Shimla

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Hello everyone,

Shimla is very cold at this time of year but has stunning views and a lot of history surrounding the city.

During the time of British rule in India, Shimla was the summer capital. On the plains around Delhi it gets very, very hot during the summer months, so during this time the Viceroy and his staff would retreat to the hills where it was cooler.

It wasn't just the Summer capital of India, but of the whole of the British Empire at the time. At one point one fifth of the globe was controlled from Shimla. Lots of the building here look very english, in fact it looks a little bit like Winchester!

I visited the Viceregal Lodge where the British in charge lived and governed. It is a beautiful building and again wouldn't look out of place anywhere in England. It is also the place where Indian Independance was finalised in 1947. A lot of important people were there, including Mahatma Ghandi.

I am now catching a train to Amritsar, home of the Golden Temple.

Speak to you soon, your friend, Thorny.

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