Here are few shots from my stay in Shimla. Until the British arrived, there was nothing in Shimla except a sleepy forrest glade known as Syamala (name for Kali). When the Scottish civil servant Charles Kennedy build a summer house here in 1822, everything has changed. By 1864 Shimla has developed into the official summer capital of the Raj. Every summer, until 1939, the entire government of India stayed here in order to escape the heat in other parts of Bharat. Until 1966 Shimla was even briefly a capital of Punjab.
My fellow travellers - Sarah from Vrindavan, Micheal from Chicago and Louise from London, who both study Hindi with me in Jaipur. We are relaxing after visiting the Jakhu temple, which is dedicated to Hanuman. Monkeys are certainly present there and one has even bitten Micheal.
At the time of our stay, the local voting poll was going on. I stepped into the BJP rally, waved to the politicians and got an ashirvad in return. BJP won.
Views which daily soothed my "over-studied" mind!
Christ Church built between 1846 and 1857. Since it was Christmas time when I visited this beautiful town, members of the Christ Church community were busy entertainig tourists with Christmas carrols and food distribution (rice, subji, chapatties - in case you wandered!)
Shimla certainly feels like England!
Shimla hundred years ago.
Viceregal Lodge - an important historical spot, since it is here where the decision of the indian partition was made. Gandhi and Nehru were of course present in the meetings. Nowadays this beautiful building is used as the Indian Institute of Advanced Study and a museum. British emblems were removed and replaced with Indian national emblems.
Here are few shots from my stay in Shimla. Until the British arrived, there was nothing in Shimla except a sleepy forrest glade known as Syamala (name for Kali). When the Scottish civil servant Charles Kennedy build a summer house here in 1822, everything has changed. By 1864 Shimla has developed into the official summer capital of the Raj. Every summer, until 1939, the entire government of India stayed here in order to escape the heat in other parts of Bharat. Until 1966 Shimla was even briefly a capital of Punjab.
My fellow travellers - Sarah from Vrindavan, Micheal from Chicago and Louise from London, who both study Hindi with me in Jaipur. We are relaxing after visiting the Jakhu temple, which is dedicated to Hanuman. Monkeys are certainly present there and one has even bitten Micheal.
At the time of our stay, the local voting poll was going on. I stepped into the BJP rally, waved to the politicians and got an ashirvad in return. BJP won.
Views which daily soothed my "over-studied" mind!
Christ Church built between 1846 and 1857. Since it was Christmas time when I visited this beautiful town, members of the Christ Church community were busy entertainig tourists with Christmas carrols and food distribution (rice, subji, chapatties - in case you wandered!)
Shimla certainly feels like England!
Shimla hundred years ago.
Viceregal Lodge - an important historical spot, since it is here where the decision of the indian partition was made. Gandhi and Nehru were of course present in the meetings. Nowadays this beautiful building is used as the Indian Institute of Advanced Study and a museum. British emblems were removed and replaced with Indian national emblems.
