Chail, Himachal Pradesh

Chail is a hill station in Himachal Pradesh, India. It is 44km from Shimla and 45km from Solan. The Chail Palace is well known for its architecture: the palace was built as summer retreat by the Maharaja of Patiala during the British Raj, on the land allotted to him by the British for former's assistance in the Anglo-Nepalese War. The cricket ground and a polo ground which is there at an altitude of 2,250 m was owned by erstwhile royal family of Patiala. It is the world's highest cricket ground.Chail is also frequented by hikers.HistoryIn 1891, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala incurred the rage of Lord Kitchener. It led to the restriction of his entry in the Indian summer capital, Shimla. This incensed the Maharaja and he vowed to build a new summer retreat for himself. So he rebuilt the place (Chail) as per his requirements.After accession to the Indian Union, Maharaja of Patiala donated most of his buildings to Chail Military School and Government of India.GeographyChail is situated at an altitude of 2,250 m. The place is surrounded by the forests of chir pine and gigantic deodars. Shimla, Solan and Kasauli can also be viewed at night from here. Chail is pleasant in summers and cold in winter. Average annual rainfall is about 150 mm.