Shimla is the capital of Himachal Pradesh state in northwestern India, perched at an elevation of about 7,100 feet (2,200 metres) on a ridge of the Himalayan foothills. During British colonial rule, it served as India’s summer capital from 1865 to 1939, and its architectural legacy – including Tudor-style buildings and the neo-Gothic Christ Church – still shapes the town’s distinctive character today. One of India’s most beloved hill stations, Shimla is also the terminus of the UNESCO-listed Kalka–Shimla “Toy Train,” a narrow-gauge railway that winds through 103 tunnels across 96 km of stunning Himalayan scenery.
Established in March 1980, Hotel Cosmos sits on Mall Road in the heart of Shimla — one of the most central addresses in the city, yet surrounded by the kind of quiet, natural atmosphere that makes Shimla worth visiting in the first place.