Raaja Bhasin | |
---|---|
Born | Chandra Haas Bhasin 30 January 1961 Chandigarh, India |
Alma mater | Panjab University Bishop Cotton School, Shimla |
Occupation(s) | Writer, historian, speaker, curator |
Known for | Histories 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.
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]
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]
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).[30][31]