Hill Stations Of The Raj

In the days before air-conditioning the ‘Hill Stations’, usually sited at 5,000-7,000ft provided welcome relief from India’s suffocating summer heat. Some originated as military bases, others as sites for sanatoria. Just a few had a rail link to the plains.

The talk looks at three contrasting Hill Stations, one each in India, Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) and Myanmar (Burma). In all three much of the old colonial heritage and architecture lingers on. And afternoon tea with cucumber sandwiches still survives despite all the other intrusions of progress!