It was our last day in Shimla. We were staying at the Oberoi's Cecil. After an early lunch, we decided to visit the late Lord Dufferin's former residence- the Viceregal Lodge. Currently this building houses the Indian Institute of Advanced Study- a famous research centre in India. We had heard that during Independence, a number of key conferences were held here.

Prima facie, I was quite impressed by the charming architecture of the Lodge. The massive structure looked as if it occupied the entire hill (the Observatory Hill) upon which it was built. There is a grand fireplace at the main entrance and to the right, a series of stairs that spiral themselves all the way to the top. The galleries were filled with photos of British governors and Indian freedom fighters. All the artifacts in the rooms added to the historical atmosphere of the place. There was a round table which, according to the note beside it, was where the decision to partition India (into 3- India, Pakistan and Bangladesh) was taken. I felt like I was reading my History book all over again, while my better half felt like sitting on one of those chairs...What can I say...:)

There was a nice and well maintained garden surrounding the Lodge where we relaxed for a bit after our date with history was over. We then visited the small cafeteria and souvenir shop and found a few rare books on India.