The official summer residence of the British viceroys was completed in 1888 and the Indian subcontinent was ruled from here for half of every year from then till WWII. Henry Irwin's grey-sandstone creation resembles a cross between Harry Potter's Hogwarts and a Scottish baronial castle. Today it houses the Indian Institute of Advanced Study: you can take a half-hour tour of a few rooms with interesting photo exhibits, but the old ballroom and dining hall are now a library and closed to visitors.
The handsome gardens still make an enjoyable stroll. The Lodge is 3.5km west of Scandal Point: fork left 100m after the Oberoi Cecil hotel, go 700m to the lodge gate, then 400m more to the lodge itself. Opposite the lodge gate is the glum Himalayan Bird Park , where you can see the iridescent monal pheasant, Himachal’s state bird.
