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Architecture In Shimla

About Shimla

Shimla is a beautiful hill station in the Himachal Pradesh state of India. It is popularly know as the "Queen of Hills". Shimla, originally known as Simla, was a major town in the time of Britisher. Thus the architecture in Shimla is largely influenced by the Britishers. The present day Shimla is the capital of Himachal Pradesh and is a popular tourist destination. It is a small hill station town with the population of 1.6 lacs. The main things to see and experience in Shimla are the grand buildings of British time, wooden handicrafts, and apples that are exported worldwide. During the time of the British, Shimla was the summer capital of the Viceroy. The viceroy and the other administrative members used to spend the summers in Shimla. From May till July, Shimla used to hustle and bustle with administrative activities. The families of the administrative members also used to accompany them to spend the summer in Shimla. This is the reason why Shimla has buildings, homes, churches, and lodges that are typically British in architecture. The architecture of Shimla is called colonial architecture. Renaissance influenced designs and neo gothic architecture are predominant in the buildings of Shimla. The Britishers and their family used to spend half of the year in this hill station. Thus the whole infrastructure of Shimla is based on their needs and lifestyle. The architecture of Shimla can be analyzed with the help of a few iconic structures of the town. The first and foremost in this category is the Viceroy's Lodge.

Tourist Attractions in Shimla

Shimla is the capital of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. British declared this city as their summer capital in 1864. Presently, it is a sought after tourist destination and dubbed as the

Queen of Hills. Situated in the north western part of the Himalayan Mountains, Shimla has an elevation of 2,205 meters above sea level. Surrounded by pine and oak forests and the snow capped peaks in winter, Shimla is a popular retreat for the honeymoon couples and international visitors. The colonial buildings in this city reflect the neo-Gothic architecture. Shimla is home to a number of natural, historical and religious sites drawing tourists throughout the year. The Shimla Summer Festival brings in large tourist crowd. There are also local hang out areas, markets for shopping and restaurants making your vacation to Shimla an experience of a lifetime. Shimla also has numerous temples that bring in devotees on different occasions. There are also several entertainment options here. This city is home to Asias largest natural ice skating ring. Top Shimla Attractions This picturesque town is host to a number of attractions such as the following: Shimla Mall The shopping hub of Shimla, Shimla Mall is the ultimate hangout zone in this town. It has a number of restaurants, cafes, government offices and cinema complexes. The Gaiety Theatre is an important attraction on Shimla Mall road. Built by the British, it is host to several cultural activities now. The Mall road runs parallel to the Ridge and bends at the Lakkar Bazaar, the famous market for wood crafts and furniture. The Ridge Situated in the heart of Shimla, The Ridge is an open space running alongside Shimla Mall. The Shimla Summer Festival takes place here and New Year witnesses a grand celebration. On its eastern end is a large reservoir that acts as the main water supply for the town. Himachal State Museum and Library Also known as the Shimla State Museum, ancient sculptures and paintings form the largest collection here. Inaugurated in 1974, this museum also houses a gallery of miniature Pahari style of painting, wood carvings, jewelry and costumes. It gives tourists a glimpse of the cultural wealth of Himachal Pradesh. Christ Church, Shimla It is the second oldest Christian house of worship in North India. Located on the Ridge, it was constructed in 1857, soon after the Sepoy Mutiny. It is another structure in the town built in the neo-Gothic style. Lockwood Kipling designed the chancel window of the central hall. In 1860, a clock was added on the church tower. Indian Institute of Advanced Studies Started in the year 1888, this institution is a fine example of Renaissance architecture. The beautiful lawns and the garden are added features. The beautifully lined pine trees add to the serenity of the place. Summer Hill A 5 km drive from The Ridge will take you the township called the Summer Hill, situated at an elevation of 6,500 feet. The University of Himachal Pradesh is situated here and Mahatma

Gandhi is believed to have stayed here during his visits to the state. It is also among the popular honeymoon locales in the city. Kali Bari Temple This temple in Shimla has Goddess Shyamala Devi as the principal deity. Shimla derives its name from this goddess. Tara Devi Temple This Hindu shrine in Shimla is located on the Shimla-Kalka road and around 11 km away from the Shimla bus terminal. This temple is dedicated to the Goddess of the heavenly stars. The hilltop offers stunning views of the city.

At present the Viceroy's Lodge operates as the Indian Institute of Advance Study. The structure looks like a grand British house or rather a palace. The exterior is done in gray sandstone and light blue limestone. In typical Gothic style iron girders, beams, and trusses have been used. To give the look of a European castle, glass windows, and brick roof have been added. In true British style, the interior of the Viceroy Lodge is adorned with glass ceiling and fireplace. The fireplace has been replaced by Indian Wheel of Progress. To suit European lifestyle there is a ballroom and a huge library. The architecture in Shimla is a replica of European architecture. However, the material used in construction is all Indian or local. Wooden stairs, grey sandstone, teak panels, Walnut ceiling with Kashimiri design, are some of the popular construction materials used in the Viceroy's lodge.

The other prominent structure that has European architecture in Shimla is the Christ Church. Situated in the ridge area the Church signifies British period in India. The stained glass windows are typical to the Christian architecture originated in Europe. The landscape of Shimla is largely influenced by European architecture. The mall, church, ridge, and gardens of Shimla are the memories left behind the British. The architecture in Shimla is worth noticing along with its natural beauty.

British Colonial Architecture IV The Seats of Power - Shimla and New Delhi by Ashish Nangia The British Empire legitimized its colonial rule as an entity furthering the abstract principles of the Rule of Law, the Progress of Industrialized Society and the Model Ruler. It is thus ironical that the public buildings of the empire were anything but of the people, in the main they continued the well-established Indian traditions of ostentation and luxury. This is in contrast to the partan accommodation of the majority of officials who actually governed - they lived in the ubiquitous bungalow, originating from the simple double-roofed hut of Bengal, and which would expand in size and complexity on a scale ascending strictly in accordance with the gradations of their hierarchically ordered service. An essential ingredient was the Classical portico, extended to form the sun-shielding verandah in more elevated permutations, asserting the dignity of the ruler without ostentation.

Shimla was the viceroys seat for half the year, during the summer months. The vice-regal lodge here is patterned after an English great house, complete with a quaint reproduction of a rural parish church, now in ruin and inhabited mostly by bats and a play space for children who live near. Even though the vice-regal lodge is grand, it pales in contrast with the last capital of British India laid out from 1913 by Sir Edwin Lutyens in collaboration with Sir Herbert Baker, who was fresh from his imperious triumph at Pretoria.

Raj Relics The Architecture of Shimla

By Amandeep Madra on October 11, 2006 Heritage Zone Though the INTACH had identified 329 structures in and around the town to be declared as heritage buildings but the government has decided to include only 97 of these for the time being. The list of these 97 structures both private and government will be placed before the Cabinet for its approval. In order to ensure conservation of heritage along the Mall, the stretch from Chotta Shimla to the Vice-Regal Lodge has been notified as Heritage Zone. Only reconstruction along old lines is permissible in this zone and that too in strict accordance with heritage regulations and projecting the original structures. It is being suggested that in order to encourage people to adopt the British architectural features, prepared doors, windows and other material be supplied through some agency like the Municipal Corporation or a development agency at subsidized rates. The new structures that come up in a particular locality should be in consonance with the prominent British time building in that

particular area so that there are no eye sores in the form of ugly concrete structures, says an official. Names galore (LEFT) BANTONY- This is one of the t well proportioned and architecturally beautiful building of Shimla.
Located near the GPO on the road leading to the Kalibari temple, it was the summer palace of the Maharaja of Sirmour. Before its construction in 1880, the place had a rickety cottage belonging to one Capt Gordon, with some Indian army officers living in it. Photos by Anil Dayal

Perceived and established by the British during colonial period in first half of the 19th century as their summer capital, the town had acquired global fame by the time the British left it in 1947. Known by various names like Indian Mount Olympus Abode of the little tin Gods and British Jewel of the Orient Shimla has a name in the international market due to its unique architectural and beautiful buildings that dot the cityscape. The British in trying to recreate homely atphere used English architecture while constructing their houses. However, with time they also incorporated the indigenous style as a result of which some of the buildings display attributes of a different style coined as the Anglo Indian architecture. The Bantony, the summer palace of the Maharaj of Sirmour is a perfect example of this style. Gothic architecture Swiss Chalet bungalows were the t common in Shimla along with Baronial Chateaus with corrugated iron roof and Tudor Gothic, a dull but dignified style. The city possesses distinct British heritage, including institutional buildings, bungalows, churches, theatres, schools, hospitals street pattern Some of the architectural masterpieces constructed by the British include Vice Regal Lodge, Gorton Castle, Bantony, Railway Board building, Gaiety Theatre, Town Hall, Auckland House, Ellerslie, Barnes Court and Chalet Day School. The houses were named either after the name of the owner like Kennedy House, Bentick Castel or after important features on which they were located like Mt Pleasant Lodge, Knollswood Lodge, Observatory House or on the physical characteristic around it like natural vegetation Oak Ville Violet, Fir Cottage, Pine Lodge or North View, Snow View. Many of the names of houses were also changed as its ownership changed like Allan Bank was called Nunnery in 1840 when its was occupied by three sisters. Like t of the other pedestrian hill stations set up by the British, Shimla too is a melancholy shadow of its past. However, with the government now keen to take some concrete steps it is being hoped that there will be thrust on heritage conservation so that it preserved for posterity. Shimla should be declared a heritage city and making heritage conservation as a peoples movement is the foret necessity, feels Mr B.S. Malhans, Convener of the Shimla Chapter of the INTACH.

Shimla Architecture
The presence of cedar forests has played a major role in the evolution and development of various architectural forms. The wood extracted from the cidar tree is full of strength and can be used in multistoreys, can withstand long periods of weather corrosion, the wood is insect and termite resistant. The 'Kathkuni' or 'Kathkundi' style of building is something unique to this part of the world. A mesh of interlocking horizontal cedar (locally, deodar) sleepers is created - and in this dressed or raw stone is packed. A singular characteristic is the absence of vertical members. With inherent elasticity, the design has an enormous seismic response - there have been instances when tremors have dislodged the stones from the frame, and later, have been hammered back into the intact mesh of wood houses and temples in the style are present in the districts of Shimla, Kullu & Kinnaur. Walls of rammed earth are popular all over and in the treeless tracts of the Trans Himalaya, some stunning architecture has been created on seemingly insurmountable sites. The quality of dressed or carved stone has created remarkable temples, forts and residences. Fine slate, or slabs of quartzite have provided roofing material. This came to be known as Hill Architecture.With the coming of the Europeans, Himachal added another dimension to its rich architectural heritage. It went on changing and the initial simple Swiss-type cottages/German country houses were outshone by architectural marvels in Elizabethan style of English renaissance or Gothic or the splendour of dressed stones and gray slate roof. All this assimilated well with the character of Shimla. It enhanced, not diminished the beauty of the hill station. The state capital has some of the world's finest examples of British colonial architecture. Inspired by the Renaissance in England, is the greystone former Viceregal Lodge (now the Indian Institute of Advanced Study), the neo Gothic structures of the gaiety theatre and the former imperial Civil Secretariat (now the Accountant General's Office). There are the Tudor framed Barnes Court (now the Raj Bhawan), and the distinctive Vidhan Sabha and the secretariat of the government of Himachal Pradesh. Some of the heritage buildings are :-

Ellerslie : The Himachal Pradesh Secretariat (Ellerslie building) was designed

by Lt. Col. H.E.S. Abbott 100 years back. This beautiful building was

constructed after dismantling an old building of the same name that housed the Military Department of the Punjab Government till 1886. Abbot sought permission for construction from the then Secretary of the Municipal Committee Major W.P. Larson and wrote " you are aware of the intensions of the Punjab Government to pull down the house 'Ellerslie' and build on the site a new set of offices to accommodate the whole of Punjab Secretariat." The permission was granted on 28th June, 1899. The inside of Ellerslie is made of stone quarried from Sanjauli and Barnes Court (Present Raj Bhawan) and stuck together using lime mortar. The brickwork too has lime mortar cementing. The Himachal Pradesh Secretariat occupied it in the summers of 1967. In July 1972 the "Summit Hall" where the cabinet meetings are held was spruced up and was given this name as initial summit meeting for Shimla Agreement between India and Pakistan. This building with sub-basement, basement and three floors, now has 143 rooms and 31 toilets. It covers and area of about 8663 meters.

The Vice Regal Lodge : On the Observatory Hills is located the Viceregal

Lodge. Also known as Rashtrapati Niwas, it was formerly the residence of the British Viceroy Lord Dufferin, was the venue for many important decisions, which changed the fate of the sub-continent. It is quite befittingly the only building in Shimla that occupies a hill by itself. This rambling Scottish baronial edifice was designed by Henry Irvine, architect to the Public Works Department of the colonial government in India. The south facing entrance portico sees the visitor into the reception hall. The hall is marked by a grand staircase which springs from the right and spirals up three

full floors. Facing the main entrance is the grand fireplace. A gallery with well-appointed teak panelling is the central space of the building around which the other rooms are arranged. The state drawing room, ballroom, and the wood-panelled dining room - decorated with coats of arms of former Governor-Generals and Viceroys - lead to the gallery at the lower level. Verandas and terraces surround the entire building at different levels. Those at the lower level link the lodge to the magnificent grounds while those on other floors provide superb views of mountains. Way back in 1888 this Lodge had electric light when nobody else in Shimla did and, would you believe it, an indoor tennis court! The lodge had extensive facilities including huge kitchens; separate rooms for storing table linen, plates, china and glass; laundry; an enormous wine cellar; a room for empty cases; boilers for central heating and running hot and cold water in the bathrooms. Pretty much as in Delhis Viceregal Palace, the Viceroy hosted lavish parties and entertained the royal princes and nawabs in style. Several momentous decisions were taken in this building. This was the venue of the Simla Conference in 1945. In 1947 , the decision to partition India and carve out the states of Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) , was also taken here. After independence, the Lodge remained the summer retreat of the President of India. In the early 60s the President of India, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, a leading philosopher and writer, and the Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru decided to make it a scholars den where the best minds would find an ideal retreat. Thats when the Indian Institute of Advanced Study moved into the Lodge in 1965.Obviously enough, some of the interiors had to be changed to accommodate the needs of the Institute. The state drawing room, ballroom, and dining room, for example, have been converted into a library; the Viceroys office is now the IIAS Directors office; and the conference hall is now a seminar room for research scholars. Without the large contingent of Viceregal attendants and the resources, the ambience of this large estate is very different from what it used to be in the days of the Raj.The institute seems like the perfect setting for lively intellectual debates and discussions. The list of Fellows of the Institute includes names the Burmese Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Sun Kyi, who was a fellow here in 1986.

Christ Church : The most prominent building on the Mall is the yellow Christ

Church, reputed to be the second oldest church in northern India. The Christ Church is the most important landmark here and is photographed by tourists. The silhouette of this can be seen on the skyline for miles around. It

was designed by Colonel JT Boileau in 1844, but consecrated only after 1857. The clock was donated by Colonel Dumbleton in 1860, and the porch added in 1873. It still has those lovely stained glass windows (five in all) for which it is so famed. Check out the one that represents the virtues of Faith, Hope, Charity, Fortitude, Patience and Humility. According to Mr. Bazel Dean, the pipe organ is one of the biggest in the country and was erected in September, 1899. Its tuning was completed on September 23, 1899, and the dedication and opening recital took place on September 28, 1899.The beautiful "king of instruments" was built by Messers Morgan and Smith of Brighten (England) at a cost of Rs 23,000. It was extensively repaired in 1932.The 155-yearold church first had an organ which was erected in 1855. The major portion of it cost 250 and was subscribed by Lady Gomm wife of the Commanderin-Chief. In 1875, the organ was replaced by a new instrument which in 1899 was sold to the Rawalpindi Church to make room for the present organ. The two most expensive stops were presented by Air Mackworth Young and Sir James Walker, while the cost of decorating the pipes was defrayed by the Countess of Elgin to commemorate the marriage of her daughter Lady Elizabeth Bruce with H. Babington Smith in the church on September 22, 1898. In the winter of 1900 the six bells were hung in the tower. The actual cost of the church came out to be Rs 89,000.

Gorton Castle : One of the most striking buildings of the British empire,
Gorton Castle is a new-Gothic structure that had the famous Sir Swinton Jacob as its architect - the Rajasthan jaali work on its balconies obviously came from his forty five years of experience as the executive engineer of the princely state of Jaipur, completed in 1904, this was the Civil Secretariat of the Imperial Government of India and housed the Legislative, Lands, Education, Home Health and Finance departments. Today, this houses the offices of the Accountant General of

Himachal Pradesh. This three floored building with about 125 small and big rooms became the seat of the Accountant General in 1947. This finest house in Shimla, according to Sir Edward Buck also has one floor paved with rosewood like timber blocks which were brought from Andaman Islands by B.Ribbentrop head of forest department. The site belonged to one Mr. Gorton, ICS in 1840. After changing hands thrice, it was purchased by a banker, Sir James Walker for Rs. 80,000. He wished to gift it for construction of Hospital After much discussion and persuasion the building was acquired for its officers and Sir Walker was given alternate site where Walker Hospital was constructed.

The Railway Board Building : Built in 1896-97, this unusual cast iron and
steel structure once held the offices of the Railway Board and the Department of Commerce. But at a time when safety was a coreconsideration for important buildings throughout the British Empire, this was designed to be structurally fire fire-resistant, and a recent blaze has testified to this in Shimla. The building was originally designated as the 'Public Works Department Secretariat Offices' and was fabricated by the Bombay based firm of Rishardson and Cruddas. Above road level, the building has four levels and with one side exposed, climbing down the hill, it has three basements. On the 10 Feb,2001 a blaze broke out in the top floor and standing testimony to its construction and to the subsequent restoration, no trace of this huge fire remains today and its facade is as imposing as ever. Presently, it houses many of the Central Government Offices.

Gaiety Theatre : The Gaiety Theatre, and a tradition of amateur theatrical

remains in the stump of the once colossal edifice that was the Town Hall. The architect Henry Irwin, who built the Viceregal Lodge, designed the theatre building. In 1911, the upper portions of the building were dismantled as the structure was found to be unsafe. It was opened on the 30th of May,

1887, Queen Victoria's Jubilee Year and its God- Father was lord Bill Beresford, who saved the Simla A.D.C.(Amateur Dramatic Club) , time and again from financial ruin. The formal inauguration of the Simla A.D.C. took place in the year 1888 and since then plays have been staged in the Gaiety with unfalling regularty.The history of ADC goes back to the times when theatre was looked upon as a major and serious source of entertainment and, therefore became a cultural necessity for the English elite. Hence, Shimla became the home of amateur theatre and the Gaiety Theatre produced the best of the plays performed in London. Among the leading theatre personalities connected with the Shimla Amateur Dramatic Club are: Field Marshal Lord Roberts, who remained president of the Club from 1891-1892 during his tenure as Commander-in-Chief of India; Major P.H. Dnyer, a distinguished producer and actor who acted in Loyalties, Interference and Mary Rose; Lord Bill Beresford, V.C. who was the Military Secretary to Viceroy Lord Lytton, famous poet and author Rudyard Kipling, Lord Kitchner, Mrs. Deane, Major General Sir Godfrey Williams, the Chief of Scouts, Colonel Baden-Powell, and Sir Dennis Fitz Patrick, Lieut-Governor of Punjab during 1895 and many others. Notable film personalities like K.L. Saigal, Prithvi Raj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, Jennifer Kendall, Raj Babbar, Anupam Kher, Manohar Singh, Nasseerudin Shah, frequently performed on the stage of the Gaiety theatre.

Wood Ville : Woodville is one of the oldest and finest houses of Shimla east.

It became the honoured residence of the Commander-in-Chief in the year 1865, and its first occupant was General Sir William Rose Mansfield. After the year 1881 the Commander-in-Chief deserted it for Snowdon, near Lakkar Bazaar, which was burnt down some year back and the site is now taken by Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, also called Snowdon Hospital. In the year 1881 Woodville house was bought by Sir James Walker and afterwards passed on to the Alliance Bank of Simla, which used it as the manager's residence. The bank collapsed in the year 1923 and not long afterwards the house was bought over by Raja Rana Sir Bhagat Chand of Jubbal, who tastefully converted it into his summer Palace. After the Raja's death, the Palace has been turned into a hotel by one of his grandsons. The house has lovely surroundings, beautiful wooded walks, clusters of pine and

deodars, and well-groomed lawns, reminiscent of a large German countryhouse. Woodville is an ideal refuge for people who really want peace and quietude, away from the madding crowd. The owner of the Woodville Palace Hotel lives within the estate.

Shimla File
Annadale Ground : No Other landmark in Simla can revive more pleasant
memories than the famous playground and race-course by the name of Annadale, located in a deep wide valley in the suburban village of Kaithu, simla west. This playground rests on a small patch of table-land about a three-quarters of a mile in circumference. The spur on which it stood was a sort of valley-flat which was greatly extended and improved. Now misnamed Annandale, the original name of this place was Annadale and this name is derived from a small story about it. The story is that Captain charles pratt Kennedy, one of the first incomers to this place, was so struck by the beauty of the valley that he saw, that be named after a young lady to whom he was so deeply attached in his young boyhood days. Her name was Anna and he combined it with the word 'dale' meaning a valley, thus calling the valley as Annadale. this spelling appears in the early lithographs of Simla done about the year 1840. Annandale, since its inception in the 1830s was the haunt of Anglo-Indian playful activities, amusements and entertainments. It was the favourite place for picnic parties, fetes and fancy-fairs, birthday-balls,flower and dog shows, army tatoos,races and gymkhanas,polo matches and other tournaments in 1888 which became a regular annual feature and which still bears his name although the venue of this tournament is now shifted to Calcutta. An ambitious improvement scheme was launched by Lord William Beresford, the Military Secretary to Lord Dufferin, and his keen interest in the expansion of Annandale ground gave the 'Cricketers a new pavilion and a polo field for the polo fans.' The cutting of a big piece of the hill cost nearly Rs 80,000 to which handsome amounts were contributed by the Indian Rajas. In the old regime there was a general committee for the maintenance of the ground and funds were derived from the rents paid by the gymkhana,

polo and cricket clubs, race committee and other voluntary organisations. Presently there are no more races and the field is utilised as a helipad and for army exercise and parades, sports and occasionally for other kinds of assemblages like Dussehra festival celebrations. The very first fancy fair was held in Annandale in the year 1839.

Scandal Point : Scandal Point is the hub of the town's social life. Behind this,

stands the wide timber-framed PostOffice in Spartan brick and the building of the Church of Scotland, St. Andrew's. Arguably the Scandal Point still echoes the sentiments expressed by Harrop,"The transmitters of gossip are ever at work and savory and unsavory secrets of our society are flashed to the uttermost limits of Simla with all the speed of wireless." There used to be a mechanical equestrian statue here. It was a clever piece of mechanism, which smiles, salutes and slaps its horse occasionally, when it shows signs of undue activity and restlessness.

The Road to Shimla : In the early days of Simla settlement the visitor to

Simla required Herculean strength to cope with the hardship of uncomfortable, cumbersome and exhausting travel. By the 1860's the East India Railway had come only upto Ambala (Umbllah) from where one had to proceed by four wheeled 'Dak Garry' or Mail Wagon to Kalka, at the foot of Simla hills. These Carriages were mainly drawn by horse but at times bullocks or even elephants were utilised to pull them across the bridge-less River Ghaggar. From Kalka another eight hours of gruelling journey by 'Tonga', a two wheeled horse carriage, brought the visitor to Simla.The tonga was a greater affliction than the Dak Garry. It was a crude,uncomfortable but strong two-wheeled cart drawn by one or two Kabul ponies, harnessed in curicle style passengers sitting back to back, and luggage strapped on to the sides over the wheels,with the pathan driver at the reins. It accommodated 4 to 6 passengers. The other modes of transport

of earlier days were bullock-carts, mule-trains, camels and horses, 'dandy' (a sedan chair slung on poles and carried by bearers) and 'jampan' or 'doli' which was a covered type of curtailed tiny box-like compartment, carried like the dandy. the janpan was described by one sufferer as 'a jolting, back aching abomination'

The Combermere Bridge : The Combermere Bridge on the mall is the oldest

British landmark of Shimla. In the words of Captain Mundy, A.D.C. to lord Combermere (1928),"Lord Combermere amused himself, and benefitted the public by superintending the formation of a fine, broad,level road round the mount Jakhu, about three miles in length...worked entirely by Hill men...and skillfully done..and when finished, will be a great acquisition to the loungers of Shimla.This is the present Jakhu round, a favourite woody walk around JakhuHill." Across a deep ravine, a quarter of mile from the town, his lordship erected neat 'Sangah', or a mountain bridge of pines; and under it a capacious stone tank was constructed to obviate the great scarcity of water." The bridge still bears the name of Combermere and it was the first step towards the improvement of Simla.Present day bridge was built in 1971-72. Today Combermere Bridge is a busy spot surrounded by the lift to cart road, Indira Gandhi Khel Parisar, Fruit vendors and Pram Wallahas.

Seven Hills : Shimla is surrounded by Seven Hills , These hills offer a wide
variety of trails to visitors to explore. The seven Hills are : i) Prospect Hill in western Shimla, which has the Kamna Devi temple. ii) Summer Hill in western Shimla, where the campus of Himachal Pradesh University is located. iii) Observatory Hill in western Shimla, where the Indian Institute of Advanced Study is found. iv) Inverarm in western Shimla, where the State Museum is located.

v) Bantony in central Shimla, which has the Grand Hotel. vi) Jakhoo in central Shimla, which is crowned by the temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman. vii) Elysium in north-western Shimla, which holds Auckland House and Longwood and reaches out towards the Bharari spur.

Bhalku and Kalka-Shimla Railway : The 95 kilometer long Kalka-Shimla

Railway track, a unique feat of engineering, was laid under the guidance of Bhalku Sirmauri. He guided the engineers showing them the line, the track should take. Legends is that the track was revealed to him by the Devta. Railway line was laid exactly on the trace shown by him. It was built under the supervision of H.S. Harington, Chief Engineer. With the growth in the simla population,permanent and floating, the M.C.C. (Motor Car Co.) was not found capable enough to cope with the growth transport of passengers,luggage and the provisions of everyday consumption which had to be brought in from the markets in the plains and a necessity was felt to find a better alternative means of transport.So a Mountain Railway Project was planned in 1847. The narrow gauge track (2ft. 6 in. gauge) runs through picturesque mountain scenery ascending from 2800 feet to 7000 feet. From Kalka (at 640 m) the track rises to Simla Railway Station (2060 m) through 103 tunnels and passes through 800 bridges and 900 curves. Barog tunnel 2.8 Km long is the longest tunnel.