| Lord
Elgin's Memorial
After
the honors of 1857, India's First War of
independence, Queen Victoria assumed the
title of Empress of India. Her Prime
Minister, Lord Canning made the
proclamation and the Governor General's
title was raised to that of Viceroy of
India.
Though
Shimla was the official capital of
Imperial Delhi other beauty spots also got
full quota of unofficial patronage and
schools sprung up in the hills of Himachal
Pradesh, such as Dagshai, Sanawar, Shimla,
etc. Along with the schools came graceful
Gothic Cathedrals with stained glass
windows depicting episodes from the life
of Jesus Christ and the Old Testament.
Reproducing the famous religious
architecture of Sir Christopher Wren who
built St. Pauls in London and others, some
were worthy copies.
One
such is the elegant Church of St. John in
the wilderness 8-km from town, containing
some of the most priceless stained glass
windows. One panel portrays Christ, the
other St. John, the Beptist. It was in
Dharamsala that Lord Elgin, the Scottish
working-peer, and eighth viceroy, who
succeeded Lord Lansdowne, in 1896, took
his vacations from official Shimla.
The
Lord loved the manifold charms of the area
with its lakes and mountains, it reminded
him of his native home in
Scotland--rugged, wild and beautiful. He
did not finish his four- year term,
however, and died in Dharamsala, the town
that he loved so much. Before he died, in
1862, he left instructions to be buried in
the Church of St. John, dedicated to the
patron saint of Scotland, and built in
1860. In the church is the monument to the
viceroy who came to rule but chose to
remain, even in death.
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| Maharaja's
Palace
One
of the smallest Himalayan Hill resorts,
Chail lies at a height of 2,250m. When
Bhupinder Singh, Maharaja of Patiala, was
expelled from Shimla, he decided to create
his own summer capital, which was Chail.
His choice of Chail was perfect - a thick
cover of majestic, soaring deodars
surrounded it. Shimla was just 45-kms
away, and most significantly, the hill of
Chail was decidedly higher than the then
British - controlled Shimla.
About
1.5 km away -- at 8, 000 ft, the highest
point in the area from the downtown Chail
-- is the famous Sidh Baba ka Mandir.
Legend has it that this place located
within dense, deodhar forests, was the
original site for the Maharaja's palace.
But a sidh (a saintly man) appeared in the
Maharaja's dream and deemed the spot
sacred because it was spot where he had
meditated. The next day, the Maharaja
relocated his palace and built a temple in
honour of the sidh.
The
magnificent Rajgarh palace, with elaborate
furnishings, built in 1891. With
comfortable log huts and cottages, dense
forests and serene walks, sprawling lawns,
a childrens park, a `lovers hill', and
sports facilities, Chail is a resort in
the real sense of the term.
One
can opt for a room in any of the
surrounding log huts or cottages, which
are cheaper. The Rajgarh Cottage has four
rooms available on individual basis. It is
possible to hire the entire cottage with
living-dining room and kitchen. The Wood
Rose Cottage, the Monal Cottage and the
log huts have double rooms with kitchen.
Honeymooners can opt for the Honeymoon
Den.
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| Padam
Palace
Raja
Padam Singh, a builder of stature in his
own principality, assigned the task of
building the palace to his chief engineer,
Bir Chand Shukla. It took six years
(1919-1925) for the building to take
shape. Named after the Raja, the building
witnessed the merger of Bushair State with
the Indian union.
Reflecting
the glorious past of the princely state,
the palace is an outstanding example of
the taste, style and architecture of the
erstwhile hill states, and a tribute to
local craftsmen who toiled to carve out
its beauty.
The
two-storey building is done in wood and
stone, with a slanting tin roof with
spiral projections. There is a big lawn,
which was used for festivities and public
functions. At one end of the lawn is
Macchkandi, a masterpiece in woodwork,
which was used for seating the royal
family during the festivities. The
Macchkandi was designed by Gurjit Singh
Fishta and the woodwork done by the
father-and-son team of Gurmail Singh and
Gurdev Singh.
Stones
for the building were quarried at Khaneri
and the wood was brought down from the
jungles of Munish and Dhamreda. Black gram
paste was used for cementing the stone
blocks. The stone arches of the lower
floor and woodwork of the upper storey
mark a striking contrast. The tipper
storey wooden screen has floral and
figurine designs so as to partially admit
light without exposing those inside.
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| Rang
Mahal
Chamba,
situated the beautiful Rang Mahal palace,
which was built by Raja Umed Singh in the
mid 18th century. The palace walls here
are lined with exquisite examples of wall
paintings in the Punjab Hills style, all
of which depict the life and times of Lord
Krishna.
The
architecture reflects Mughal influences.
Additions were made by Jit Singh and
Charat Singh. It became the women's
residence until 1947 and now houses a
college.
The
Rang Mahal or the old palace, Rang Mahal
also houses the Himachal Emporium. Here
one can purchase rumals - small cloths
featuring very fine silk embroidery, a
traditional craft executed by the women of
Chamba, which dates back almost 1000
years.
TIMING
The emporium is open from Monday to
Saturday fro 10 A.M. to 1 P.M. and 2 to 5
P.M.
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| Tabo
Monastery
The
rugged hills around Tabo house a tiny
hamlet that is home to some 350 people.
The Tabo monastery, also referred to as
Tabo Chos-Khor- 'doctrinal circle' or
'doctrinal enclave' is a complex that
holds nine temples, 23 chortens, a monks'
chamber and an extension that houses the
nuns' chamber.
On
the sheer cliff-face above the enclave are
a series of caves, which were used as
dwellings by the monks and include an
'assembly hall'. Faint traces of the
paintings that once embellished the rock
face can be discerned. Even today, Tabo
holds the distinction of being the largest
monastic complex in Spiti. Constructed in
996 AD, Tabo was the brainchild of the
great translator and teacher, Rinchensang
Po.
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| Viceregal
Lodge
On
the Observatory Hills is located Viceregal
Lodge, which is also known as Rashtrapati
Niwas. This magnificent building was the
residence of the British Viceroy Lord
Dufferin. The palatial building was the
venue for many important decisions that
changed the fate of the sub-continent.
This lodge was completed in 1888.
It
is said that mules carried every brick for
the building. 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 Studies
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