seen from Türkiye
seen from Australia
seen from Australia
seen from United States
seen from T1
seen from China
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from Hong Kong SAR China
seen from Japan
seen from United States
seen from Russia
seen from Türkiye
seen from Russia
seen from Australia
seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States
seen from Russia
seen from United States
by the light from the window // weston, usa // october 2016 // ©
Over the years archaeological digs of Roman sites have uncovered many of these strange dodecahedrons, usually made out of metal and with var
Old British Army Search Light Position and Machine Room - Top of the World - Gharghur An old British Army Search Light Position, built around the late 1800s and covering the approach to Wied il- Faham on a hill top known locally as "Top of the World ".
‘NYC Revolutionary Trail: Echoes of Revolution’ Self-Guided Walking Tour to Launch June 2026 to Celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary
A free immersive walking tour in downtown Manhattan reframes New York as the heart of the American Revolution – set in the Assassin’s Creed® universe July 1776, “La Destruction de la Statue Royale a Nouvelle Yorck”, published in Paris. When General Washington’s troops heard about the Declaration of Independence, they pulled down the statue of George III at New York’s Bowling Green. The print is…
Exploring History
Welcome to World Pathways. Our services are what set us apart from the competition and make us the first and only choice for our consumers. At World Pathways, Inc., we not only share the experience of connecting with historical events and artifacts, but we also provide the audience with exposure to how life in the past might have been. Read the complete Guest blog: Exploring History
Strolling in Shimla
There is money in Shimla. Every Indian bank is in town, their cash machines always stocked ready for another spending spree. They are flanked by shops selling Adidas, Levi’s, Puma and North Face. Indian wines sell for a couple of thousand rupees, pashminas for much more. A grand entrance leads to the Amateur Dramatics Society (‘Members Only’) and countless bandstands overlook the forested valleys below. Drivers proudly polish a line of sparkling fire engines, while schoolchildren dine at newly opened cafes, their tidy red uniforms untainted.
Shimla is reached via a delightful four-hour journey aboard the so-called toy train which departs from Kalka, near Chandigarh. The gradual ascent is a showcase of railway engineering with the route incorporating more than a hundred tunnels, a thousand bridges, and a gazillion twists and turns. The carriages are filled with foreign and domestic tourists alike. At first we marvel at the sweeping vistas but soon settle into a steady exchange of selfies, snacks and cricketing facts. As we round the umpteenth bend we pull into Summer Hill station, the penultimate stop and an early indicator of the colonial infusions that await us at the end of the line.
It was in 1864 that Shimla was established as the official summer capital for the government of British India (the Raj), the cool fresh air providing a welcome respite from the dusty heat of Calcutta. It is impossible to escape this heritage. Upon arrival, two elevators lift us from the usual rush of Indian traffic to the vehicle-free bliss of the Mall and the Ridge. Lined with lamps and benches that take me back to London, these streets provide the focal point of Shimla, meeting at the cryptically named Scandal Point. We take a tour of the Gaiety Theatre, designed by Henry Irwin and apparently one of the world’s few remaining Scottish baronial theatres. Our guide is a mine of information and clearly proud that the theatre still stands, regularly staging performances from touring groups.
Beyond the high street shops of the Mall other period buildings lie empty, paint peeling from their timber frames, their many rooms sad and silent. Across the road, civil servants sit within government offices, rifling through endless piles of paper, stamping approval for new construction projects to begin. Their working day is marked at 10 am and 5 pm by a loud siren that resonates across town, sounding more like an impending air raid than a call to the desk. Further west, we arrive at the impressive Viceregal Lodge, another Irwin design, from where the British Viceroys exercised control and negotiations about Indian independence were mulled over. Set amidst manicured gardens, the lodge is now home to the Indian Institute of Advanced Study but also provides visitors an extensive photo gallery highlighting the opulent lifestyles of its previous inhabitants.
You needn’t venture far to slip into more familiar Indian life. Steep steps lead down from the Mall to the middle and lower bazaars where we shuffle past stalls selling anything and everything. And of course there is a Hindu deity to oversee affairs. In Shimla it is Hanuman, the monkey god who helped Rama rescue his wife from Ravana, the demon king. He towers from a nearby hilltop and is clearly visible from most parts of town. According to the sign at the beginning of the route, those who are under 30 and 'absolutely fit’ should make the ascent in less than 30 minutes; those over 70 should be happy to make it at all. We huff and puff, checking the watch, gripping the stones ready to warn off the aggressive monkeys that aptly line the route, before arriving at the giant pink foot of Hanuman. Around the corner is the historic Jakhu Temple where visitors ring the bell before performing 'puja’, a ritual of worship before their deity.
A group of Bangladeshis accompany us as we head back down. They are lawyers and investment managers, their bulging wallets belying the poverty-stricken state of their homeland. We explore the neglected grounds of Rothney Castle, rusting chairs abandoned next to the empty pit of a bathing pool, crumbling steps leading up to a glass atrium. This grand estate once housed Allan Octavian Hume, the celebrated ornithologist and founder of the Indian National Congress. If there is money in Shimla, there is also a rich history, some flaunted, some forgotten, but all of it waiting to be explored.
