Vinod Bhardwaj

History. Heritage. Himachal.

Biographies & Life Stories

Slaves of the Big Cities: A River and a Woman Named Yamuna

Biographies & Life Stories

Exposing the unwritten constitution that governs India’s poor

When I opened my eyes, I beheld mountains, forests, rivers, and the blue sky. I watched the Ganga, Yamuna, Satluj, and Ravi race from the mountains to the plains. Amid nature’s quiet, I have stood at the threshold of childhood, youth, and now old age. Clouds rise from the sea, bring snow and rain to the mountains, and then the water journeys back to meet the ocean again.

A mountain’s beauty lies in this: the landscape changes with every turn. The plains, by contrast, are straight and flat. The mountains are the nation’s sentinels; the plains, its breadbasket. Two generations ago, we too were tied to the plains. With the turn of time, by the mid-last century, we too moved into nature’s lap.

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How Raja Padam Singh Helped an American Missionary Embrace Hindu Dharma

Biographies & Life Stories, Himachal Pradesh: Land & People, Rural Life & Horticultural Heritage

He Came as Samuel, Lived as Satyanand, and Left Himachal Prosperous

On 14 May, we all salute a great soul who, with his dedication and determination, transformed the hills from poverty to prosperity. On this day in 1945, he took his last breath at Ripon Hospital, Shimla – now DDU Regional Hospital.

Today, the beautiful bungalows and other modern amenities nestled among the apple gardens in the hills stand as a testimony to his vision and wisdom.

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MEDICAL COLLEGE AT VICEREGAL LODGE IN SIMLA – A DR. PARMAR STORY

Biographies & Life Stories, Cultural Heritage & Legacy, Himachal Pradesh: Land & People, Memories, Essays & Reflections, Shimla: Then & Now

Prof. S. Radhakrishnan the then President of India ( 1962-1967) inaugurated Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS)on October 20,1965 at Simla (later Shimla). In his inaugural address, Dr. Radhakrishnan emphasised the importance of questioning established truths and not being prisoners of the status quo.

The Viceregal Lodge , built between 1880 and 1888 for Lord Duffrin served as summer residence of the British Viceroy from 1888 to 1947. After Independence Government of India inherited two very different viceregal homes in Simla Hills Viceregal Lodge ie Rashtrapati Niwas at Observatory Hill and the Retreat at Mashobra. Before 1888 Peterhoff was the residence of Viceroy. The Viceroy Lodge came to be associated with many an important events which changed the history and geography of the sub-continent. As early as 1900, the Punjab Alienation of Land Act was passed in the Governor General’s Council in the Viceregal Lodge.

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THE FORGOTTEN PRINCESS OF “QUEEN OF HILLS”

Biographies & Life Stories, History & Freedom Movement, Shimla: Then & Now

The nation is today celebrating the birth anniversary of a great lady who dedicated her life for the freedom of the country and nation building. Born on February 2, 1889, to the royal family of Kapurthala, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, the Princess of Kapurthala, had her early education in Sherborne School for Girls in Dorset, England, and her college education at Oxford University. She was raised a Christian. She had a landed property, “Manorville “in Summerhill, Simla (Shimla).

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