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Raaja Bhasin
Born
Chandra Haas Bhasin

(1961-01-30) 30 January 1961 (age 63)
Chandigarh, India
Alma materPanjab University
Bishop Cotton School, Shimla
Occupation(s)Writer, historian, speaker, curator
Known forHistories of colonial Shimla
Travel-writing
Television appearances

Chandra Haas Bhasin (born 30 January 1961), better known by his pen-name Raaja Bhasin, is a writer, historian, public speaker, and curator from Himachal Pradesh, India. He is noted as an authority on the cultural and architectural history of colonial-era Shimla, the erstwhile summer capital of the British Raj and the present-day capital of the Himachal Pradesh state. Bhasin is particularly known for his book Simla: the Summer Capital of British India, first published in 1992. He has appeared as an expert on Shimla in several popular travel and historical documentaries, including ones made by William Dalrymple, Michael Palin, Gurinder Chaddha, and Anthony Bourdain. Bhasin is also regarded as an expert on various aspects of Himachal Pradesh, including tourism and cultural heritage - also subjects on which he has written and lectured extensively.

Personal life and education

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Bhasin received his school education at the Bishop Cotton School, Shimla, from where he passed out in 1976.[1] He then attended Panjab University, Chandigarh, from where he graduated with a BA and an MA in history.[2]

In a 2014 interview, Bhasin spoke of the veteran Indian journalist and writer Khushwant Singh as an important inspiration in his own career as a writer.[3]

Bhasin lives in Shimla and spends several months a year at his second home in New Delhi.[4] He is married and has two sons.[5] He is a member of the Amateur Dramatics Club, Shimla, and the Old Cottonians Association, Shimla.[6][7]

Works

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Writing

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Bhasin’s most widely known work is his first book Simla: The Summer Capital of British India, which has been in print ever since it was first published in 1992, by Viking. Penguin published this book in 1994. Subsequently, a revised edition was published by Rupa Publications in 2011, the fifth impression of which came out in 2018. The foreword of this book is by the novelist M.M. Kaye.[8] This book has received mostly positive reviews. Critics have hailed Simla: The Summer Capital of British India for its distinctive narrative style and in-depth research on the cultural, social, and political life and times in Simla, the erstwhile summer capital of the British Raj. In 1999, the British historian William Dalrymple called this book 'the best modern book on Shimla'.[9] Mandavi Mehta of Business Standard Review mentions that this book draws upon first-person accounts of imperial Shimla written by a range of inhabitants, colonial newspaper accounts, which are woven together by Bhasin into a 'vivid portrayal' of the British Raj era in Shimla.[10] In a review of the revised edition published in 2011, Pankaj Vohra of Hindustan Times writes that this book's presentation of Shimla's colonial history is full of anecdotes and interesting insights that never let the reader's interest flag.[11]

Bhasin has written several other books since then, including one work of fiction (Flowerwoods Hotel, 2014).

As of 2019, Bhasin had authored nearly three thousand articles on a large number of subjects, which had been published in numerous popular media including national and international newspapers, travel magazines, and in-flight magazines.[12] Their subjects include Shimla's historical heritage, personal anecdotes from Shimla, and various topics related to Himachal Pradesh, such as travel and issues surrounding development, environment, tourism, and heritage conservation.[citation needed]

He has undertaken various commissioned projects for writing and editing from various state-level, national-level, and international multilateral organizations.[13][14][15]

Appearance in documentaries and TV shows

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Bhasin has appeared as an expert on Shimla in several national and international documentaries and TV shows. They include the following:

Bhasin served as historical consultant to the British period drama Indian Summers (2015).[31][32]

Other engagements

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Further recognition

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Bibliography

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  1. Bhasin, Raaja. (1992). Simla: the Summer Capital of British India. Viking.
  2. Bhasin, Raaja. (1995). Viceregal Lodge and the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla. Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla.
  3. Bhasin, Raaja. (2000). Himachal Pradesh: a Himalayan Experience. Himachal Tourism.
  4. Bhasin, Raaja. (2007). An Introduction of the Churches and Christian Cemeteries of Himachal. Himachal Tourism.
  5. Bhasin, Raaja. (2007). Shimla on Foot. Rupa Publications.
  6. Bhasin, Raaja. (2010). Har Ghar Kuchh Kehta Hai. Himachal Tourism.
  7. Bhasin, Raaja. (2010). Unforgettable Himachal. Himachal Tourism.
  8. Bhasin, Raaja. (2013). Experience Himachal on the Road. Times Book.
  9. Bhasin, Raaja. (2013). The Toy Train: The Kalka Shimla Railway Line. Minerva Publishers.
  10. Bhasin, Raaja. (2014). Flowerwoods Hotel. National Book Trust.[59]
  11. Bhasin, Raaja (eds.). (2015).The Deputy Commissioner, Shimla: two centuries of an institution (1815-2015). Deputy Commissioner, Shimla.[60]
  12. Bhasin, Raaja. (2016). Easy Trails around Shimla. Rupa Publications.[61]
  13. Bhasin, Raaja. (2017). Sacred Himachal. Dainik Bhaskar Group.
  14. Bhasin, Raaja and Arun Kumar Sharma (2018). Himachal's Water Heritage. Government of Himachal Pradesh.[14]
  15. Bhasin, Raaja. (2019). Hidden Himachal. Himachal Tourism.[62][63]

References

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  1. ^ "School days of writer Ruskin Bond in Shimla evoke old Cottonian nostalgia". Hindustan Times. 8 July 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  2. ^ Dutt, Nirupama; Garewal, Naveen S. (3 October 2005). "Regional Briefs - 'King' of the hills". www.tribuneindia.com. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  3. ^ "He inspired me to write, says historian Raaja Bhasin". Hindustan Times. 21 March 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Indian Summer". www.martinrandall.com. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  5. ^ Bhasin, Raaja. "Midnight's children look back". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  6. ^ "Shimla Amateur Dramatics Club". adcshimla1837.com. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Raaja Bhasin". Old Cottonians Association. 12 September 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  8. ^ Bhasin, Raja (2011). Simla, the Summer Capital of British India. Rupa & Company. ISBN 978-81-291-1768-7.
  9. ^ a b Dalrymple, William (26 September 1999). "India's Green and Pleasant Land". Washington Post.
  10. ^ Mehta, Mandavi (10 June 2011). "The Raj at work and play". Business Standard India. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  11. ^ Vohra, Pankaj (17 June 2011). "When they went to Simla". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  12. ^ a b "Raaja Bhasin – Shimla International Literature Festival". 20 February 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  13. ^ State of Environment Report, Himachal Pradesh (PDF). Shimla: Government of Himachal Pradesh. 2005. pp. xi.
  14. ^ a b "Coffee table book on water heritage out". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  15. ^ "INTACH to assist Himachal government conserve heritage". Hill Post. 30 October 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  16. ^ Coverage of Viceregal Lodge of Shimla (Vol. II), 10 June 1996, retrieved 18 January 2023
  17. ^ Simla (Shimla) The British Hill Station. Stones of the Raj series 1997. William Dalrymple, 4 January 2021, retrieved 18 January 2023
  18. ^ "Himalaya 2/6 - video Dailymotion". Dailymotion. 30 January 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  19. ^ Palin, Michael (2010). Himalaya. Orion. ISBN 978-0-297-86360-1.
  20. ^ "BBC India With Sanjeev Bhaskar E04 A Camel Called Sanjeev - video Dailymotion". Dailymotion. 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  21. ^ Bhasin, Raaja. "An evening with Anthony Bourdain". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  22. ^ Parts Unknown S3 E1 Punjab, India, retrieved 18 January 2023
  23. ^ Kipling's Indian Adventure (TV Movie 2016) - IMDb, retrieved 18 January 2023
  24. ^ "Kipling's Indian Adventure - Raaja Bhasin & Charles Allen feature". www.martinrandall.com. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  25. ^ Kipling's Indian Adventure English Subtitles, 20 May 2018, retrieved 30 January 2023
  26. ^ India's Partition - The Forgotten Story (BBC), retrieved 18 January 2023
  27. ^ BBC's Great Indian Railway Journeys from Amritsar to Shimla Part1 of 4, 6 May 2018, retrieved 18 January 2023
  28. ^ "Great Indian Railway Journeys Series 1 1of4 Amritsar to Shimla - video Dailymotion". Dailymotion. 17 April 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  29. ^ "The Road To Independence By Olie Hunter Smart". jwp.io. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  30. ^ "L'Inde Le Paradis Perdu de Rudyard Kipling". app.frame.io. 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  31. ^ "Interview with historical consultants Raaja Bhasin and Alastair Bruce". www.channel4.com. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  32. ^ "In Shimla, the city of Indian Summers, the Raj's colonial legacy lives on". the Guardian. 28 February 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  33. ^ "INTACH". chapter.intach.org. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  34. ^ "Young Intach Explorer". youngintach.org. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  35. ^ "Raaja Bhasin". www.martinrandall.com. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  36. ^ "India's Golden Triangle, Tigers and Shimla". Great Rail Journeys. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  37. ^ "Food for thought". The Hindu. 13 October 2016. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  38. ^ "The Chief - General Manoj Mukund Naravane". 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  39. ^ "Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Board - Directory of officers and employees" (PDF). 24 November 2003.
  40. ^ "NOTIFICATION". rajpatrahimachal.nic.in. 14 October 2013.
  41. ^ "Raaja Bhasin". British Art Network. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  42. ^ "The Victoria League for Commonwealth Friendship - Council report and accounts - 31 December 2022". charitycommission.gov.uk. 2022.
  43. ^ "Times Group book wins national tourism award". The Times of India. 18 September 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  44. ^ "Conde Nast Traveller - The Experts" (PDF).
  45. ^ "50 people to know in the Himalayas". Condé Nast Traveller India. 12 October 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  46. ^ Bodh, Anand (1 June 2015). "Intach proposes to restore colonial era DC office building - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  47. ^ Brara, Sarita (20 October 2012). "Old-world charm lost". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  48. ^ Gulati, Vishal. "Another blast from colonial past in 'Queen of Hills'". www.daijiworld.com. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  49. ^ "Readers' awards: Best overseas hotel - Oberoi". the Guardian. 17 October 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  50. ^ McClarence, Stephen (9 April 2005). "Postcard from an Indian train ride". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  51. ^ Mehta, Rishad Saam (3 February 2017). "Homestays We Love: Ballyhack Cottage for Old-World Charm and Himalayan Views". National Geographic Traveller. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  52. ^ McClarence, Stephen (30 December 2015). "Rudyard Kipling's India". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  53. ^ "Walk the line". mint. 14 April 2007. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  54. ^ "Contribution of Himachal in freedom struggle remembered". Tribuneindia News Service. 25 November 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  55. ^ "Heritage Walk at Shimla and talk by an eminent writer". youngintach.org. 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  56. ^ "One-on-One with the Two Men I've been stalking lately!". Himachal Watcher. 21 July 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  57. ^ "Department of Botany, St. Bede's College, Shimla - Activities for the session 2018-19" (PDF). 2019.
  58. ^ Living and Working in the Himalaya-- Raaja Bhasin in conversation with Dr. Sonali Gupta, 20 February 2022, retrieved 14 August 2023
  59. ^ Bhandari, Rahul (30 June 2014). "CM inaugurates Book Fair, advises to bring out e-books". The News Himachal. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  60. ^ "Deputy Commissioner office Shimla celebrates 200 years of existence CM exhorts for maintaining cult". www.himachalpr.gov.in. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  61. ^ "Hills calling: An expert guide to trek right around Shimla this summer". Hindustan Times. 20 May 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  62. ^ "From folktales to unexplored places, here's how to explore 'Hidden Himachal'". The Pioneer. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  63. ^ "From folktales to unexplored places, here's how to explore 'Hidden Himachal'". Hindustan Times. 22 December 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
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