THE nearly 113-year old Viceregal Lodge at Shimla, which was a mute witness to several important events of the British regime, is these days being repaired by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to restore its lost glory. Many portions at the back of the building have decayed and are being repaired by the ASI.

The official residence of governors general and later, viceroys during the British rule, the Viceregal Lodge now houses the prestigious Indian Institute of Advance Study (IIAS).

The ASI took on the responsibility for the maintenance and preservation of the building three years ago following a judgement of the Supreme Court that the main building along with its appurtenant of 25 acres should be preserved as a heritage zone and no construction or modification altering its architectural features should be undertaken.

The badly affected council chamber and the kitchen wing are the first to have been taken up for restoration by the ASI. The plaster of Paris ceiling of the council chamber has been constructed afresh after plugging leakages from the roof which were threatening thousands of rare books. The flat roof over the chamber has also been rebuilt after removing concrete patches which the CPWD had, over the years, put to plug the leakages. The roof of the chamber had been leaking for nearly 20 years. The library attendants said there was no seepage during the recent rains.

Repairs being carried out in the Viceregal Lodge

The ASI officials supervising the repairs said the worn out walls and joints have been repaired. Masons were brought from Delhi to make the new ceiling of the council chamber exactly on the old pattern.

What damaged the magnificent building at several places was the seepage of water which remained unchecked over the years. The plaster has crumbled at many places due to the seepage and as such the ASI is giving top priority to improving the drainage system. The cement coatings done on some walls by the CPWD are also being removed.

The ASI was hopeful of completing the repair and restoration of the council chamber and the kitchen complex within the current financial year at a cost of Rs 28 lakh.

The Viceregal Lodge is one of the most-photographed buildings at Shimla and is the main tourist attraction after the Christ Church. Keeping in mind the location of the town in a sensitive seismic zone and the sinking of the Observatory Hill where the building is situated, the architects of the building had dug a nearly 17-foot foundation for constructing it. The portion where the office of the ASI has been set up in the kitchen complex was declared unsafe by the CPWD some years ago. But it looks new as a result of the repairs. Many ornamental compound walls that had been buried under debris over the years have been cleared now. A metalled road constructed by filling up the vacant patch between the building and the compound wall is being removed to restore it.

The main kitchen of the lodge

The earlier viceroys resided at the Barnes Court and Peterhoff and the first one to shift to the Viceregal Lodge in 1888 when it was constructed was the Earl of Dufferin. Marquis of Lansdowne, the Earl of Elgin and Lord Curzon were among those who lived in this building.

After Independence it was converted into the Rashtrapati Bhavan for the President’s stay during his visits to Shimla. In 1964 Dr S. Radhakrishnan gave it to the IIAS.

The Viceregal Lodge has been a mute spectator to many historical decisions. Three historical meetings were held here between the colonial rulers and the Indian leaders under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi to discuss the issue of Independence. The historical Cabinet Mission meetings were held in June-July 1946 and then in May-June 1947. In the final meeting the decision to grant independence to India was taken by Lord Mountbatten.

The Viceregal Lodge has remained in news for the past many years as successive governments made plans to shift the IIAS from there and put the building to some other use. The BJP government in 1991 planned to convert it into a five star hotel, but the move was set to rest following strong protests.

— Photos by Anil Dayal