Information on Chail Palace (Shimla, Himachal Pradesh) - History & Architecture

The Chail Palace which is also known as the Maharaja palace, is located in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It was used as a summer retreat of the maharajas of Patiala. It is located in a distance of 45 km away from the hill station i.e. Shimla.

Chail Palace Architecture

The palace was constructed largely on the basis of the Mughal and Indian style of architecture. The palace is quite large in terms of size and it is being used as a resort by the tourism sector of the state. This beautiful palace of the 18th century has furniture used by the maharajas kept within its interior. The rooms within the palace is quite charming so much so that they was later transformed into cottages. There are also 'delightful log huts' within the palace premise which again is one of its kind in the region. While reaching the palace by foot, one needs to walk across the forest where the weather is quite soothing and calm owing to which it is often regarded as a lover's hill. Within the palace there is also a badminton as well as tennis court some which were built in the late 19th century. There is also a garden cum Children Park that further attracts the attention of child visitors. The construction of the palace was mainly done with the help of materials such as bricks and stone along with marbles and wood.

Chail Palace History

Located specifically in the Chail region of Himachal, the palace was built during the year 1891. The palace is deemed to one of the biggest in India owing to the aspect that it is built in an area of more than 75 acres. It was used by the maharaja of Chail and his royal family as a residence. History suggests that when Bhupinder Singh who was the maharaja of Patiala was barred from the region of Shimla by the British rulers, he thought of establishing his own empire in the Chail region during the summer season. Within the little village of Chail, there were lot of forest and vacant spaces which was at quite a higher altitude in comparison to that of the British led Shimla which further makes it a safer place for the raja to build his mansion. He built the palace in alignment with his royal style of living and designed the monument which later gets placed in the history books. The palace was built in between the pine and deodar of the scented virgin forests. Hence, it provides a great ambience. The monument was extensively used by the rajas during that time for the purpose of honeymoon and holidays.

Chail Palace Tourism Importance

Chail is one of the most beautiful places in Himachal Pradesh. Throughout the year, the place attracts a large number of people from different parts of the nation and around the world. With regard to tourism, the palace is placed in in one of most attractive location in India and hence the flow of visitors in the palace which is converted into a hotel is deemed to be quite large. For each of the visitors, every visitor spending time in the palace turned resort is all-new experience. It is one of the best places in India to spend to spend summer holidays. The surrounding attractions of the palace will also influence the flow of tourist. One can find fishing and trekking opportunities while being in the resort or the Chail Palace.