Exploring Shimla in its ages-old structures & monuments

Apr 28
09:10

2015

Dimpy Roy

Dimpy Roy

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Shimla is certainly a destination in India that is worth exploring. The list of sightseeing in the city is rather long, and each one of them is worth visiting.

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Shimla,Exploring Shimla in its ages-old structures & monuments Articles the former summer capital for the British and today the best summer escaped for the denizens in India, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Filled with numerous revered temples and mosques, colonial buildings of the British Era, palaces of the past Hindu rulers, colleges and research institutions, and more, the city is certainly a destination that offers one with the best of tourism. Besides, blessed by the nature, Shimla is one fine place to relish the nature and its bewitching allures.

 

A good to know fact, before being declared as the capital of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla was once the capital of Punjab. Shimla, or as per the British Indian orthography, Simla, derived its name from the deity Shyamala Devi, who is a locally revered Hindu god and is said to be an incarnation of the goddess Kali. It was in 1864, when the city was declared as the British India summer capital, and since then it has been a major highlight in the country. Not just the city was significant in terms of tourism or natural beauty, but it was also significant in terms of administration. It was in the very city where two major decisions in the history of India were made. One being the historic Shimla conference of 1945 and the other being the partition of Pakistan and Bangladesh from India.

A tour of Shimla is certainly and experience to cherish for long. The list of sightseeing in Shimla is pretty long. The good thing is all of them are equally interesting and worth a visit. Also, making things better, today there exist number of Shimla holiday packages, which one could effectively use in his tour of the city. Meanwhile, amongst the most popular attractions of the city the Rashtrapati Niwas is one major point of interest in Shimla. Built in 1880 the beautiful British colonial building is one of the best remnants from British Raj still standing tall in India. During their era the building used to be the home of the British viceroys, Lord Dufferin in particular. The building is the English renaissance architecture at its best. A wonderful grey stone building with every part perfectly placed, the building oozes the Scottish flavour. During the reign of the British the building was the venue where several lavish parties were hosted, and the royal families were entertained in style. Several beautiful paintings and wall hangings adorn the walls. Grand staircases, a fireplace, wooden panelled dining room, drawing-room, ballroom etc. are the constituents of the building. To put things together, the building is beautiful inside-out.

 

Today the place where the building stands is called the Observatory hills. The good thing is that there are 5 Star hotels in Shimla in the vicinity. Meanwhile, today the historic building is the headquarter of India Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS). The building was also given to the H.P. High Court and H.P. University for use for a due course of time. But most part of the estate was kept under the use of IIAS. The good thing is that the estate is still available for tourism. Although, once inside photography is not allowed. The building is a great source of knowledge to the history buffs and those who like to understand British architectural style.

Simply head to the city to explore the attractions of Shimla like the Rashtrapati Niwas and others. For accommodations, choose from those hotels in Shimla with rates that best suit your budget.

 

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