Shimla's Malls

As the town of Shimla grew through the 19th century, its Mall steadily developed as the town's commercial street and the hub of its social life. The road, which some 5-km in length, starts in the west at the gates of he former Viceregal Lodge , the present day Indian Institute of Advanced Study and ends at Chhota Shimla or 'Small' Shimla, in the east.

The route has bends, as one would expect any hill road to have, ut its nature essentially follows a wide sweeping curve along the hills. The primary aspect is south facing and affords a view of the valley below the town and of the foothills that reach out to the plains from its habitation. In pockets, snatches of the northern aspect spring up for a dramatic view and hold woods of Pine and Himalayan Cedar - the majestic Deodar. This picture of nature's bounty is framed by the distant snow ranges of the Greater Himalaya.

The Intriguing Architectural Grandeur
The core of the Mall is a row of shops that take the approximate mid section of the road and traverse for about a kilometre and a half along is length. At one point of time, it was regarded to be as fashionable as the finest streets of London, Paris or St. Petersburg and every morning, the tarmac was washed down by 'Mashkis' carrying goatskin bags full of water.

Architecturally, this stretch is often likened to an English small town market place. Elements of Tudor framing, a varied roofline, assorted columns and numerous decorations have given this row considerable character. The row also has a variety of windows that range from bay, to sash barred and to diamond cut panes and some unusual elements also find expression and take the form of Mughal inspired cupolas that hold bay windows.