Solan is a beautiful hill station enclosed by three rivers, namely, Ghagar, Satluj and Yamuna. Named after the Goddess Shoolini, Solan is one of the twelve districts of Himachal Pradesh state of India. It is famous for being home to Kasauli Brewery, the oldest distillery of India.
Due to a large variety of button mushrooms that are grown here, Solan is also well-known for being the mushroom capital of India. Old Monk XXX RUM, Solan No. 1 Whiskey and Golden Eagle beer are the other things that Solan is renowned for. Besides the grandeur of natural beauty that Solan is bestowed with, its terrains offer great possibilities for trekking and water bodies are perfectly suitable for fishing.
Major Attractions in Solan
- Shoolini Mata Temple – One of the major attractions of Solan, the temple is dedicated to Shoolini Mata after whom the town has got its name. A 3 days long fair is organized in this temple in the end of June. The ancient temple of Shoolini mata is visited by almost all the tourists that visit Solan.
- Barog – Encircled by beautiful pine forests, Barog is at a distance of 5kms from Solan. Having a pleasant weather and naturally beautiful surroundings, Barog is a great place to spend some good time while you are on a holiday in Solan.
- The Mall Road – It is the main market of Solan, in other words the only place where you can find some really good stuff if you are a shopping freak. There are numerous shops in this market from where you can buy handicrafts and artworks of Solan. Also there are some really good restaurants and eating joints where you can relish the cuisines of Solan.
- Mohan Shakti National Park – On the foothills of the great Himalayan Mountains is located one of the most captivating picnic spots- the Mohan Shakti National Park. The park is surrounded by thick oak trees and gardens offering a spellbinding view to the nearby mountains. Also there are certain temples and sculptures of Hindu Gods and Goddesses in the park premises.
Other places of tourist interest in and around Solan
- Karol Tibba and Meteol Tibba
- Temples of Devi Durga, Hari, NaraSingh and Sanatan Dharm
- Chidren’s Park and Jawahar Park
- The Library and the old Chruch at Chambaghat
- Krishna Bhavan Mandir
- Monkey Point- Kasauli
- Kasauli Brewery
- Barog
Best time to visit
The months of March to May is the season of summers in Solan valley when the weather here is pleasantly warm and ideal for holidaying and enjoying outdoor activities. From the month of June begins the monsoon and lasts till September. The entire city gets deluged in showers and the natural beauty of the place gets further amplified. This is also a great time to making a visit to Solan. However, the month of December brings the winters which is quite cold and chilly with temperatures dropping to as low as 0degrees.
How to reach
By Air – The state capital Shimla is very close to Solan district. There is no specific airport available in Solan district. The major airport is available only in Shimla which is approximately 55kms away from main city Solan. Firstly, you need to take flights till Shimla airport from any part of the country then you can hire taxis from Shimla airport for reaching in Solan.
By train – The Barog railway station is the nearest railway station. The Kalka Shimla railway is well connected by UNESCO world heritage railway which is passing through the city that connects it to other major cities such as Shimla, Barog, Delhi, and Amritsar.
By road – Two major ISBT bus stands are currently available in Solan city. One is new bus stand which is available below ITI in Solan and it is the main bus stand in the city. The second one is old bus stand which is situated at The Mall and is used for local bus service. Himachal Road Transport Corporation’s (HRTC) public transport facility is available from all the major cities of northern India. The city is also connected with National Highway No. 22 so one can easily reach Solan from Chandigarh and Shimla by road.
