PADAM PALACE
Built in Between: 1919-1925
Named After: Nunnery, Temple & a Museum
Chief Engineer: Bir Chand Shukla
Resting in a nest-shaped valley on the left bank of the
Satluj River is Rampur's Padam
Palace, 125-km from Shimla
. The township came up because of its strategic location on the old
Hindustan-Tibet trade route, which was accessible and not snowbound. From
the humble origins of being a trading point to becoming the winter capital
of the powerful erstwhile Bushair state is the background under which the
palace was built.
Raja Padam Singh, a builder of stature in his own principality, assigned
the task of building the palace to his chief engineer, Bir Chand Shukla.
It took six years (1919-1925) for the building to take shape. Named after
the Raja, the building witnessed the merger of Bushair State with the
Indian union.
Reflecting the glorious past of the princely state, the palace is an
outstanding example of the taste, style and architecture of the erstwhile
hill states, and a tribute to local craftsmen who toiled to carve out its
beauty.
The two-storey building is done in wood and stone, with a slanting tin
roof with spiral projections. There is a big lawn, which was used for
festivities and public functions. At one end of the lawn is Macchkandi, a
masterpiece in woodwork, which was used for seating the royal family
during the festivities. The Macchkandi was designed by Gurjit Singh Fishta
and the woodwork done by the father-and-son team of Gurmail Singh and
Gurdev Singh.
Stones for the building were quarried at Khaneri and the wood was brought
down from the jungles of Munish and Dhamreda. Black gram paste was used
for cementing the stone blocks. The stone arches of the lower floor and
woodwork of the upper storey mark a striking contrast. The tipper storey
wooden screen has floral and figurine designs so as to partially admit
light without exposing those inside.
The building houses halls where royal functions were held. Apartments of
the royal family members were located in the building as well as in the
palace complex. Portraits of the royal lineage adorn the walls of the hall
and the ceiling has some exquisite woodcarvings, which are tastefully
painted and polished.
The building is a silent spectator of bygone days, has been well
maintained and continues to be a private property. The heritage of
Himachal Pradesh is stamped on it.
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