 On the Observatory Hills is located Viceregal Lodge which is called also called Rashtrapati Niwas. This magnificent building was the residence of the British Viceroy Lord Dufferin. The palatial building was the venue for many important decisions which changed fate of the sub-continent. This lodge was completed in 1888. It is said that every brick for the building was carried by mules. This is a six storey building is surrounded by well maintained gardens and lawns. A cafe is also there. The lodge has now been converted into Institute of Advanced study. The lodge is further 2 kms from state museum.
The Lodge on top of Observatory Hill was once the summer headquarters for the British Raj. This impressive building was built between 1884 and 1888. It was the first government building in India with electricity, and had an indoor tennis court. At one time over 800 people, 40 of them gardeners, were engaged at the Lodge. The Indian Institute of Advanced Study now uses it.
There is a guided tour of the Lodge’s ground floor. There is a bronze plaque on a stone terrace to the rear of the building that names and describes the peaks that can be seen from there. It has a nice garden and well-kept lawns. Open daily 10 am to 1 pm and 2 to 4.30 pm. Guided tour Rs 7.
To get here, walk west along the Mall for about an hour. It is about a 15-minute walk past the State Museum
| Location |
Located on the Observatory Hill at the western end of the Shimla ridge |
| Distance |
Kullu 240 km,Dharamsala 280 km, |
| STD Code |
177 |
| Language |
Hindi, English, Punjabi & Pahari |
| Climate / best Season/ Best Time To Visit |
In summer ranging from a maximum of 28°C and a minimum of 15°C.In Winter temperatures rising to a maximum of 8°C and a low of 0°C or even low. Winters are cold due to the chilly winds from the upper Himalayas.The best time to visit is between April to mid-July and mid-September to the end of October |
| Entertainment |
Site seeing of shimla |
| How to Reach |
Air: Archana Airways and Jagson Airlines operate a shuttle service between Delhi to Kullu (via) Shimla. Jagson flies to Chandigarh, Kangra and Kullu. For bookings contact the HPTDC office at Scandal Point (Tel: 254589, 252561). The airport is at Jubbarhati, 23 km from Shimla.
Rail: One of the remarkable legacies of British engineering is the Kalka Shimla railway built here in 1903. It cost about a million pounds and was designed by H S Harington. It covers 60 miles in curves and gradients and five miles of this journey are entirely underground as the train passes through 107 tunnels. You can still travel through this immensely popular route to Shimla from Kalka. The narrow gauge line to Kalka is connected to Delhi, Kolkata and Amritsar by broad gauge. It takes about 6 hours to reach Shimla by this train.
Road: Shimla is well connected by road to most towns within the state and to all major towns in Punjab and Haryana. It is linked by bus and coach to Delhi and Chandigarh as well. Delhi is 370 km, Chandigarh 117 km, Kalka 90 km and Ambala 166 km. Within the state, Narkanda is 64 km, Mandi 156 km, Kullu 240 km, Manali 280 km and Dharamsala 280 km.
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