The Retreat Building : Residence of the President of India

The Retreat Building is the official Retreat Residence of the President of India at Chharabra, Shimla, in the state of Himachal Pradesh. It is located 10 km away from downtown Shimla and is a thousand feet higher than the Shimla Ridge Top, which is part of the Himalayas.

The other presidential homes are Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi and Rashtrapati Nilayam at Secunderabad, Telangana.

The Retreat Building was built in 1850 and it was a part of the Viceroy of India property. Located on the hill top of the Mashobra, the building was taken over during 1895 by the Viceroy.

Mashobra was built by Lord Dalhousie in the 18th century. It is found in the biographies of Lady Mountbatten and Lady Edwinas. Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister, paid a visit to Lord Mountbatten, the Viceroy and then Governor General of India, and his wife Lady Edwina. Before 1948, Mashobra used to house one of the only two Presidential retreats in India. The other Presidential retreat is Rashtrapati Nilayam in Secunderabad.

Mashobra is visited by the President of India every year and during that period the main office shifts to the retreat at Chharabra. The building of the Presidential retreat is a completely wooden structure originally constructed in 1850. The Wildflower Hall at Chharabra was the residence to Lord Kitchener as well as Lord Ripon during the British Raj, now a property of Oberoi Hotels. Today Mashobra is a well known tourist’s destination.

The Retreat Building, Mashobra, Shimla
Located on the hill top of the Mashobra, the building was taken over during 1895 by the Viceroy. The President visits The Retreat at least once a year and the core office shifts to that place during stay in The Retreat. Thousand feet higher than the Shimla Ridge Top, The Retreat is located in a picturesque surrounding. The architectural pattern and the natural beauty of the place have made The Retreat a tourist attraction in Shimla.

The redeeming feature of this building is that it is purely a wooden structure with dhajji wall construction. Originally constructed in 1850, this building has a plinth area of 10,628 sq. ft.