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| The Viceroyal Palace,Simla |
Through a charming landscape and uphill drive, we were on our way to the Viceroy`s palace of Simla, on the observatory hill, the place of British sojourn in the congenial weather of Simla where the searing glint of Sun has no access. The windy afternoon slowly turned to a moderate storm as we began our journey and like a ruffian to afflict our drive to the observatory hill, Simla, trampled on the windscreen of our car, might be reminding us the strict British rule that banned general vehicles to ply on the streets of Simla. It is hard to believe; on a modern motor driven road of Simla that rickshaw was the common mode of conveyance till the British domination. Until the Kalka Simla railway was operational from 9-th November 1903, the retreat convoy of the Viceroy usually reached Simla from Kalka by road on Tonga, bullock carts and their belongings on porters back.
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| The Viceroyal Palace,Simla |
Our car stopped near the open space where journey of Indian Viceroy of British regime used to end every year at the arrival of hot season. While walking towards the entrance, I felt very strange reminding that Indian were not allowed to walk even on the Mall of Simla till the end of World War I.
Retaining its elite class since the British era of Viceroyalty, the discriminating Scottish styled castle like architecture designed by Irish architect Henry Irwin has been dedicated after Indian independence to the elite scholars of Indian Institute of Advanced Study. Surrounded in an array of upright trees with a superb lawn in its front the huge palace happened to be summer retreat of the Viceroy of India or a retreat into luxury for the successor of Mughal in India. The venue for many historic meetings since the Viceroyalty of Lord Dufferin, the erstwhile summer palace undergone some changes in its interior design to meet the requirement of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study.
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