Lodging diary

seated in Shimla

In Shimla, a magnificent light-grey stone edifice with sloping roofs occupies a full mountain by itself in the midst of picturesque gardens, and the tranquility of this erstwhile summer capital of the British Raj has long been epitomised as the nerve centre of the colonial rule.

The Viceregal Lodge, now known as the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), is still eulogised as a fine British architectural marvel that stands unaltered in all its glory and form. It is a century and 27 years old.

Much before the narrow gauge railway line was drawn up to the heights of Shimla in 1903, the lodge had come up majestically, commanding over an entire mountain. Imagine building such a gigantic structure (which could house 800 people) without supply lines to bring in raw materials!

The British had the answer. Hundreds of mules and horses were pressed into service for years to bring in hard rock and Burmese Teak from far-flung places to ensure that the Viceregal Lodge would be complete by 1888 (in four years), nearly 15 years before the first steam engine chugged in the hill town.

Not much has changed since then. The Viceregal Lodge, from where 13 viceroys ruled the Indian subcontinent, has stood the test of time.

Planned perfection

It was northern India’s first electrified government building. It still has concealed wiring. Lord and Lady Dufferin moved into the building in the summer of 1888. It is said that the newly installed electric lighting left Lady Dufferin particularly impressed. In early August, the Viceroy gave their first leisure as 66 people sat down for dinner on one table with all lights in full sparkle. The premises even had boilers for central heating and to run hot and cold water in bathrooms.

The grandeur of the Burmese teak wood used in the property remains intact and has never been repolished in 127 years, Bhajan Kainth, the property’s public relation officer, said. Local cedar wood, deodar, was also used wherever needed. The building amazes many among its 1.6 lakh foreign and Indian visitors every year.

Beneath the national flag that is hoisted atop the building lay as many as 24 water tanks, each with a 500-litre capacity, which were reserved extinguishers of sorts as part of the fire-fighting resource for the compound. “The presence of sprinklers and pipelines sealed with wax and nitrogen gas provides a glimpse into all that went into bringing up this residence of the British viceroys and the Rashtrapati Niwas,” said Som Prakash Thakur, the official guide of IIAS.

“The Viceregal Lodge boasts of one of the first premises to scientifically store rain water. The extended gardens surrounding the building have underground tanks that stored water relayed through a network of rainwater harvesting system conceived a century ago,” he added.

Images from history, a photo gallery inside the building, not only provides a glimpse into the historical and political movements before Independence, but also re-creates the days of the Raj at the Viceregal Lodge. A picture of Jawaharlal Nehru riding a horse is sure to draw people’s attention. It’s one of the 60 photographs on display.

Historical showcase

These black & white images of history have been meticulously collected from different sources — Bowood Estate, UK, and the Middlesex University are two of them. The picture section is divided into three clusters and takes you on a journey of Shimla’s heritage and prominent developments at the Viceregal Lodge, including the Shimla Conference in 1945 and the Cabinet Mission meeting in 1946.

A picture of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel in a rickshaw as part of the Cabinet Mission of 1946, to discuss transfer of power from the British, is prominent. There are black & white photographs of Mohammad Ali Jinnah with Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi surrounded by journalists at the entrance gate of the lodge; and of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru riding horses.

Many important decisions taken here changed the fate of the subcontinent. In 1947, the decision to partition India and carve out the states of Pakistan and East Pakistan were also made here.

This building, which was designed by Henry Irvine, architect to the Public Works Department of the colonial government, became the summer retreat of the President of India post Independence. In 1965, Vice President Dr S Radhakrishnan dedicated this place for scholarly work, and it came to be known as the IIAS. Some need-based changes were put to effect.

The wall hangings of British royalty were replaced with Indian heritage photographs and paintings. The state drawing room, ballroom and dining room have been converted into a library, and the conference hall is now a seminar room for research scholars.

The property that spans over 100 acres is looked after by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI), which has, to a large extent, managed to maintain the past glory of the Viceregal Lodge.