Annadale Ground Shimla

Annadale Ground : No Other landmark in Simla can revive more pleasant memories than the famous playground and race-course by the name of Annadale, located in a deep wide valley in the suburban village of Kaithu, simla west. This playground rests on a small patch of table-land about a three-quarters of a mile in circumference. The spur on which it stood was a sort of valley-flat which was greatly extended and improved. Now misnamed Annandale, the original name of this place was Annadale and this name is derived from a small story about it. The story is that Captain charles pratt Kennedy, one of the first incomers to this place, was so struck by the beauty of the valley that he saw, that be named after a young lady to whom he was so deeply attached in his young boyhood days. Her name was Anna and he combined it with the word 'dale' meaning a valley, thus calling the valley as Annadale. this spelling appears in the early lithographs of Simla done about the year 1840. Annandale, since its inception in the 1830s was the haunt of Anglo-Indian playful activities, amusements and entertainments. It was the favourite place for picnic parties, fetes and fancy-fairs, birthday-balls,flower and dog shows, army tatoos,races and gymkhanas,polo matches and other tournaments in 1888 which became a regular annual feature and which still bears his name although the venue of this tournament is now shifted to Calcutta.

An ambitious improvement scheme was launched by Lord William Beresford, the Military Secretary to Lord Dufferin, and his keen interest in the expansion of Annandale ground gave the 'Cricketers a new pavilion and a polo field for the polo fans.' The cutting of a big piece of the hill cost nearly Rs 80,000 to which handsome amounts were contributed by the Indian Rajas. In the old regime there was a general committee for the maintenance of the ground and funds were derived from the rents paid by the gymkhana, polo and cricket clubs, race committee and other voluntary organisations. Presently there are no more races and the field is utilised as a helipad and for army exercise and parades, sports and occasionally for other kinds of assemblages like Dussehra festival celebrations. The very first fancy fair was held in Annandale in the year 1839.--