after they left, their endowment still marks Solan's stylish properties. The chapel in the contaminant area is a heritage building of Solan. Inside the church, one can see beautiful woods and stone carvings. Solan is also famous for a religious place called Shoolini Mata Temple; it is believed that the name of the town is derived from the forename of Goddess Shoolini Mata, the main deity of the temple.

If people think that Solan is meant only for the teetotallers, then they are in serious misconception! On the outskirts of Solan, there is the famous Mohan Meakin Brewery which happens to be the oldest brewery and distillery in Asia for Scotch whiskey. The equipments related to brewing and distilling was brought here by Edward Dyer in the 19th century. Mohan Meakin Brewery was established here because of similar climatic conditions as Scotland and availability of spring water.