Hill Stations of India
Colonial-era and traditional hill retreats across India's mountain ranges — the Himalayas, Western Ghats, and Eastern Ghats. A geographic grouping, not a pilgrimage circuit.
A curated selection, not an official or closed list — either traditions vary on the full set of sites, or this is an editorial grouping rather than a traditional one.
Significance & tradition
Most of these towns originated or were substantially developed as retreats from the summer heat during the British colonial period, chosen for elevation and climate rather than any older settlement history — a different kind of 'why here' than the pilgrimage circuits above.
History
Hill stations such as Shimla, Darjeeling, and Ooty became administrative summer capitals for British provincial governments in the 19th century; others, like Munnar and Coorg, grew primarily around colonial-era tea and coffee plantations that are still active today.
How this list was compiled
Not exhaustive; a geographic/leisure grouping, not a fixed or traditional circuit.