Simla - Lanes & Trails, is the third book written by Sumit Raj Vashisht an author from Shimla. Sumit has already authored two books and now his third book is on the shelves.

The book deals with the Heritage Walks and the Nature Walks in and around Shimla and is a detailed and an elaborated answer to all those tourists who always ask on arrival, 'What is there to do here?'

There is a lot to do in Shimla and there is a lot to tell. Every wall has stories hidden in its bosom and every road leads to some history.

If you want to know more about the rich history of Shimla you need to walk. When you walk through it, it takes you down memory lane of a bygone era. Every lane leads one to history, every wall hides a story behind it, every house has a tale to tell and every tree here is a living witness to the town’s growth. The trails are protected by nature. Most of the lanes have been carved through forests of lofty cedars, rattling oaks, blooming rhododendrons or whispering pines. Till a few years past, here, people used to walk from one corner to another. They walked from their house to office, children to schools, ladies to the bazaars.

In the evening everyone liked to stroll on The Mall. And now, the people of ‘gen-ex’ want to crush each road of this town under the racing wheels of their cars and disturb the peace with the high pitch groan of their engines whereas oldies in their formals, still like to walk on the Mall. 

Some scenic roads have been opened to vehicular traffic. A few have been re-designated from ‘sealed roads’ to ‘restricted roads’ on which vehicles are allowed only with prior permission. The roads on which once rickshaws and horse drawn carriages plied, now the new generation vehicles are running, providing “comforts”.

There is no doubt that Shimla is a Walker’s Paradise. There are more Y-junctions than X-ings. As given in this book, most of the walks around the seven hills have been designed in such a way that you return from where you start.

With this book in your hand you can opt for a walk, all alone, just with your day pack that must contain some fruits, nuts, a water bottle, some chocolate and if you be interested in taking some notes, a diary and a pen. A guide is recommended only if you desire to delve deep into the history of some particular building, a person or a place.

Kindly read the ‘Tips for Tourists’ carefully given in the book.

Sumit has already authored two books and they are "Shimla - A British Himalayan Town" the first Coffee Table Pictorial coverage of Shimla's history and the present scenario and his other book "Shimla Bazaar " is a collection of short stories written by him.

Also his blog www.cemeteriesinshimla.blogspot.com has helped a large number of Britishers to trace out their family history. 'Cemeteries in Shimla are in bad shape and require a serious attention' he thinks and is continuously working on it.

Sumit has also handled projects with NDTV and Star News  for their programs on promotion of Tourism towards Himachal Pradesh.