Shimla’s best-protected heritage, the 173-year-old building called ‘The Retreat’, also the President of India’s official summer retreat, is all set to be opened to the public. Located at Chharabra, 13 km from Shimla, tourists and travellers thronging the hill town will soon be able to visit the property and get exposure to the colonial era.
The ‘Rashtrapati Niwas’, earlier known as the ‘Presidential Retreat’ Mashobra, will formally be opened on April 23.
The move comes close to the heels of President Droupadi Murmu’s decision to allow the people to learn about the heritage.
Murmu, who arrives in Shimla in mid-April, will open the historical estate and its surrounding environment — a sprawling lawn, garden and majestic cedars, an evergreen conifer — to the general public.
In a meeting chaired by Additional Secretary to the President, Rakesh Gupta, senior state government officials were asked to work out modalities for regulating public and tourist movements to the property as one of the new heritage destinations.
As per the decision taken, visitors will be able to take a tour of ‘The Retreat’ at a nominal fee of Rs 50 per person for Indian nationals and Rs 250 per person for foreign nationals throughout the year. The heritage site will be closed on Mondays and other Government holidays and also during the President’s stay. The government also decided to make school tours for children in government schools free till 30 June 2023.
The key attractions for the tourists will be the main building, enabling glimpses into the life of Presidents, along with official dining halls and artefacts. Apart from this, the lush green lawns will be an added appeal with a wide range of attractions like curated tulips and other flower beds.
Nature trails and orchards at Rashtrapati Niwas will also be open for visitors and adventure enthusiasts. The general public can start visiting the President Retreat from April 23 and can book their tour online from April 15 onwards through the official website of the Rashtrapati Bhavan — https://visit.rashtrapatibhavan.gov.in.
This is being done on the analogy of Rashtrapati Nilayam (Niwas), Hyderabad, and the President’s House, New Delhi, which have already been open to the public and witnessed a huge footfall.
For the convenience of tourists, the Rashtrapati Niwas, Mashobra, will also provide a cloakroom, wheelchair access, a cafe, a souvenir store, restrooms, water dispensers across campus, guided tours with scholar guides and first-aid setup.
So far, tourists had been making a beeline to Viceregal Lodge in Shimla — also known as ‘Rashtrapati Niwas’ — that currently hosts the Indian Institute of Advanced Study or colonial-era landmarks on the Mall road.
The Viceregal Lodge, which has been witness to several pre-Independence and post-Partition events, including visits of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru is the most beautiful and historically-significant building of Shimla.
It is architecturally rich and accounts for a good half-day excursion.
Known to be the summer residence of the Indian Viceroy, who was the British Raj leader between 1888 and 1946, the Lodge has seen several significant decisions being taken by the Viceroy.
Shimla has many old buildings where British families — mostly government servants, army officers and staff of the viceroys used to live. Many Anglo-Indian families also have memories of a few British-era buildings in the hill town.
