Chapslee
Staying in Chapslee is like a time warp. From the rampant industrialisation and most vile form of tourism flourishing in the chaos of modern Shimla, entering Chapslee takes you into the charmed world of high teas and rose bushes lived by Indian royalty. A house so beautiful, so old and so genteel it will teach you manners. Perched on Elysium Hill, with beautiful views of the valley and surrounded by mountains, Chapslee stands tall in all its early Victorian glory. One of the oldest surviving houses of Shimla, Chapslee was built as the residence of the ADC (Aides De Camp) of the Viceroy of India (the famous Shimla Manifesto declaring war against Afghanistan was signed here) before it was bought by Raja Charanjit Singh of Kapurthala to be used as his summer residence. His grandson, Kanwar Ratanjit Singh now owns the property and still lives in the house he was born in.
The house and everything inside it has been preserved exquisitely. The rooms look exactly like they used to a hundred years back; not a chair or a vase been moved. Ratanjit Singh’s grandfathers room still has the original 200 year old bed that he used to sleep on (and that you will sleep on if you are feeling extravagant), his bathroom still has the same bathtub, with the same fireplace (yes, you read it right – there is a fireplace in his bathroom) and the same French prints on the wallpapered walls.
You often feel like the entire royal family is going to suddenly enter the room and admonish you for snooping around their place like this. I spent hours softly peep toeing around the house, taking in the artefacts spread across the conservatory, the landing space, the dining room, the large living rooms…the French tapestry on the walls, the priceless Chinese vases, the paintings of ancient Cairo, the antiques from Turkey, the royal portraits…I could go on and on. The curios from around the world lay testament to the wealth of the Indian Raj. Art Deco pieces jostle side by side with curios from more Victorian times.
Sometimes it feels like blasphemy to spit into an antique basin decorated with delicate pink flowers or to actually sit on a sofa with its original 18th century material still on it, but the thing about Chapslee is – that for all the priceless crockery and antique furniture, it is first and foremost someone’s home. Run like a typical home stay, you are free to use any part of the home and the owners have no qualms about you walking all over a 100 year old carpet.
Dinners are served by liveried waiters on silver plates but you might just have the owner’s five dogs keeping you company for tea! The atmosphere is a wonderful mix between old-world luxury and present day casualness and the couple themselves are wonderful company – full of stories of the house and their colourful childhood.
Shimla city centre is a mere ten minute walk from Chapslee, making it’s location perfect for some sightseeing if you get tired of all the sightseeing to be done indoors!
|