Raaja Bhasin

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Raaja Bhasin
Raaja Bhasin.jpg
Born
Chandra Haas Bhasin

(1961-01-30) 30 January 1961 (age 63)
Chandigarh, India
Alma mater Panjab 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.

Contents

Personal life and education

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

Writing

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

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

Further recognition

Bibliography

  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]

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References

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  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.
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  7. ↑ "Raaja Bhasin". Old Cottonians Association. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  8. ↑ Bhasin, Raja (2011). Simla, the Summer Capital of British India. Rupa & Company. ISBN   978-81-291-1768-7.
  9. 1 2 Dalrymple, William (26 September 1999). "India's Green and Pleasant Land". Washington Post.
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  12. 1 2 "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. 1 2 "Coffee table book on water heritage out". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
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  57. ↑ "Department of Botany, St. Bede's College, Shimla - Activities for the session 2018-19" (PDF). 2019.
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