A beauty that pales in comparison to Shimla’s own

“What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet” — these are Shakespeare’s oft quoted lines. However, the reality is that names matter, especially when it comes to history-laden places.

Born and raised in Shimla, I find each place here has a story to tell, each pathway and many a tree has an anecdote to share. All you need to do is to hear, see, and drench in the delight of a city where history resides in many a nook and crevice.

One such site is Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), Shimla, where the bronze statue of ‘The Dancing Girl’, hardly four inches high, extols the architectural wonders of ancient India. The figurine is an installation by Subodh Kerkar. The statue's pose translates grace and her coiled hair and jewels speak of India’s social life then and the beauty of its women.

However, the splendour of this little sculpture perhaps pales in comparison to beauty and stillness of the Queen of Hills and often goes unnoticed.

Prachi Chauhan, Shimla