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Indian
States Guide >>
Himachal Pradesh Travel Guide >> |
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Monuments
of Himachal
Pradesh
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Lord
Elgin's Memorial
After the honors
of 1857, India's First War of independence, Queen Victoria assumed the
title of Empress of India. Her Prime Minister, Lord Canning made the
proclamation and the Governor General's title was raised to that of
Viceroy of India.
Though Shimla was
the official capital of Imperial Delhi other beauty spots also got full
quota of unofficial patronage and schools sprung up in the hills of
Himachal Pradesh, such as Dagshai, Sanawar, Shimla, etc. Along with the
schools came graceful Gothic Cathedrals with stained glass windows
depicting episodes from the life of Jesus Christ and the Old Testament.
Reproducing the famous religious architecture of Sir Christopher Wren
who built St. Pauls in London and others, some were worthy copies.
One such is the
elegant Church of St. John in the wilderness 8-km from town, containing
some of the most priceless stained glass windows. One panel portrays
Christ, the other St. John, the Beptist. It was in Dharamsala that Lord
Elgin, the Scottish working-peer, and eighth viceroy, who succeeded Lord
Lansdowne, in 1896, took his vacations from official Shimla.
The Lord loved
the manifold charms of the area with its lakes and mountains, it
reminded him of his native home in Scotland--rugged, wild and beautiful.
He did not finish his four- year term, however, and died in Dharamsala,
the town that he loved so much. Before he died, in 1862, he left
instructions to be buried in the Church of St. John, dedicated to the
patron saint of Scotland, and built in 1860. In the church is the
monument to the viceroy who came to rule but chose to remain, even in
death.
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Maharaja's Palace
One of the
smallest Himalayan Hill resorts, Chail lies at a height of 2,250m. When
Bhupinder Singh, Maharaja of Patiala, was expelled from Shimla, he
decided to create his own summer capital, which was Chail. His choice of
Chail was perfect - a thick cover of majestic, soaring deodars
surrounded it. Shimla was just 45-kms away, and most significantly, the
hill of Chail was decidedly higher than the then British - controlled
Shimla.
About 1.5 km away
-- at 8, 000 ft, the highest point in the area from the downtown Chail
-- is the famous Sidh Baba ka Mandir. Legend has it that this place
located within dense, deodhar forests, was the original site for the
Maharaja's palace. But a sidh (a saintly man) appeared in the Maharaja's
dream and deemed the spot sacred because it was spot where he had
meditated. The next day, the Maharaja relocated his palace and built a
temple in honour of the sidh.
The magnificent
Rajgarh palace, with elaborate furnishings, built in 1891. With
comfortable log huts and cottages, dense forests and serene walks,
sprawling lawns, a childrens park, a `lovers hill', and sports
facilities, Chail is a resort in the real sense of the term.
One can opt for a
room in any of the surrounding log huts or cottages, which are cheaper.
The Rajgarh Cottage has four rooms available on individual basis. It is
possible to hire the entire cottage with living-dining room and kitchen.
The Wood Rose Cottage, the Monal Cottage and the log huts have double
rooms with kitchen. Honeymooners can opt for the Honeymoon Den.
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Padam Palace
Raja Padam Singh,
a builder of stature in his own principality, assigned the task of
building the palace to his chief engineer, Bir Chand Shukla. It took six
years (1919-1925) for the building to take shape. Named after the Raja,
the building witnessed the merger of Bushair State with the Indian
union.
Reflecting the
glorious past of the princely state, the palace is an outstanding
example of the taste, style and architecture of the erstwhile hill
states, and a tribute to local craftsmen who toiled to carve out its
beauty.
The two-storey
building is done in wood and stone, with a slanting tin roof with spiral
projections. There is a big lawn, which was used for festivities and
public functions. At one end of the lawn is Macchkandi, a masterpiece in
woodwork, which was used for seating the royal family during the
festivities. The Macchkandi was designed by Gurjit Singh Fishta and the
woodwork done by the father-and-son team of Gurmail Singh and Gurdev
Singh.
Stones for the
building were quarried at Khaneri and the wood was brought down from the
jungles of Munish and Dhamreda. Black gram paste was used for cementing
the stone blocks. The stone arches of the lower floor and woodwork of
the upper storey mark a striking contrast. The tipper storey wooden
screen has floral and figurine designs so as to partially admit light
without exposing those inside.
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Rang
Mahal
Chamba, situated
the beautiful Rang Mahal palace, which was built by Raja Umed Singh in
the mid 18th century. The palace walls here are lined with exquisite
examples of wall paintings in the Punjab Hills style, all of which
depict the life and times of Lord Krishna.
The architecture
reflects Mughal influences. Additions were made by Jit Singh and Charat
Singh. It became the women's residence until 1947 and now houses a
college.
The Rang Mahal or
the old palace, Rang Mahal also houses the Himachal Emporium. Here one
can purchase rumals - small cloths featuring very fine silk embroidery,
a traditional craft executed by the women of Chamba, which dates back
almost 1000 years.
TIMING
The emporium is open from Monday to Saturday fro 10 A.M. to 1 P.M. and 2
to 5 P.M.
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Tabo Monastery
The rugged hills
around Tabo house a tiny hamlet that is home to some 350 people. The
Tabo monastery, also referred to as Tabo Chos-Khor- 'doctrinal circle'
or 'doctrinal enclave' is a complex that holds nine temples, 23 chortens,
a monks' chamber and an extension that houses the nuns' chamber.
On the sheer
cliff-face above the enclave are a series of caves, which were used as
dwellings by the monks and include an 'assembly hall'. Faint traces of
the paintings that once embellished the rock face can be discerned. Even
today, Tabo holds the distinction of being the largest monastic complex
in Spiti. Constructed in 996 AD, Tabo was the brainchild of the great
translator and teacher, Rinchensang Po.
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Viceregal Lodge
On the
Observatory Hills is located Viceregal Lodge, which is also known as
Rashtrapati Niwas. This magnificent building was the residence of the
British Viceroy Lord Dufferin. The palatial building was the venue for
many important decisions that changed the fate of the sub-continent.
This lodge was completed in 1888.
It is said that
mules carried every brick for the building. This is a six-storey
building is surrounded by well-maintained gardens and lawns. A cafe is
also there. The lodge has now been converted into Institute of Advanced
Studies
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