My first trip to Vaishnodevi was unimpressive. Climbing was hard, and it only served to highlight how badly out of shape I was, while my in-laws managed to cope so much better. Further, I hadn’t quite realized that the cave experience wouldn’t be the same as I had imagined, since the original cave was only opened at certain times a year, and that we only entered a newly created tunnel, one far easier to access, and hence more manageable with the crowds that thronged the mountain shrine. The resulting experience at the shrine, for barely a fraction of a second, hardly compared to what I had expected / imagined / heard about. So, for me, Vaishnodevi was like any other temple, nothing to write home about, something that was reflected (though not explicitly mentioned) in the blog post I wrote then.
This Independence
day, let me
take you to Shimla, where the Indian Flag flutters over the erstwhile Viceregal
Lodge.
Today, this building is home to the Indian
Institute of Advanced Studies. Before that, it was Rashtrapati
Nivas, but it was built to be the home of the Viceroy of India. The name
itself is interesting, since it is not a lodge by any standards! Regal, it
certainly is, and I don’t think the nomenclature can be attributed to anything
but the classic British understatement!
The entrance led us to a path lined by huge
stone walls which made us wonder if it was intended to be fortified!
From the
outside, it
looked like a massive castle, fully made of stone.
On the
inside, the
delicate woodwork complemented the look, giving us a glimpse into how
impressive it must have been, as the residence of the Viceroy.
The structure
has an
interesting history, being the first permanent residence of the Viceroy, built
in 1886. This was the first structure to get electric supply in India, and most
interestingly, some of the original electrical fittings still work, after the
passage of centuries!!!
This was
also where the
meetings for the famed Shimla Agreement were held, deciding the fate of India
and Pakistan. Many of the memorabilia from the time have been preserved, such
as the original table on which the agreement was signed, and old photographs of
the meet.
Post-independence, this became the residence of the
President of India, to be used during the summer. However, the residence was
rarely used, and under Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, it was handed over to the Institute
of Advanced Study, to ‘provide an environment suited for academic research’. Part
of the building still functions as such, with an impressive library on the
ground floor, and rooms for the scholars on the upper floors. Part of it is
closed to visitors, while a section is opened to tourists, albeit under the
supervision of a guide, to give us a glimpse of its magnificence.
Back on
the outside,
creepers have crawled up the stone, and provide a splash of colour to the grey
of the stone…
The
British lion
glares down at us from the Royal coat of arms. This is one of the few places it
hasn’t been replaced by the Indian symbol – the Ashoka pillar.
On the
arch, the
building’s name has been replaced, but the names of the architect, Henry Irwin
and the executive engineers – F.B. Hebbert and L.M.St.Clair stay on, a reminder
of their art.
Information:
- The Viceregal Lodge is closed to visitors on Mondays. On all other days, there are regular guided tours every hour.
- There is a caferteria cum shop on the grounds where you can await your turn for the guided tour, and while you are at it, you can stock up on postcards, momentos, or, if you are literally minded, publications of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS)
- The IIAS website has more details about the building – architectural, historical as well as photographic.
I don't know how trustworthy those old electrical circuits are ! :) Fascinating to see the old British architecture. It would have been wonderful to wander the library there.
ReplyDeleteNatalie, I was surprised to hear that these were really trustworthy!!! still working after all these years! and in any case, they were special.. apparently, this was the first residential building to get electricity in India! surely they made sure they were given the best! after all, it was for the viceroy!! i would have so loved to get into the library, but its only for the scholars! wish i could go there and study too!
Deleteexcellent blog
ReplyDeleteawsm images :)
keep bloging :)
www.itarsia.in
It is beautiful .. and the rest of the pics brought so many memories .. of shimla .. it use to the weekend haunt for us when we were in college friday evenings ride to shimla and come back early monday mornings :)
ReplyDeleteBikram's
Thank you, Bikram! you were lucky guys indeed to go off on weekends! and that too to Shimla! this was my first visit and i loved the place, though it was crowded. hope to go again sometime when the crowd is less :)
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