The British-era Bantony Estate in Shimla, a grand private castle once was the summer Palace of the erstwhile Maharaja of Sirmaur, a grandeur architectural landmark. The castle is located near Scandal point on Kali Bari Road.The Bantony Esttate is a heritage site built during the British era and is situated on the Bantony Hill of Shimla. The beautiful wooden architecture of the building amidst the sprawling lawns is a site worth exploring.
Bantony Castle is one of the historic and monumental buildings of Shimla town and has a very rich history. It was built over 145 years ago. Before the castle was built, the estate had only a cottage that belonged to Captain A. Gordan and later in 1880, the castle was built up and became the summer residence of Maharaja Sirmour. During the first World War it was handed over by Maharaja Sirmaur to the Govt. of India for housing additional temporary offices for army.
After independence, ‘The Tribune’ office was shifted here from Lahore. Later on it remained the office of the Director General of Police. The main building is a two-storeystructure constructed in the mockTudor style, part chalet and crowned with a sloping roof with mini-towers. The castle is said to have been designed by TEG Cooper. In the year 2017, the Himachal Pradesh Government acquired the Bantony Castle Estate from the owner and restored the heritage building to establish a digital Museum and Light & Sound Show to portray the history, Art and Culture of the State.
The Light and Sound show is the 1st production to use the digital art technology to depict the history of Shimla through the eye of Bantony Castle right from its foundation. The details of visiting Museum and the Light & Sound Show are as under:
Museum: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Entrance Ticket: Rs. 50/- per person
Light & Sound Show timings:
During Winter: 5:30 PM to 6:00 PM and 6:00 PM to 6:30 PM
During Summer: 8:00 PM to 8:30 PM and 8:30 PM to 9:00 PM.
Ticket: Rs. 100/- per person.
