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| Woodville palace, near Shimla, HM. blogger.com |
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| Shimla, India, location map. traveldealsfinder.com |
During the colonial Period, the British official of the EIC were unable to bear the hot Indian summer and the scorching sun bothered them a lot. Consequently, necessity arose for them to look for hill stations with mild climate where they could take refuge during the summer; places to relax and be free from unbearable hot wind and dust. Thus their exploration of hilly places made them discover many popular hill stations across India like Ooty and Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu, Darjeeling in West Bengal, Shimla, Mussoourie, Dalhousie, etc., in the sub Himalayan mountains in the northern regions. The hill resorts severed as sanatorium for the sick British soldiers as well as army training centers. Soon many tea coffee planters and orchard owners moved in to focus on their business. Among the hill stations in northern India, Darjeeling, Shimla and others are even more popular today.
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| Woodville palace, near Shimla, HP, tripadvisor.co.uk |
As far as Shimla is concerned, small villages were on record up to 1815 when the British forces took control of the area. The climatic conditions suited the British administrators and they established a town amidst the dense forests in the mid 1800s. It was Viceroy John Lawrence in 1864 shifted the capital from Calcutta ( Kolkata; now in West Bengal) though proper access road was not laid to the hill station. Soon, more departments moved into Shimla during the summer season. His successor Robert Bulwer-Lytton (Viceroy of India 1876–1880) was constructing many buildings including Vice Regal lodge in 1888. With the arrival of more European families, Shimla began to grow at a rapid clip.
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| Woodville palace, Shimla, HP, India. stayoutadventure.com |
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| Woodville palace, Shimla, HP, India.Pinrest.com |
During his tenure Lord Curzon (1899-1905) who took keen interest in the development of Shimla and other surrounding places was the first one to have started a golf course in Naldhera 22 km from Shimla, then one of the highest golf courses in the world. Following the Europeans, the Maharajahs, Indian business community, rich Englishmenand retired army officers built big bungalows and residences here for their comfortable stay. Shimla and the near-by places gained more popularity with the introduction of the Kalka-Shimla railway line in 1903. Shimla hosted many important political meetings including the Shimla Accord of 1914 and the Shimla Conference of 1945. After independence, the state of Himachal Pradesh was formed in 1948 as a result of the integration of 28 princely states. After 1947, India's freedom many of the colonial residences became either ruined or reduced to rubble and now only a few of them are left behind fairly preserved.
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| Surroundings of Woodville palace, near Shimla, HP swantour.com |
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| Shimla in the winter season. namasteindiatrip.com |
Sir William Rose Mansfield, who was the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army at that time, was the first ever resident and he bought it for an amount equal to INR 22,000 from Gen. Sir Arthur Milford Beecher in 1866. Mrs. Henrietta Ruth Maria Alexander in 1876 became the next owner and followed the tradition of leasing out the residence to successive Commanders-in-Chief of India like Gen. Sir Frederick Paul Haines (spent five summers at Woodville) and Gen. Sir Donald Martin Stewart, who stayed here for a short period. Woodville became the official residence of the Commander -in-Chief’ in Shimla until the the end of British Raj in 1947. Mrs Eliza Maria Walker, wife of Sir James Lewis Walker, Chairman of the Alliance bank became the next owner. Upon her death in London, her husband Sir James Walker, took control of the property. When the bank was in a financial mess, the then king of Jubbal ruler Raja Sir Bhagat Singh bought it to be used as a summer resort.
Raja Bhagat Chand, was bestowed with C.S.I (Companion of the Star of India) in 1928 and later ( K.C.S.I ( Knight Commander of the Star of India) in 1936 was a well-reputed ruler among the regions close to Shimla and he represented the Shimla Hill States in the Council of Princes from 1921-1924. Jubbal, being a small state comprising an area of 288 square miles of densely wooded area with lots of deodar’ trees, has many apple orchards and the income takes care of the livelihood of people here. The town of Jubbal is roughly 100 km from the capital town of Shimla.
Later in 1930 Sir Bhagat Singh gave Woodville palace as a gift to his daughter. For 12 years it remained vacant. When rebuilt in 1938, no compromise was made by the legal heir Rana Bhagat Singh on the heritage value of the structure, including the original decoration, floorings, bathroom fittings, lights and other artifacts in the building. Most of the light fittings imported from Murano, an island near the Italian coast, popular for various types of glass works. Equally attractive are the exterior decors of the palace that complement with the nice art works of interiors.
Located on the Raj Bhavan Road, Woodville Palace, one of the important heritage buildings of Shimla, can be easily accessed by the visitors. It is a legacy of the conial era as well as the great rulers of Jabbal.
https://www.shimlaonline.in/city-guide/woodville-palace-shimla
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