Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka holidaying in Shimla

Shimla, June 13  Congress president Sonia Gandhi, her daughter Priyanka Vadra and her grandchildren reached Shimla on Monday for a three-day private visit, officials said.

"There is no programme for Sonia Gandhi to meet any party leaders during their stay. It's a private visit only," a government official told IANS.

The Gandhi family is staying at Wildflower Hall, a luxury resort on the outskirts of Shimla.

In the evening the family visited Charabra where Priyanka Vadra's cottage is being built. After inspecting the construction work for about an hour, the family left for the resort.

The Gandhi family is expected to stay here till June 15, the official added.

A two-storey five-room cottage, constructed earlier, was pulled down four years ago as Priyanka Vadra wanted the house to gel with the surroundings.

The new structure, rising from the debris of the old one, now gives the impression of a typical hill structure. It lies close to The Retreat, the summer holiday resort of the Indian president.

The Vadras purchased a three-and-a-half bigha (one bigha is 0.4 hectare) agricultural plot, located at a height of more than 8,000 feet from US-based Satish Kumar Sood and Satinder Sood in 2007.

Later, they purchased additional land near the existing one, just half a km away from Wildflower Hall.

Priyanka Vadra, her children and mother Sonia Gandhi have been frequently visiting the cottage to inspect the construction work.