128-year-old Bantony Castle set to greet visitors in Shimla

Pratibha Chauhan

Shimla, November 27

The 128-year-old Bantony Castle complex, the summer palace of the erstwhile Maharaja of Sirmaur, is all set to be a major attraction for tourists as the restoration of the heritage property has been completed under the Rs 26-crore funded Asian Development Bank (ADB) project.

The sprawling lawns of Bantony Castle now house two open air theatres, besides a provision for a light, sound and music show behind the main structure.

The light and sound facility has been created to help visitors trace the history of Shimla and its strong British link.

The main structure has been restored, which has gallery halls that can be used for setting up a museum. Walking trails will also be developed on the expansive property.

The provision has been made to set up a cafeteria, where Himachali cuisine will be served. Public facilities like toilets and drinking water have been created for the convenience of visitors.

As Bantony Castle likely to be inaugurated after the formation of the new government, the entire stretch right from The Ridge, Gaiety Theatre and Town Hall will become a heritage zone, which will be of immense interest of tourists.

It was on January 4, 2016, that the government finally decided to acquire Bantony Castle, following several failed attempts over the last two decades.

The government, with the consent of its owners, decided to acquire Bantony Castle for Rs 27.84 crore.

The Himachal Institute

of Public Administration (HIPA) prepared a social impact assessment report of the prime property before the decision on its acquisition was taken.

The entire property spread over 19,436.83 sqm, including the main wooden structure, expansive lawns and thick deodar forests, has now been converted into a vibrant heritage zone, which will showcase Himachal’s rich culture and traditions.

The restoration work to convert Bantony Castle into a vibrant place and promote the concept of night tourism has been executed by Kavita Jain, a conservation architect from Jaipur.

She has the experience of similar conservation projects in Uttarakhand, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, though in different architectural styles.

Was Sirmaur Maharaja’s summer palace

The 128-year-old Bantony Castle was the summer palace of the Maharaja of Sirmaur. The main building is a double-storey structure constructed in the mock Tudor style, part chalet and crowned with a sloping roof with mini-towers. The building is said to have been designed by TEG Cooper. Before its construction began in 1880, the site had a cottage belonging to Cap A. Gordon which housed army officers. It had the office of the Himachal Police since 1957. It was after the owners won the legal battle that the police vacated the building.

Facilities for people

• The sprawling lawns of Bantony Castle now house two open air theatres, besides a provision for a light, sound and music show behind the main structure
• The light and sound facility has been created to help visitors trace the history of Shimla and its strong British link
• The main structure has been restored, which has gallery halls that can be used for setting up a museum Walking trails will also be developed on the expansive property
• The provision has been made to set up a cafeteria, where Himachali cuisine will be served
• Public facilities like toilets and drinking water have been created for the convenience of visitors