Colonial past’s grandeur now hosts scholars
MARINATED IN HISTORY Its rich colonial past and sylvan environs make the Indian Institute of Advanced Study a popular destination for scholars and tourists alike
The Viceregal Lodge, which today houses the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, is arguably the most magnificent legacy of the British Empire. Proudly perched on top of Observatory Hill – one of the seven hills that Shimla was built on – the grand edifice figuratively crowns the Indian subcontinent, as water from one side of the hill merges with the Bay of Bengal and that from the other flows into the Arabian Sea.
While Shimla served as the summer capital of the British, the building was the nerve-centre of the administration as it was the abode of the viceroys of India.
Indeed, the regal building with its Gothic English renaissance architecture, dome-capped towers, battlements, sprawling grounds and sparkling Belgian chandeliers spoke of the grandeur of the British Empire. The kitchen and laundry were in the basement and food was sent to the dining hall through pulleys. Mesmerised by the panoramic view visible from the lodge, Lady Curzon wrote, “I can live on the views for five years.”
RADHAKRISHNAN’S VISION
Post-Independence, the Viceregal Estate passed into the hands of the President of India and the Viceregal Lodge was refashioned into the ‘Rashtrapati Niwas’ (presidential residence).
However, it was occupied, if at all, for only a few days in a year. In 1964, the then president of India, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, realised that it could be an excellent abode for scholars.
The institute was established to encourage academic research in humanities and natural sciences.
In his inaugural address, Radhakrishnan observed, “The greatest event of our age is the meeting of cultures, meeting of civilisations, meeting of different points of view, making us understand that we should not adhere to any one kind of single faith, but respect diversity of belief. That is what we should attempt to do. The iron curtain, so to say, which divided one culture from another, has broken down.”
During the inaugural ceremony, Dr Zakir Husain, the then vice-president, said, “This institute brought into being at a time of such stress and strain in the life of our people, is a token of our earnestness of how we prize and try to cherish human values.”
Since its inception, the institute has hosted numerous renowned scholars, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, her husband historian Michael Aris, novelist Bhishm Sahani, historian Sumit Sarkar, novelist Nirmal Verma, and poet Keki Daruwalla.
THE FIRE BALLOON
From 1823 onward, for some six decades, the Governors-General and later Viceroys of India shuttled from one residence to another during their summer sojourns in Shimla.
It was Lord Lytton (1876-80), who chose Observatory Hill for constructing the building that was to be the final Viceregal address in town. Its first designs were prepared by Captain HH Cole of the Royal Engineers. Historian Raaja Bhasin writes that Lord Lytton had initially said of the plans “a prospect so distant that it is only possible to the eye of faith”. The Viceroy, however, was a superstitious man and would undertake a project only if a fire balloon sent by him soared in the sky.
The Viceroy Lodge was built only because the balloon’s launch was successful. His successor Lord Ripon did not show any interest in the project.
However, though Lytton gave the go-ahead, it was Lord Dufferin who gave wings to the project. He was adamant to move into the mansion before his tenure ended and spared no expense in its construction. Guide Som Prakash Thakur says, “It is marvelous that the mansion was completed in four years as the railway was yet to be built.”
The castle was built at the cost ₹38 lakh and its annual upkeep was estimated to be ₹1.5 lakh. So much so that an anonymous scribe wrote the mansion was “a joy and an expense forever.” Dufferin finally moved into the building in 1888.
INGENIOUS PLANNING
Henry Irwin was appointed as the architect and the fire safety system installed by him, which remains unparalleled to this day. Thakur says, “The building’s interiors were almost entirely made from wood brought from Burma so Irwin installed an ingenious fire safety mechanism. The ceiling is made of glass and has water tanks and nitrogen gas above it. In case of a fire, the nitrogen will expand breaking the glass and dousing the flames. It was also the first building to be electrified and has internal wiring. Electricity was produced with the help of a steam engine brought from Britain.”
THE PARTITION TABLE
One of the items displayed to tourists is a wooden table on which papers of The Partition were drafted during the Simla Conference of 1945 that was called by the then Viceroy, Lord Wavell.
A constellation of leaders of the Indian National Movement, including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Maulana Azad, Liaqat Ali Khan, and Master Tara Singh attended the conference. Mahatma Gandhi also accompanied the leaders in an advisory capacity but did not attend the meetings.
The conference was a colossal failure as the leaders were unable to convince Jinnah to forsake his dream of establishing Pakistan. In 1946, again a tripartite conference between the Congress, the Muslim League and the British took place to chalk out a plan for Partition. However, the talks fell flat yet again. Later in 1947 Lord Mountbatten discussed the final plan for Partition on the same table.
THE LIVING MONUMENT
Maintaining a thriving institution in a veritable living monument is a challenge as every minor repair work has to be cleared by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI).
Chairperson of the institute’s governing body Kapil Kapoor says, “I hope technology advances so that the institute can continue to thrive at the Viceregal Lodge. However, it may be necessary to move the institute to a different location in another 40 years as it may become too dangerous to dwell here. However, the cycle of reactivation of knowledge will continue at the institute if not here then somewhere else.”
He says maintenance of the heritage is a chore because for any modification permission has to be taken from three institutes – the ASI, CPWD and the MHRD.
The ASI has a single office for the southern region which is looked after by officers who are not experts at maintaining living monuments as it primarily deals with dead heritages.
Indian Institute of Advanced Study officiating secretary Prem Chand, says, “The backside of the building is in a very bad condition, there are seepages and leakages and we have to consult the ASI for every minor repair. A comprehensive budget of ₹56 crore is required for the changes. We have the funds and have released a section to the CPWD but it is very difficult to find expert consultants to undertake the project. Finally, a consultant from Bombay was found and maintenance work started a week ago. The ASI has very strict rules and use of cement is not allowed and the concoction that is used instead takes ages to dry which is a problem as it rains constantly in Shimla.”
Manju Jaidka, who retired as a professor from Panjab University’s department of English and cultural studies, and was an associate scholar at the institute, was inspired by the colonial ambiance of the institute to pen down a novel based on the history of the scandal point, “I spent three summers at the institute. I was able to revisualise the events that had taken place a century and a half ago. It was an uncanny experience.”
The former head of the English department and professor at Delhi University, Sumanyu Satpathy, says, “The best part of the institute is that it encourages an interdisciplinary perspective for a healthy conversation. The dining hall has long tables which ensure that scholars can swap ideas and hold discussions. The institute, however, needs to focus on advertising so that the scholarship becomes more competitive. Accessibility to archives and restriction on timings and movement are also issues that need to be addressed.”
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