We enjoy another wonderful breakfast with a breathtaking view at the Cecil Oberoi.

Then a drive up to the “Monkey God Temple“, in Shimla is officially known as the Jakhoo Temple (or Jakhu Temple). Dedicated to Lord Hanuman, it is one of the most iconic landmarks in the city, famous for its massive statue and its large population of resident monkeys.

The temple is steeped in legends from the Ramayana:

The Sanjeevani Quest: It is believed that Lord Hanuman stopped at this hill while flying to the Himalayas to find the Sanjeevani herb to revive Lakshmana.

Legend says that the hill was originally much taller, but it flattened under the immense weight of Hanuman when he landed to seek guidance from a sage named Yaaku.

The name “Jakhu” is said to be derived from the sage Yaaku. The temple is considered ancient, with some local traditions suggesting a place of worship has existed there for millennia.

Tallest Hanuman Statue: The most striking feature is a bright orange 108-foot (33-meter) statue of Lord Hanuman. Unveiled in 2010, it is one of the tallest of its kind in the world and is visible from almost anywhere in Shimla.

Located at the highest point in Shimla: The temple sits atop Jakhoo Hill at an altitude of approximately 2,455 meters (8,054 feet), providing panoramic views of the Shivalik mountain ranges and the town below.

• Sacred Footprints: Inside the temple complex, there are stone structures believed to be the footprints of Lord Hanuman.

The temple is famous (and sometimes notorious) for its hundreds of Rhesus macaques:

Devotees consider the monkeys to be the descendants or “vanara sena” (monkey army) of Lord Hanuman.

Visitors are often warned to be careful with their belongings. The monkeys are known for snatching glasses, sunglasses, cameras, and food. They often “hold items hostage” until they are offered food in exchange. We had first hand experience as a monkey out of nowhere snatched Marg’s glasses from her head, but thanks to the quick action of our guide, Ricky, a treat was offered as payment for return of the glasses.

We could see the snow capped peaks of the beginning of the Himalayas, it was a beautiful sight, could easily bring a tear to one’s eye.

A trip from the temple down into the Main Street in the chairlift is a must, and gave us a breathtaking view of the city.

We continue to see many birds and Ricky our guide has helped us to identify many of them. The most impressive was the Himalayan Griffon Vulture, Gyps himalayensis often seen soaring above the hills of Shimla. It is the largest and heaviest bird found in the Himalayas. It boasts a massive wingspan of up to 3 meters (nearly 10 feet) and can weigh between 8 to 12 kg.

They have a distinctive pale, khaki-colored body, dark wing feathers, and a white “ruff” of feathers around the base of their neck. Their heads are nearly bald, an evolutionary trait that helps keep them clean while feeding.

Because of their weight, they rarely flap their wings. Instead, they rely on rising warm air (thermals) to glide effortlessly for hours, often seen as small “V” shapes high above the Shimla Ridge.

Historically, these vultures were attracted to the area because of the high activity and occasional food waste. However, their primary role is ecological; they are “nature’s clean-up crew,” feeding on carcasses of animals in the surrounding valleys.

They are known to nest on the steep, inaccessible rocky cliffs surrounding the Shimla hills. In fact, Shimla is one of the districts in Himachal Pradesh where their population has remained relatively stable.

Like many vulture species in India, they were affected by the “vulture crisis” caused by the drug Diclofenac (used in livestock), though they were less severely impacted than lowland species. Recent sightings in 2025 and 2026 across Himachal Pradesh suggest a positive comeback for the species, with many birdwatchers now visiting Shimla specifically to photograph them from the Jakhoo Hill vantage point.

As we drive out of Shimla we are seeing that education and caring for the environment is important. There is an active campaign to keep Shimla clean and this is very obvious, due to the lack of rubbish compared to other areas in India we have visited. It is not fantastic yet but it is an improvement.

We pass many schools and research facilities, they even have a potato research centre and a Leopard hospital.

The Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, Tutikandi is the primary facility for leopards in Shimla and is the Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre at Tutikandi.  

It is managed by the Wildlife Wing of the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department. It specifically takes in leopards that have strayed into human settlements, been injured, or were orphaned (such as the rescue of a young cub from the Chakkar area near the district courts).

The centre currently houses several leopards. For example, recent reports noted that a male and female leopard were even transferred from here to Ludhiana Zoo for better long-term housing after they recovered from their injuries.  

Unlike a standard zoo, this is a rescue facility. It is primarily designed for the medical care and safety of the animals rather than public exhibition. Visitors are generally not encouraged as the goal is often rehabilitation or providing a stress-free environment for animals that cannot be released back into the wild.

We read a news article today that a leopard was seen in the city of Chandigarh. Ricky produced a photo he took while on one of his tours. It’s just amazing that these large animals are found amongst local human communities.

Sadly we have to leave Shimla today and catch a train from Chandigahr to Amaritsar. We will be coming back to Shimla one day.

We normally don’t critique or advertise our guides but Ricky was exceptional. For anyone interested in a Himalayan experience he would be worth considering. He showed us around Shimla in a thoughtful and informative manner. When things went a bit wrong, like a glitch with the you train and couple hour delay he was seamlessly able to reorganise our schedule to facilitate every event. With his advice we dined in local restaurants and cafes with locals where we enjoyed great food and friendly service. As he is a local we learnt about the indigenous plants and their uses, his knowledge about wildlife and landscapes was fantastic. When travelling in India all manner of quirky challenges can arise, whether it be cheeky monkeys or unexpected train ticket seating issues Ricky’s cool head and knowledge saw us through with no issues.

If anyone is interested in a Himalayan experience he would be a good person to trust.

Ravi Sharma(Ricky)

Ravialpineclutch@gmail.com

alpineclutchadventures.com

We are continued to be treated well by the locals, they have kindly accommodated our lack of knowledge about how India works, the train conductor was very kind in his handling of our seating complication and went to great effort to ensure we were comfortable. There was a mum and little girl on the train that wanted their picture taken with us, the people are extraordinarily friendly if you engage them and they get very excited when you try out a bit of Hindi dialogue.

We are cruising quietly at 109kmh on our train taking in the views of the Punjab.