Shimla is a heritage city. It was the summer capital of British ruled India upto 1947. Till date many of the heritage buildings have been retained in their original form and character - like the Viceregal Lodge (The Viceroy's palace), Gorton Castle, Town hall, GPO ( Post office), Telephone Exchange (India's 1st automatic exchange), Rothney Castle (A. O. Hume's house), Manorma (Rudyard Kipling's house) The Christ Church ( 100 m from Hostel) and many more. The Mall and The Ridge have a distinct character of their own.