Balmoral Castle, monkeys and markets

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First up today was a visit to Viceregal Lodge, built in just 4 years in the 1880s in the style of Balmoral Castle. It was the summer residence during the Raj and was the site of many of the negotiations prior to partition in 1947. It is now used by the Indian Institute of Advanced Study. 60 or so post doctorate students are selected each year to continue their research here.



The gardens are extensive with plenty of English flowers. The grounds included a fire station and a squash court. The house was the first in Shimla to have electricity and a full fire protection system.



We then went the the opposite end of the spectrum and visited the Jakhu Temple dedicated to Hanuman the monkey god. As expected, there were plenty of monkeys around. We were warned not to wear sunglasses as they steal them. We saw one man having to bribe a monkey with food to get his glasses back. The monkey did drop the glasses, from about 6m up a tree down a steep bank. The temple is well maintained by the local monks and there were plenty of people coming to pay their respects.



I ventured into the Lower Bazaar after lunch, far more exciting than walking The Mall. It seems to be where the locals as well as the tourists shop. There was a wide variety of shops including ones that sold fabric, wool, crochet hooks and sparkly trims for saris (all different shops of course). I could have even bought a sewing machine but resisted.

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