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Barnes Court, Shimla
( Now called as Raj Bhavan )
The (Barnes Court) Raj Bhavan of Shimla is located in the city of Chota Shimla. The (Barnes Court) Raj Bhavan happens to be the dwelling place of the Governor of the state of Himachal Pradesh. The Raj Bhavan of Shimla was originally called the Barnes Court in the name of Sir Edward Barnes who was the then commander-in-chief.
This heritage building of Shimla has got a big spacious interior with a ball dancing room. Lord Napier of Magdala, Sir Colin Campbell and Sir Hugh Rose once used to be the residents of the Raj Bhavan of Shimla. The Shimla Raj Bhavan (Barnes Court) bears the typical English country like architectural style.
The Shimla Peace Accord of 1972 that took place between Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was executed in this building by which both the countries agreed to rule out disputes through bilateral understanding.
This prestigious building of Raj Bhavan (Barnes Court) can only be visited with prior permission from the Secretariat of the Governor of Shimla. Shimla is a hill resort that is an ideal tourist destination. As such, the places in and around Shimla are Shimla's wealth.
The Raj Bhavan (Barnes Court) being a heritage site have also a major attraction to the tourists. The building has been very well maintained by the government of Himachal Pradesh. The Raj Bhavan (Barnes Court) of Shimla still holds the glory and charm of the bygone days. The walls of the Raj Bhavan (Barnes Court) of Shimla still reverberates with the tinkling of fine cutlery of the British Raj.
History of Barnes Court
Located on the Southern most point of notified Heritage Zone, Barnes Court has a commanding and sunny sitting, over-looking the hills and forested area towards south from here. It abuts thick forest towards the east and Civil Secretariat Complex on the West. It is a historical and architectural masterpiece.
Though it is not traceable from any official or Municipal record that which Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab, first lived in “ Barnes Court”, yet the list of Commanders- in – Chief indicates that it was occupied by Sir Edward Barnes in 1832. After a break, from 1849 to 1864, it was again the residence of various British Commanders-in- Chief, General Napier, General Gomm, General Anson, General Campbell and General Rose. It was here that the news of the Great Uprising of 1857 was given to General Anson.
The permission to construct earliest portion of the estate, measuring 200 square yards, was granted by Captain C.J. Kennedy, Principal Assistant to the Political Agent at Delhi to Dr. J. Ludlow on the 1st January, 1830, subject to a ground tax of Rs.40/- per annum.
On the 1st May, 1832, an adjoining piece of land measuring 50 square yards was granted by the Principal Assistant to Mr. McDermott of the Adjutant- General’s office, subject to a ground tax of Rs.10/- per annum and sanction for felling of trees was also accorded.
The right and title of this plot of land seems to have been also secured by Sir Edward Barnes, who in the same year was permitted to take up at an annual rent of Rs. 40/-. The whole estate, subsequently fell into the hands of the late Major S.B. Goad, who, on the 15th of May,1875, sold it to Major- General Sir Peter Lumsden late Quartermaster-General in India, for Rs.23,000/- only.
The Punjab Government on 11th April,1878, asked for permission to purchase “Barnes Court”, as an official residence for the Lieutenant- Governor, Sir Robert Egerton, who first went regularly into residence at Barnes Court in 1879. Earlier it was a single storey structure with slate roofing on the top. The new structure was built during 1879-1886 at a cost of Rs. 3,02,257/- only.
The official description of the property when this purchase was effected by the Punjab Government was – “ Barnes Court is a partly single and partly double-storeyed building, facing west and south , the principal entrance being on the latter side. The building is so arranged as to have a good view on three sides, viz., on the west, south and east. The front of the house being raised on a masonry terrace flanked at both end with a masonry sentry box. There is a level lawn to the west of the house between it and the hill. The ground is of very considerable extent running out in a kind of arm for about half a mile on the south-east of Jakhu, and a good distance up the hill side.” This description practically holds good to the present day.
Extensive improvements have been made from time to time to the property. The principal addition is a double-storeyed building erected during the Lieutenant -Governorship of Sir C.U. Aitchison, the lower storey being a ball room, and the upper rooms, the offices of the Lieutenant-Governor and his Private Secretary. The ball room is charmingly decorated and painted in eastern ‘ Moorish’ style, this work having been supervised by Mr. Lockwood Kipling, for many years, the Principal of the Mayo School of Art, Lahore.
Lady Ibbeston, Lady Dane and Lady O’ Dwyer assisted by their daughters, in years gone by, were all popular hostesses at Barnes Court and Lady Maclagan also worthily upheld the traditions of the house. The Governor Sir Malcolm Hailey and Lady Hailey have effected several further garden improvements.
The grounds and gardens are particularly charming and today the house is more like an old English country house than any other in Shimla. Considerable improvements too were made at Barnes Court during the residence of Sir Louis Dane including the construction of a new wing and the cutting away of the hill side opposite one of the entrances.
It acted as summer Raj Bhawan of Punjab upto 1966. After reorganization, when Simla was allotted to Himachal Pradesh, it was converted into a State Guest. In the late seventies, it was converted into a State Guest House-cum-Tourist Bungalow for some time.
In August,1972, after the 1971 war between India and Pakistan, Shimla Agreement was signed by Smt. Indira Gandhi and Mr. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the then Prime Ministers of two countries. The main drawing room alongwith its table and chairs on which ‘Simla Agreement’ was signed have been preserved.
As Peter Hoff was gutted in fire in 1981, Raj Bhavan housed therein was shifted to this building. On reconstruction of Peter Hoff, Raj Bhavan was shifted back to its new building in 1993. However, as it was too spacious for Raj Bhavan, it was again shifted back to Barnes Court building.
MAGNIFICENT SITE PLANNING
The Barnes Court Complex has an area of 9647 Square Meters as per Tatima-2007 and Jambandi for the year 2002-2003.
This complex consists of main two storeyed building housing office and residence of H.E. the Governor of Himachal Pradesh. Besides offices of the Secretary and ADC to the Governor of Himachal Pradesh, library, guest rooms, dressing room, servant rooms, store, VVIPs bed rooms with attached sitting and dressing rooms and personal sitting room, pantry, dinning room and billiards rooms are also existing in it .
The Summit Hall at ground floor named as ‘Kirtikaksh’ has historic significance as the famous Simla Agreement between India and Pakistan was signed here on 3rd July,1972 by the then Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan. The Darbar Hall at ground floor, earlier used as dancing hall, is now used for oath taking ceremonies of the Governor/Chief Minister/Chief Justice & Judges of the High Court/Chairmen/Members of various boards/Corpns..
The two storeyed building conforming to the hill architecture with panoramic view on all sides is an unique example of site planning of British era.
AN ARCHITECTURAL SAGA
The Barnes Court building has been constructed in ‘ Tudor’ style of architecture. The doors and windows are made of teak wood. The bay windows projected outside are covered with CGI sheet roofing and the same give a pleasant look. There is central heating system. The ground and first floors are well connected with internal staircase. There is also a lift inside which can be used in the event of fire. The walls have been plastered in mud mortar and painted in white. The paint on the walls of Ball Room at ground floor is of eastern ‘Moorish’ style.
The office of H.E. the Governor is at first floor towards west and that of Secretary to Governor is at ground floor below the Governor’s office.
AN ENGINEERING FEAT
This two storeyed building has stone masonry foundation. The load bearing walls in super-structure are made of Dhaji. They are built in traditional mud and wooden posts. The slab on ground floor is made of wooden planks supported with wooden rafters. The wooden slab over Durbar Hall in ground floor is supported with wooden bracings. The walls have wooden paneling inside.
The Governor’s office is made of Brick masonry at first floor with wooden flooring supported by steel joists. The C.G.I. sheet roofing is laid on the building. There is false wooden ceiling which has beautifully been carved.
Princely State of Kangra
PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY:  Reportedly founded in mythical antiquity, with mention of Raja Bhumi Chandra in 4300BC. Rulers were :-
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| PRESENT HEAD OF HOUSE: Raja Shri ADITYA DEV CHAND KATOCH, (488th Raja of his line,) Head of the Royal House of Kangra, Jagirdar of Lambagraon, Rajgir and Mahal Moria (1988) educated at Doon School, Dehra Dun; married 4th December 1968, Rani Shrimati Chandresh Kumari, daughter of HH Raj Rajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Maharaja Shri HANWANT SINGH Sahib Bahadur of Jodhpur, and his wife, HH Maharani Krishna Kumari Ba Sahiba.
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Viceregal Lodge, Shimla
( Now known as Indian Institute of Advanced Study )
History
From 1823 onwards, for some six decades the Governors-General and later Viceroys of India had shuttled from one unsuitable residence to another during their summer sojourns in Shimla. It was Lord Lytton (1876-80), who chose Observatory Hill for constructing the building that was to be the final Viceregal address in town. The hill derives its name from Observatory House which was built in 1840 by Captain J. T. Boileau. In time, Observatory House became the residence of the Viceroy's Private Secretary. Observatory Hill is a watershed which stands figuratively astride India. The waters from one side of the hill flow down to the Bay of Bengal, and the wash from the other heads towards the Arabian Sea.
The first designs for the new Viceregal residence were prepared by Captain H. H. Cole of the Royal Engineers. These were presented before the workaholic Viceroy, Lord Lytton at the Simla Fine Arts Exhibition of 1878. It was Lord Dufferin (1884-88), however, who took great personal interest in the matter. He persuaded the Secretary of State for India, Lord Randolph Churchill, to sanction the project that was finally to cost thirty-eight lakh rupees. The annual upkeep of the estate was estimated to be one and a half lakh rupees.
To breathe life into the Viceregal vision, Henry Irwin was appointed architect and chief superintendent of works. F. B. Hebbert and L. M. St. Clair were associated as executive engineers. With them were three assistant engineers - A. Scott, T. Macpherson and T. English. The overall plan of the Lodge was suggested by Lord Dufferin, who repeatedly examined and modified the drawings. The machinery of the Public Works Department was placed in high gear and work on the site began in 1886. The top of Observatory Hill was leveled out to create a wide plateau. But this also revealed a surface of crushed shale that was 'fissured and cracked in every direction'. To remedy this, concrete was liberally used so as to create a strong base for the foundations. The structure that finally rose had a style of architecture that drew inspiration from the 'English Renaissance'. Yet it also overwhelmingly reflects elements of the castles of the Scottish highlands. The building is of light blue-grey stone masonry with tiled pitch roofing.
Lord and Lady Dufferin moved into the building on 23 July 1888. It was the newly installed electric lighting in particular that Lady Dufferin found a pleasure. A fortnight later, the Dufferins gave their first entertainment. Sixty-six people sat down for dinner at the table, and while the electric light was enough, candelabra were used to ornament the table. And the large dimensions of the new building could host over 800 guests that were to attend state balls in the coming years.
(The Viceregal Lodge soon after its completion in 1888.)
The Viceregal Lodge was now almost complete, though some construction continued till September 1888. Minor works were, nevertheless, to continue for a much longer time as the hurried construction schedule followed by Lord Duffferin had left numerous defects. Embellished with wrought stone-work, the main block has three storeys and the kitchen wing has five. A tower strikes above the rest of the building and its height was increased during Lord Curzon's tenure (1899-1905). In Lord Irwin's time (1926-31), a public entry building was added in 1927. By this date the character of the building was formed and remains to the present day.
In so far as the interior is concerned, it is the elaborate wood-work that has stood the real test of time. Along with the paneling and pilasters, the staircase with its heavy newels and handrails is remarkable. A massive shipment of teak was procured from Burma for this purpose and supplemented, wherever required, by local cedar wood (deodar) and walnut. During the time of Marquis Curzon, many parts of the building came in for major refurbishing. The carving in the dining room was completed, and a replica of the screen that stood behind the Emperor of China's throne was added. In the old Council Chamber, that later became the billiards room, portraits of every Governor-General and Viceroy were hung. A collection of Indian arms was displayed on the walls of the main gallery where their impressions are still visible.
The huge estate of 331 acres provided a splendid setting for the fancy fairs and garden parties. It was during the Viceroyalty of Lord Lansdowne that the colossal task of landscaping the lawns and grounds began but it continued during succeeding regimes. Though somewhat smaller today, the estate is still a princely 110 acres. The estate staff of 23 is now far fewer than the original 700. But the collection of rare and exotic plants and numerous grasses is as remarkable as ever. The glass-house is a little shrine for any gardening aesthete.
As the Second War drew to a close, India lay like a seething cauldron. On 14 June 1945, the Viceroy, Lord Wavell, in a radio broadcast, called for what was termed 'The Simla Conference'. This was designed 'to ease the present political situation and to advance India towards her goal of full self-government'. The Conference was to propose the reconstitution of the Viceroy's Executive Council. Except for the Viceroy and the Commander-in-Chief, it was intended to be an entirely Indian Council with an equal numbers of Hindu and Muslim members. From 25 June to 14 July 1945 the Conference was held at the Lodge. A wide spectrum of Indian political leadership was present - Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Azad, Liaqat Ali Khan, Bhulabhai Desai, Master Tara Singh and Mohammed Ali Jinnah. Though Mahatama Gandhi was present in Shimla throughout the Conference, he did not personally attend any of the sessions. The Conference staggered on, till everyone, including the Viceroy admitted its failure. What was perhaps the last chance for India to remain undivided was gone.
The War ended and in March 1946, a Cabinet Mission was sent to negotiate and work out the modalities by which power could finally be transferred to the Indians. A tripartite conference between the Congress, the Muslim League and the British took place at Viceregal Lodge from 5-12 May 1946. Once again, the Congress and the League failed to agree on many of the main issues, and the partition of India was now certain.
After India gained independence, the building was renamed Rashtrapati Niwas and was used as a summer retreat for the President of India. However, due to its neglect, Dr. S Radhakrishnan decided to turn it into a centre of higher learning. The summer retreat of President was shifted from here to a building known as "The Retreat" situated in Chharabra, on outskirts of Shimla.
The Indian Institute of Advanced Study was first created as a society on 6 October 1964. The institute was formally inaugurated by Prof. S. Radhakrishnan on 20 October 1965.
Viceroys and Governors - General
Viceroys and Governors-General who occupied Viceregal Lodge, and their period of tenure
1. Marquess of Dufferin, 1884-88.
2. Marquess of Landsdowne, 1888-94.
3. Earl of Elgin, 1894-99.
4. Marquess Curzon, 1899-1904 and 1904-05.
5. Earl of Minto, 1905-10.
6. Lord Hardinge of Penshurst, 1910-16.
7. Viscount Chelmsford, 1916-21.
8. Marquess of Reading, 1921-26.
9. Lord Irwin, Earl of Halifax, 1926-31.
10. Marquess of Willingdon, 1931-36.
11. Marquess of Linlithgow, 1936-43.
12. Earl Wavell, 1943-47.
13. Earl Mountbatten, April to August 1947
Location
Situated in the north west Himalayas at a height of 2205 mts is Shimla and at a distance of about five kilometers from the railway station and the Inter State Bus Terminal (ISBT), away from the din of commercial Shimla is the Indian Institute of Advanced Study. It becons to all those who have experienced its magnificent charm and aura.
By Air
An airstrip has been constructed 17 km from the Institute.
Departure : (Delhi): 07:20
Airlines : Air Deccan
Days: Daily
Arrival (Shimla): 08:40
Flight Num: DN549
By Rail
Broad guage rail Himalayan Queen and Hawrah Express leave Delhi for Kalka every day from Kalka. One has a rare traveling delight in a toy like train on narrow guage Leisurely spiraling through the green hills it touches Shimla after crossing 103 tunnels and many bridges. At so many places it runs parallel to the road. In addition to this there is an exclusive luxury coach fitted with 5 star facility for a group of six to eight persons journey in this coach and the railcar is an experience - 'Out of the world'.
Delhi to Kalka to Shimla
| TRAIN NAME | STARTING STATION | DESTINATION | DEPARTURE FROM SOURCE | ARRIVAL AT DESTINATION |
| KALKA SHTBDI | NEW DELHI | KALKA | 07:40 | 12:00 |
| HIMALYAN QUEEN | H NIZAMUDDIN | KALKA | 05:40 | 11:20 |
Kalka to Shimla
By Road
Deluxe buses and many more buses ply to Shimla from all over the Northern area of India directly at all hours of the day and night. Drive on the National Highway 22 from Kalka to Shimla is soothingly refreshing.
Himachal Road Transport Corporation Volvo AC Bus Schedule
| SOURCE | DESTINATION | Type | DEPARTURE TIME |
| Himachal Bhawan, Delhi | Shimla | VOLVO-AC | 05:30 |
| Himachal Bhawan, Delhi | Shimla | VOLVO-AC | 08:25 |
| Himachal Bhawan, Delhi | Shimla | VOLVO-AC | 20:00 |
| Himachal Bhawan, Delhi | Shimla | VOLVO-AC | 21:00 |
