Bantony

Shimla


Whimsical and photogenically dilapidated, this 1880 red-brick mansion looks like a place for a Scooby Doo adventure. There's a wobbly central spire-turret and the coat of arms of the Maharajah of Sirmaur who once lived here. After years of neglect, the tentative first steps towards restoration started in September 2017, though there's a lot to do.

A second quaint red-brick cottage next door requires similar attention.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Shimla attractions

1. Kali Bari Mandir

0.17 MILES

The Bengali hut–style Kali Bari Mandir enshrines an image of Kali as Shyamala.

2. Ripon Hospital

0.22 MILES

One of Shimla's most atmospheric timber-framed buildings, the green-and-white Ripon Hospital building (1885) has a couple of exterior wooden stair-spirals…

3. Town Hall

0.23 MILES

Shimla's half-timbered old town hall building originally dates from 1908–10, but has been so restored that it looks essentially new.

4. Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara

0.24 MILES

This major Sikh temple isn't a particular attraction but makes a useful landmark beside busy Cart Rd below the bazaar area.

5. Gaiety Theatre

0.26 MILES

Lovingly restored between 2004 and 2009 and hoping for Unesco status, this remarkable 320-seater theatre opened in 1877, originally as part of a bigger…

6. Railway Board Building

0.31 MILES

The distinctive, 1897 Railway Board Building has red and cream corner spires and has survived the years thanks to a fire-resistant cast-iron and steel…

7. The Ridge

0.34 MILES

Along the central ridgetop, this broad pedestrian esplanade diverges from The Mall at Scandal Point, guarded by a fancifully hatted policeman. Thronged…

8. Christ Church

0.39 MILES

This 1840s square-towered church would turn few heads in an English market town but in Shimla it's a treasured landmark, prominent at The Ridge's east end.