India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [518]
WHAT TO SEE & DO
Shimla’s main promenade is The Mall, a pedestrian avenue stretching across the length of the city from Gopal Mandir in the west to the suburb of Chhota Shimla, roughly south of the town center. Along this stretch, crumbling remnants of the British Raj abound, but it’s hard not to be startled by the attendant concrete sprawl. Above The Mall is The Ridge, a wide-open esplanade watched over by a statue of Gandhi to the east, where the nearby Gothic Christchurch is one of Shimla’s most imposing structures, situated adjacent the faux-Tudor half-timbered library. Note the fresco around the chancel window, designed by Lockwood Kipling, Rudyard’s father.
Also on The Mall are the Telegraph Office, an interesting example of stone ashlar work completed in 1922 and, to its right, the old Railway Booking Office, a sadly decaying building frequently overrun by obnoxious monkeys. Marking the area where The Ridge joins with The Mall, Scandal Point continues to be a popular social hangout, supposedly taking its name from an unconfirmed scandal involving the elopement of a handsome Patiala prince with the daughter of a British commander-in-chief. Beyond the fire station, after the dressed stone building housing the Municipal Offices, is the Gaiety Theatre, originally the Town Hall. Renowned for its excellent acoustics, the Gaiety has seen some notable personalities grace its planks, including Lord Robert Baden-Powell and novelist M. M. Kaye, once—not all with great success; a fashionable piece of gossip tells how Rudyard Kipling was booed off the stage. The neo-gothic theater reopened in July 2009 after a mammoth 5-year restoration, and will presumably become a social hub once again.
A short walk east of The Ridge will take you to the start of a rather strenuous but worthwhile hike to the summit of Jakhu Hill , which, at an altitude of 2,445m (8,020 ft.), is Shimla’s highest point and affords excellent views of the city and surrounding valleys. You need to trudge up a steep 1.5km (1-mile) path, commencing at The Ridge and culminating at Shimla’s highest point, to get to the Hanuman Temple on Jakhu’s summit. Try to make it to the top in time for sunrise or sunset, either of which is glorious. The little temple is dedicated to Hinduism’s popular monkey god (who is said to have rested on Jakhu Hill on his return from a mission in the Himalayas). Today his brazen descendants continue to patrol the path, so beware of carrying food or doing anything likely to provoke them. After you sound the bell at the temple entrance, enter to discover a curious concoction of serious Hindu faith and jovial Christmas pomp suggested by the tinsel and streamer decorations; the priest will happily give you a blessing.
To the west of the city, beyond the Cecil hotel, is the vast six-story Scottish baronial mansion formerly known as Viceregal Lodge (Observatory Hill; Tues–Sun 9am–1pm and 2–5pm). The admission fee of Rs 50 includes a guide but be warned that if you turn up when it’s busy, the tour will feel unpleasantly oversubscribed so try to arrive early in the day. Built in 1888 at the behest of the British viceroy in an approximation of the Elizabethan style, the lodge is Shimla’s single greatest architectural testament to the influence of the British Raj, and its luxuriant woodwork and lovely views attract numerous visitors. Even in 1888 it had electric light and an indoor tennis court, both rare for the times. The building was the summer residence of all viceroys until 1947, when India was granted independence and the building renamed Rashtrapati Niwas, a retreat for the president of India. The first president of India thought it should be put to better use, however, and in 1964 it was inhabited by the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, an academic foundation still housed here. It has a museum of photographs and other artifacts that highlight the important events that took place in Shimla during the preindependence days.
If you want to get beyond the usual tourist experience and steer clear of the crowds, head down one of the stairways