Mashobra is a small town near Shimla in Himachal Pradesh state, India. Shimla Water Catchment Wildlife Sanctuary is situated near this town. One of the Presidential retreats is situated at Chharabra, in the vicinity of Mashobra Town.
Shimla Water Catchment Wildlife Sanctuary near Mashobra
Mashobra offers a magnificent view of the mighty Himalayas. This Himalayan town is located at an altitude of 2,146 meters or 7,041 feet.
Shimla Water Catchment Wildlife Sanctuary is a major tourist attraction here. It has an area of 10 square kilometers. Shimla Water Catchment Wildlife Sanctuary was notified as a sanctuary on 07th June 2013, by the state government.
The Presidential retreat on the outskirts of Mashobra is situated around 13 kilometers away from downtown Shimla. It’s 1000 feet higher than the Shimla Ridge Top.
The president of India normally visits the Presidential retreat at Chharabra, once a year. Chharabra is a small village with less than 500 people, including the retreat staff. (The second presidential retreat is at Secunderabad). President’s core office is shifted to the retreat, during the president’s stay here. It was built in 1850.
In May 1948, Lord Mountbatten and his wife Lady Edwina, spent a few weeks in this retreat, just before returning to London at the end of his term; first as viceroy and then governor-general of India, on India attaining Independence from the British.
Wildflower Hall at Chharabra is another heritage building here. It is now a heritage hotel run by Oberoi Hotels. It was the residence of Lord Kitchener, who was the Commander-in-Chief of the Army in India (1902–09) and Secretary of State for War, a Cabinet Minister, during World War I. It also served as the residence of Lord Ripon, the Viceroy of India (1880–1884) and a Cabinet Minister in every Liberal Party’s cabinet, from 1861 until 1907, a year before his death.
How Do I Go to Mashobra?
Mashobra is connected to Shimla by the historic Hindustan–Tibet Road, built by Lord Dalhousie in 1850. It is around 13 kilometers away from Shimla. It takes around 40 minutes to drive from Shimla Town.
Kalka Mountain Railway Station is the nearest railway station to Mashobra. The nearest airport is in Shimla.
This is a wonderful place, india is super!
Great information that we do not find in the history books, I wish I had time in this life to visit all these wonderful places but at least with articles such as this, I can visit them in my mind, thanks for sharing.
Another great blog. Shimla is on my list of favourite places, although the bus ride to the top is a bit scary. Thank you.