Shimla Diaries: A Memorable Family Trip I Blog By Saiaansh, 9, Chandigarh

My visit to Rashtrapati Niwas, The Retreat Building, Shimla

In April, my grandparents came to visit us in Chandigarh, so we thought of giving them a surprise trip to Shimla. It took us around 2.5 hours to reach there. When we reached Shimla, we went to our hotel, and after some time, my little cousin, who lives in Shimla, came to meet me, my parents, and my grandparents. To have fun, I brought my latest LEGO technology, the Mack Electric Garbage Truck, and we both had lots of fun playing with it. The weather in Shimla was so cold that we had to wear our woolen clothes even in the month of April.

The next day, on the way to my little cousin’s house in Shimla, we saw Asia’s most dense forest in Kufri Hills. The forest was so dense that it looked like a large, dark green coat covering the mountains. The next destination was the Rashtrapati Niwas, “The Retreat,”  situated in the dense forest of Masobhara, Shimla.

To reach the main premises, we had to either walk through the forest road, which was indeed a beautiful treat, or take the ride by golf cart as my grandparents are too old. When we reached there, we had to go through a security check. After that, the guide was allotted to our group. He told us that this building was 173 years old while he gave us a tour around the building. It was built in 1850. The building was built in British architecture, mostly made up of wood. As of course, it was built with the best quality, as it stands remarkably and strongly even after being 173 years old. The Earl of Elgin was the first Viceroy of India to use “The Retreat Building” as a Viceregal Residence; henceforth, it became the Viceroy House in British India’s summer capital, Shimla.

After India got its independence in 1947, “The Retreat” became the Rashtrapati Niwas, the summer house for all presidents of India till date. The guide also told us that our current honorable president, Shrimati Draupadi Murmu ji, has opened this place to the common public. The building is surrounded by tall cedar trees, and in front it had a Tulip Garden of red, yellow, white, and purple colors, which gave the building a more mesmerizing look. At the side walk of the building, there were two telescopes planted; one of the telescopes was pointed towards Sarogvillage, adopted by our previous president, Dr. A.P. J. Abdul Kalam. The other one was pointed towards the BHEEMAKALI SHALI MATA temple. Both were placed in such a way that they gave a breath-taking view of mountain life. As we went ahead, near the exit gate, there were two copper-branched trees, full of copper-colored leaves. Our guide told us that these trees were planted in the British era and that only a few exist in India. They were so tall and unique to shine, as the rest of the forest has mainly lush green cedar trees.

As we exited the place, there was also a forest trail that took you to the orchards. My mom and dad enjoyed the walk through the trail, whereas me, my cousin, and my grandparents had some coffee and snacks in the food stalls nearby. Me and my cousin, my parents, my massi, and Maussa Ji came walking along the forest road, whereas my grandparents took the golf cart again.

The trip was amazing; we all enjoyed the mountain green view, the blue sky with white floating clouds, and it was a little bit cold too.

My visit to Rashtrapati Niwas was fantastic; it was a learning experience. I thank our current president for providing common people with the opportunity to visit this historical evidence. In India, apart from “The Rashtrapati Bhawan” in New Delhi, “The Retreat Building” in Shimla, the third house of President “The Rashtrapati Ashiana,”  is situated in Dehradun. 

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Pics : Saiaansh, 9, Chandigarh