- Heritage Tour – 8 hours tour – 2500/- ( Includes Breakfast )
Christ Church, Shimla :
Christ Church, Shimla, is the second oldest church in North India, after St John’s Church in Meerut. Worship is conducted in Hindi and English. Presently, Rev. Sohan lal is the Presbyter-In-Charge Priest/ father of Christ Church, The Ridge Shimla.
Simla was all forest when the first Europeans came to these hills in 1820s. There were two or three dilapidated shepherd’s huts and a small “Hanuman temple” situated on the Jakhoo Hill. The Europeans sought permission on the Raia of Keonthal, from whose state much of simla was later carved out, to build residences. Captain (later Major) Charles Kennedy was the Political Agent of the British Government posted in these hill states. He built the first house and the estate known as Kennedy House in late 1820s. Later Lord Amherst, the Governor General came to Simla for a summer trip in the year 1827 and stayed in the Kennedy House. By 1830s about sixty houses were raised for the Britishers.
Built in the neo-Gothic style in 1857 to serve the largely Anglican British community in what was formerly called Simla, Christ Church is situated on The Ridge. It stands out as one of the prominent landmarks of Shimla and its silhouette is visible for many kilometres around the vicinity of Shimla city. Christ Church is one of the enduring legacies of the British Raj.
Christ Church was designed by Colonel J. T. Boileau in 1844, and the cornerstone was laid on 9 September 1844 by Bishop Daniel Wilson, Bishop of Calcutta. The church was consecrated on 10 January 1857 by Bishop Thomas Daltrey, Bishop of Madras. The estimated cost of construction at that time was 40,000 to 50,000 Rupees. The clock adorning Christ Church was donated by Colonel Dumbleton in 1860. The porch was added in 1873. A British manufactured pipe-organ was installed in 1899 which was extensively renovated in 1932.
On September 11, 1918, Guy Gibson, leader of Operation Chastise, the famous “Dambusters Raid” of 1943, was christened here
Christ Church survived the 20th-century partition and the subsequent political upheavals on the Indian subcontinent. The first Indian Chaplain of Christ Church Shimla was Rev. B.S. Chander (1948 to 1957). Christ Church continues to be well maintained and is in relatively good condition. The clock’s original mechanical mechanism has more recently been replaced with an electrical equivalent. However, currently whilst all 4 faces of the clock remain in synchronization, they rarely reflect the correct time.
It is designed in the neo-Gothic style. The church is lit at night to illuminate it.
The church contains five fine stained glass windows. One represents the Christian virtues of Faith, Hope, Charity, Fortitude, Patience, and Humility. The chancel window was designed by Lockwood Kipling (father of Rudyard Kipling). The pipe-organ of Christ Church is the largest in the Indian subcontinent; it was installed in September 1899.
The Ridge, Shimla :
The Ridge road is a large open space, located in the center of Shimla, the capital city of Himachal Pradesh, India. The Ridge is the hub of all cultural activities of Shimla. It is situated along the Mall Road, which is the famous shopping center of Shimla. Most major places of Shimla like Sanjauli Snowdown (IGMC), Mall Road, Jakhu Temple, Oakover, Kali Bari, Annadale, etc. are connected through the Ridge.
It runs east to west alongside the Mall Road, and joins it at the Scandal Point on the west side. On the east side, The Ridge road leads to Lakkar Bazaar, a wooden crafts market. It’s the major landmark and the most easily recognized face of the hill station. When winter sets in and when the country had its first major snowfall of the year, most newspapers printed photos of the ridge submerged in clumps of fresh snow.
Prominent landmarks on the Ridge area is Christ Church, a neo-Gothic structure built in 1844 and a Tudorbethan styled library building built in 1910. There are four statues on the ridge; that of Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Dr. Y.S. Parmar the first chief minister of Himachal Pradesh and the recently established statue of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The biggest hill city of the world, at one time the base ridge of Shimla had the thickest forest of the area, now the green slopes are covered with firs, pines, the Himalayan oak and carmine rhododendron trees, among which are dotted red-roofed chalets, half-timbered houses and Gothic Government buildings are visible from The Ridge.
Importance
Underneath the Ridge, large water tanks are placed from which water is supplied to the British era tourist town. The Ridge houses the city’s lifeline in terms of the water reservoir, with a capacity of 1,000,000 imp gal (4,500,000 L; 1,200,000 US gal) of water, beneath it. Because these tanks are significantly large in size, they have been used as the main water supply for Shimla. The reservoir is stated to have been constructed in the 1880s, without using any cement and only lime mortar was used.
The Mall
Gaiety Heritage Cultural Complex :
Gaiety Theatre or Gaiety Heritage Cultural Complex is historic theatre and tourist destination in Shimla. It is located on Mall Road. It is the hub of cultural events of the state. It also very popular among Bollywood as many music videos and movies are often filmed here
Gaiety Theatre was opened on 30 May 1887, to a design by the English architect Henry Irwin. It is an example of the Gothic Revival style of architecture, derived from British Victorian examples. It was once part of the large Town Hall Complex. It had a capacity of more than 300 people. Initially, it was a five-story building with a theatre, ballroom, armoury, police office, bar, and galleries. After nearly two decades from its date of establishment, it was found that the building was structurally unsafe. It was partially demolished, but the Gaiety Theatre remains untouched. With a rich history to its credit, the theatre was the center for entertainment and socialisation, where Viceroy Lord Lytton wrote and staged a play called Walpole, and Rudyard Kipling acted in ‘a scrap of paper’. Legends like Baden Powell, K.L. Sehgal, Prithvi Raj Kapoor, Balraj Sahni, Pran, Tom Alter, Manohar Singh, Jennifer Kendall, Anupam Kher, Naseeruddin Shah, Shahid Kapoor, Ayushmann Khurrana, Udit Narayan, Sonu Nigam, Mohit Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal and others have also performed here.[4] At one time the popularity of English plays in the theatre earned the nickname, Mecca of Theatre
The Scandal Point
Bantony Castle :
Colonial-era Maharaja palace with Tudor architecture & expansive grounds, slated to become a museum.
Bantony Castle traces its origins back to 1830, when Captain Bantony originally constructed it as a cottage. Subsequently, in 1880, Maharaja Sirmaur oversaw its reconstruction. During the tumultuous period of the First World War, Maharaja Sirmaur relinquished the Bantony Estate to the Government of India, where it was repurposed as a military office.
History
Before its reconstruction in 1880, the location had been occupied by a cottage belonging to Captain A. Gordon, which served as lodging for army officers. Throughout both World Wars, the Sirmaur rulers permitted the colonial government to utilize the premises for military needs. In the Second World War, the site also accommodated the Prisoner of War section, affiliated with All India Radio and responsible for handling communications primarily from Italian prisoners.
In the period just prior to Indian Independence, Bantony Castle changed ownership as it was transferred to the Maharaja of Darbhanga. Between 1957 and 1958, Maharaja Sir Kameshwar Singh of Darbhanga leased the property to the Punjab government, subsequently serving as a residence for the Himachal Police for an extended period. Additionally, the premises hosted the Police Officers’ mess during this time.
After India gained Independence, a prominent national daily based in Punjab relocated its headquarters from Lahore to the Bantony Castle building, eventually shifting to Chandigarh. In 1968, while the police were still in residence, the estate was purchased by a local business family, Ram Krishan and Sons. However, in 2017, the Himachal Pradesh government acquired the 19,000 square meter estate and its structures to develop the complex that now stands as Bantony Castle.
Architecture
The central two-story edifice, designed in the mock Tudor architectural style, features a charming chalet design and is distinguished by its sloping roof adorned with mini-towers. This distinctive building is attributed to the architectural vision of TEG Cooper, closely overseen by Raja Surender Bikram Prakash. Before the construction in 1880, the site had been occupied by a cottage owned by Captain A. Gordon, serving as accommodations for army officers.Rotheny castle
Gorton Castle :
Originally constructed in the 19th century, this landmark castle boasts neo-Gothic architecture.
Shimla prides itself with many colonial buildings and many of them are declared as heritage sites attracting travelers from all over Himachal Pradesh and far off places. These buildings showcase the creativity of the artists and designers of the colonial era. Most of these buildings were built inspired by the Neo-Gothic architecture.
Gorton Castle in Shimla is one such heritage monument that has blending of innovative minds intelligent craftsmanship. This castle was built more than a century ago and is still a popular tourist site of Shimla. This wonderful castle is now getting used as the AG office (Accountant General’s office) of the Himachal Pradesh. Gorton Castle is located in the heart of the Shimla Town thereby making it easily approachable for the visitors. Not only tourists from far off places but local people keep coming to this site to enjoy a journey through the rich history and heritage of colonial India.
History of Gorton Castle in Shimla
Gorton Castle was constructed in the year 1904. The building was designed by one of the best British architects of that time, Sir Swinton Jacob. The architecture of this castle was inspired by the Neo-Gothic style. Sir Swinton Jacob was working as a consulting engineer in Jaipur. This well known architect and engineer of the colonial India earned fame for his masterpiece architectures that had the blending of Islamic, Hindu and western traditions”. Many important buildings of colonial India such as Albert Hall (Jaipur), Lalgarh Palace (Bikaner), St. Stephen’s College (Delhi) etc. were designed by him. When there was need of a Government Secretariat in their summer capital, Shimla, Swinton Jacob was given the responsibility by Lord Curzon.
The design was liked a lot by Lord Curzon. The design of the castle complemented its high location and wonderful surroundings. The land on which the castle was built was originally the place donated for building a hospital. The castle was named as Gorton Castle after the name of the original owner of this site, Mr. Gorton, an ICS. The land changed hands thrice and was then purchased by Sir James Walker, a banker, on payment of Rs. 80,000. When the site was taken for building Government Secretariat, he was given another land for hospital construction. The land was acquired by the government for its officials after persuading Sir Walker a lot.
Architecture of Gorton Castle
Situated on the top of the hill, Gorton Castle is built over an area that has dimension of 400 ftx100 ft. The castle has three stories and houses 125 rooms of various sizes. The castle is surrounded by timber blocks mostly of Rosewood. The blocks were bought from Andaman under the supervision of Mr. B. Ribbertrop, Forest Department Head. For constructing the building, grey stones from Sanjauli, Himachal Pradesh, were used. The roofs of the castle were made with red tiles. Later on the red tiles got replaced with red iron sheets (galvanized). The main entrance of the castle resembled like a chalet and there was a large portico having a wonderful fresco. The side of the castle had bay windows. High towers surmounted the stone walls of the castle. The red iron roof of the castle gave it a look of fairy-tale castles.
The castle was mounted on a hilltop surrounded by huge Deodar Trees and it could be seen from very far off. The balconies of Gorton Castle were decorated with innovatively designed net (jari) work of Rajasthan which still grabs the eyes of the onlookers. Many departments of the British India e.g. Health, Education, Finance, Home etc., were run from here.
Rothney Castle :
As Shimla was the summer capital for the Britishers, they constructed various buildings for the government departments, and for the residences of the government servants. Most of the government servants were allotted residences, which were dotted all over the Shimla. Today, also you can see those residences, where people are living today. One of the most distinguished people, who are also remembered today, is Mr. Hume. He had the greatest impact on the Indian History before independence and after the Indian Independence today. He was the founder of Indian National Congress; today’s Congress I.
Rothney Castle was the name of his residence. He is also known as the Father of Indian Ornithology.
Rothney Castle has a big historic significance in Indian History. It was home to the A.O. Hume, the founder of the Indian National Congress, a party which eventually was responsible for the freedom of the country. During the 1857 the first war of Indian Independence, Mr. Hume was posted in Etawah as the government civil servant. After that he was moved to Shimla offices. He made his home at the Rothney Castle, which is located at the Jakhoo Hill. In addition to the government civil servant, he also was a political reformer and ornithologist.
This is one of the most visited monuments in Shimla which is spread over the 17.500 sq. meter area. The architecture of the place is one of the finest which the intricate glass and wooden work. When he acquired the place, he spent about 2 hundred thousand pounds on the renovation of the Rothney Castle. With his office work in Shimla, he also started the documentation of Indian Subcontinent Birds and acquired largest bird collection in Asia. He also started a museum which included the 82000 species of the birds. Most of those specimens now are in England. Today, he is also known as the father of Indian Ornithology.
He employed the European Gardeners to renovate his gardens. He was also the host to many distinguished personalities of the day. He was interested in reforming the politics. He founded the Indian National Congress with some other people, to give Indian People a voice in 1885. The first meeting of the party was held in this place.
Today, the Castle looks like a garden and has not been maintained properly. You can see lots of trees, plants and flowers here. The old castle is visited by lot of birds. It is surrounded by the lush green surroundings. On 25 March, 2013, the Indian Post published the Stamp of Rothney Castle, Shimla as a tribute to A.O. Hume.
Viceregal Lodge
This palatial former summer home of British viceroys, now a government office, offers guided tours.
The Rashtrapati Niwas, formerly known as Viceregal Lodge, is located on the Observatory Hills of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India. It was formerly the residence of the British Viceroy of India. It houses some of the most ancient articles and photographs going back to the times of the British rule in India.
The Viceregal Lodge was designed by British architect Henry Irwin and built in the Jacobethan style during Lord Dufferin’s tenure as Viceroy. Its construction started in 1880 and was completed in 1888. Lord Dufferin occupied the lodge on 23 July 1888.[1] The final cost of project was around 38 lakh (3,800,000) rupees with the annual upkeep cost being around 1.5 lakh (150,000) rupees in the 1880s. At that time the estate stood on an area of 331 acres (134 ha), but today is reduced to 110 acres (45 ha). The structure draws inspiration from the architectural style of the English Renaissance, and also reflects elements of the castles of the Scottish Highlands. The building is of light blue-grey stone masonry with tiled pitch roofing. The interior of the main building is noted for elaborate woodwork which has stood the test of time. Teak was brought from Burma, and was supplemented by local cedar wood and walnut.
History :
The Simla Conference convened by Lord Wavell in 1945 to approve the Wavell Plan for Indian Self Government was hosted at this estate. The summer capital of India was of little use to the President of India who visited it only for a few days in the year, if at all. Professor S. Radhakrishnan thought of putting it to academic use. The Rashtrapati Niwas Estate was transferred to the Ministry of Education to be handed over to the Indian Institute of Advanced Study. The C.P.W.D., the Himachal Pradesh High Court, and the Himachal Pradesh University were allowed in due course to use some of its buildings but the bulk of the Estate, including its well kept lawns and rich greenhouse, has remained in use for the Indian Institute of Advanced Study.
It comprises of
Art Gallery
This gallery is attached to Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi. It holds an exhibition of Nationally and Internationally renowned artists, highlighting modern and traditional art.
Exhibition Hall
This is another exhibition hall, having display boards to exhibit paintings, sculptures, crafts, and photographs of the people belonging to India.
Multi-Purpose Hall
The multi-purpose hall has a seating arrangement of 450 people, with all the modern facilities for indoor cultural activities.
Amphitheatre
The amphitheatre is an open-air theatre for enacting street plays small interaction and open-air cultural programs with seating for 100 people.
Manorville Mansion –
Nestled near the University of Himachal Pradesh, the Manorville Mansion boasts a prominent architecture with a tranquil setting where you can enjoy some peaceful moments. Built during the British era, the building gives in-depth knowledge about Gandhiji’s stay who stayed here from 1935 to 1946. It is only 0.2 km from Kamna Devi Temple.
Army Heritage Museum :
The Army Heritage Museum is located in Annadale suburb of Shimla city, India. It is situated in the Army cantonment, close to Annadale ground and helipad
Cozy museum space offering educational displays on national army history, with weapons & uniforms,
ammunitions and life history of Indian warriors.
The museum has four major sections and further divided in several subsections
- Heritage Section
- Himachal Corner
- Shaurya Hall
- Green House
Legacy
The museum also has a Pakistani letter box which was brought by the Indian Army as a souvenir of the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971.It documents 5,000-year-old history of wars and warfare and activities of martial forces dating back from the Mahabharata era till date. The motto and culture of Indian Army is represented through the various items organized in various sections of the Army Heritage Museum. There is a separate section where important achievements of Indian warriors are described.
The history of warriors like Maharana Pratap, Rani Laxmibai, Maharaja Chattrapati Shivaji, Guru Gobind Singh, and Tipu Sultan is shown in the museum. The history of modern warriors, like Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, K.M. Carriappa and many others is also shown.
The museum also has the surrender letter of Pakistan (1971 war) and Flag of Pakistan. A separate section is there for showcasing arms and weapons of various types.
The collection has ancient items like bows and arrows, swords, spears and also has modern ammunition including AK-47. Army uniforms dating back to pre-independence time as well as after the independence are kept there. Medals, rewards and awards of the Indian Army are also displayed. Many of these medals depict strong bonding between the Royal Nepal Army and the Indian Army.
Baba Bhalku Rail Museum
Shimla’s rail museum has an interesting story behind it. It is named after a local saint by the name of Bhalku Ram (Baba Bhalku to many) who, it is believed, possessed supernatural engineering skills and helped the Britishers in laying down the Kalka – Shimla rail track. As a tribute, the Indian Railway named the museum after him in dedication to his services. This museum depicts the way of life of the Kalka – Shimla Railway line through a collection of extremely rare artefacts accumulated over the decades.
Bhalku worked as a labourer on the rail line and when there were problems in getting the right alignment of the track, he just guided the engineers and marched ahead of them. In fact, H.S. Harington, the agent of the Railways highly appreciated the supernatural powers of the man and the rail line took exactly the path shown by Bhalku, which made the project possible.
The museum has some very interesting parts from the pages of history in the form of a 1930 lost property register. The register has details of the lost properties like bags, umbrellas, caps and coats left in the waiting rooms of the station or the train. The museum also has on display several items and parts used in the trains dating back to early 20th century. An interesting collection of cutlery and fine glassware, including wine glasses and vases, are also on display. There are nice wooden easy chairs, which were put in the rest rooms at the various stations, and wall clocks made in England.
The museum also showcases some of the seals and labels worn by porters and other staff. There are also steam locomotive headlights, brass lamps, lanterns and ticket punching machines. A rail liner used on the track and dated 1899 is amongst the oldest object in the museum. There are also some very rare old photographs of the rail line, stations and the tunnels en-route.
Victory Tunnel
The tunnel is a connecting median between the Cart road and the National Highway 22. It dates back to the British era, when this engineering marvel was built to connect the city with important inter-city routes and was constructed to commemorate Victory of allied forces in the Second World War.