About Solan

The history of Solan goes back to the era of Pandawas. According to local folklore, Pandavas lived here during their exile. In 1815 British won Baghat state (now Solan) from the Gurkhas, Gurkha fort or Arki Fort is still standing tall on a mountain near to Solan city and it is one of the popular historic tourist attractions of Solan.^[3] The town has been a capital of the princely Baghat State. The word Baghat is derived from Bau or Bahu, meaning "many", and Ghat meaning "pass". Initially the state headquarters of the Baghat State was located at Bhoch in the Bhuchali pargana, but the headquarters of the state was shifted to Solan after the construction of cantonment over here. The railway was set up in 1902.^[4] The evolution of solan City can be understood in the following order or sequence :-

How to reach Solan

Solan has a railway station which is midway from Kalka to Shimla on the narrow gauge route. This toy train is also a part of the UNESCO world heritage sites and the route is very picturesque. The major railway station closest to Solan is in Kalka which is 44 kms away. The closest airport is in Chandigarh which is 67 kms from Solan. One can easily find cabs and buses to reach Solan.