It a painstakingly compiled account of the glorious bygone British era and the journey of this fascinating town from the quaint little hamlet of Shayamala to present-day Shimla.

After penning a short story book on the "Queen of Hills", Sumit Raj Vashisht has now come out with a coffee table book "Shimla: A British Himalayan Town". Laced with beautiful pictures, some of them black and white of the earlier as well as present times, the book makes a distinct comparison of the town during the British days and now.

The writer has not only placed on record the entire history of the town set up on the recommendation of Sir John Lawrence in 1864 but also given in great detail account of the bubbling and vibrant life of the town during the days of the Raj with theatre, music and elaborate parties.

The extracts from letters written by some senior British officers to family members back home in England give an insight into the pulsating life in Shimla during British rule.

Some of these accounts given by Samuel Wilberforce, a Judge at Shimla from 1896 to 1921, speak about the vibrant social life, including balls and parties at the Viceregal Lodge and residence of the Lieutenant Governor and other high-ranking British officials. He makes mention of the tonga journeys up and down the hill and the refreshing atmosphere and flowers in the area.

"It is during my interaction with several British tourists here that I collected interesting bits of information and some of them were extra nice as they provided me with valuable inputs and some rare photographs from their private collections," says Sumit.

Born in Shimla in 1967, the author studied here before moving out due to his father's postings. It is love for the mountains and the life here which drew him back to the hills where he remains associated with tourism industry as he utilises his spare time to collect accounts of life in Shimla during the days of the Raj and how it has changed now.

Besides giving details of the life during the Raj and history of various places, a chapter is devoted to famous people associated with Shimla, including Rudyard Kipling, Amrita Shergill, Ruskin Bond, EJ Buck, Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi and Manohar Singh.

Another chapter gives information about the famous hair salons, bakeries, garment stores, jewellers, book stores and other prominent stores on The Mall during the British days. A chapter devoted exclusively to architecture gives an insight into the styles followed and the material used for constructing the magnificent structures like Viceregal Lodge, Bantony, Gorton Castle.

The book also given information about the heritage zones, interesting trails and interesting places, including temples and churches, one can visit to get the real feel of a hill station and blissful escapade with nature.