MASHOBRA MAGIC AND MASTI

Sequestered in the liberally verdant folds of the Shimla Hills, sleepy Mashobra invites you to run away from the toil and temptations, the frantic highways and byways of those maddening cities of pollution and politics

Mark your days with the music of the breezes and bird song, nourish your spirits with the sweep of the landscape and spend your nights steeped in the contemplation of starry skies.

Mashobra is ideally placed for adventures in the surrounds if you want a more active holiday. Plan ahead for rafting, fishing, trekking, mountain biking, bird watching, and camping so you don’t waste a moment of your precious time getting it together at the last minute!

Call for a Retreat
Add a bit of history and heritage to your itinerary with a visit to the Presidential summer home which dates back to the Raj era. Were you aware that there are just a few spots in India where the President can take off for a bit of R&R and conduct duties of state away from the punishing heat of a Delhi summer? Mashobra is one of them. Located in Chharabra village, the Presidential retreat’s massive sprawl of 10,000 sq.ft is marked by a dense wraparound forested belt. The wooden structure with its elegant heft of a Raj-era vibe is equipped with 16 rooms, splendid lawns and vibrant flowerbeds. 

Literally known as The Retreat this lovely bungalow once belonged to the Maharajah of Koti who leased it to William Hay a British official back in 1860. Eventually, in 1895, Lord Elgin, the Viceroy, bought it off the Maharajah and enjoyed the pastoral pleasures of a summer sojourn in the two-tiered property with its green gables and weather vane, which he appropriately named The Retreat, Mashobra. Lord Mountbatten was the last Viceroy who, along with his wife Edwina, arrived here to take advantage of its healing setting before they returned home to England in 1948 having ruthlessly cast India asunder to create two independent nations. 

Post- Independence, back in the hands of the Indians, its first Presidential visitor was Dr Rajendra Prasad who came to stay in 1951. Now renamed as Rashtrapati Niwas, it has recently allowed visitors to enjoy a ticketed tour of the heritage building. Public tours can be booked online and offline, with slots typically available from 10:00 am to 05:00 pm, with the last entry at 03:00 pm on all days of the week except for Mondays and public holidays. Contact 0177-2740040 (Reception Office) 0177-27401 N

 Mashobra’s Cinematic Heritage—Jewel in the Crown
Few may recall that back in 1982 British filmmaker Richard Attenborough used ‘Sundarban’ set upon the   on the same hill as the President’s summer Retreat in Mashobra. Privately owned by Kushwant’s Singh’s brother General Gurbax Singh it had scenes from Attenborough’s Jewel in the Crown TV serial, inspired by novelist Paul Scott’s The Raj Quartet series depicting the last days of the British Raj. They gave it a complete makeover and named it ‘Rose Cottage’.  The televised version of Scott’s new novel Staying On also had some scenes shot here. Attached to the old colonial home dated back to 1879, Sunderban Cottages now takes in guests

Picnics and Nature Trails at Craignano
The lovely meadowland of Craignanao is idyllic for leisurely picnics and quality ‘me time’. A drive through a wooded trail brings you to this gem of a spot so favoured by an Italian photographer, who was so enchanted with it he even built himself a villa atop a sunny hilltop which would catch the pine-scented breezes on a summer day. Surrounded by fruit orchards and fragrant woods, wildflowers and balmy breezes it makes for the perfect summer retreat even today. Chevalier Federico Peliti, decided to call this jewel in the Shimla Hills ‘Craignano’, which was his hometown back in Italy. Make a note of the water lift built by the British, and which still continues to supply Shimla and its surrounds with water. The Craignano Nature Park is a big draw for visiting families.

Swiss Cheese and Conversations
At the nearby village of Dhagogi, Parisian cheesemaker François Laederich and his wife Debarati set up Amiksa cheese store in 2019. So enamoured of the place when visiting in the area, they just upped sticks from south India and decided to make Dhagogi their home. Their range of artisanal hard and soft cheeses, made from locally sourced Himalayan cow milk and aged in pinewood shelves, make for a lovely gift for family and friends. Their partnership with the dairy community in the region serves as an important way to contribute to the local economy.

Naldehra
Golfing buffs should bring their sticks and hats for some leisurely rounds of golf in some of the most exquisite Himalayan surrounds at Naldehra 12km away from Mashobra. This was a lovely gift from Lord Curzon who commissioned this spot back in 1905 as a 9-hole course. It is now a full blown 18-hole course today. Did you know that Curzon was so enchanted by the spot he decided to name his third daughter ‘Alexandera Naldehra’, after it?

If you aren’t a golfer, you can still enjoy a leisurely walk around these emerald vistas.  It’s a popular place for pony rides as well. It’s also a beloved spot for some of the most spectacular sunsets in these parts.

ACCOMMODATION

An excellent range of stay options are available around Mashobra.
Highly recommended is the uncrowded 5-bedroom Aranya Himalayan Retreat, an organic boutique property from Eartha Escapes, which is well-reputed for memorable homestay experiences. Located a short distance from Craignano, this luxury villa is ideally appointed for a delight-giving vacation. An added attraction is that it’s the best pet-friendly boutique stay in Mashobra! Aranya has recently tied up with IRCTC for an exclusive arrangement for guests to avail of an exotic private train experience on the Vistadome steam engine toy train.

For bookings and more, log on to https://www.earthaa.in/aranya-himalayan-retreat-mashobra/

“Earthaa Itinerary embedded” link of pdf

Contact : Sehar Shamim 9810101836

ACCESS

Air: Shimla’s Jubbarhatti Airport is approximately 32 km from Mashobra. Oward journey by taxi or bus

Rail: Shimla railway station is approximately 13 km from Mashobra.