Time slows down in Himachal’s quiet corner of Salogra

As the iconic toy train chugs along the Kalka-Shimla heritage route, it passes a modest village you might overlook — Salogra. It doesn’t boast of monuments or malls, but offers something far rarer in today’s world of high-rises and endless notifications: a deep, unhurried calm.

I moved here to stay with my grandparents during the three years of my graduation. Initially, I wasn't too thrilled. With its small railway station, scattered homes and a handful of shops, Salogra doesn't promise exciting experiences. But it slowly wraps itself around you — with clean air, sweeping mountain views and a rhythm that invites you to breathe a little deeper.

Evening walks along the railway track became my daily ritual. On Sundays, I would watch local children playing cricket at the Railways guesthouse. On other days, there was little to break the silence — save for the distant hoot of a passing train echoing through the valley.

These unremarkable walks, lined with towering deodars, became my Sunday meditation. Watching the sunrise behind the Shimla hills never got old. Salogra held in its quiet constant. Over two decades of visits and three years of living there, the village barely changed. The same grocery shop, the same row of houses, as I climbed uphill from the main road, the place would seem frozen in time.

As we grew older, Mohan Shakti Heritage Temple was a grand new addition to the village's humble itinerary, while the road-widening project from Shimla to Chandigarh is slowly reshaping its borders. Yet, Salogra remains deeply rooted in its timeless magic of natural calm.

Vaishnavi Sood, Chandigarh