CASTLE HILL, an 182-acre estate in Mussoorie, a hill city in the Himalayas, which was the summer residence for a short period of Mahārājā Duleep Siṅgh, the last Sikh sovereign of the Punjab who after the annexation of his dominions was exiled by the British to Fatehgaṛh, in present-day Uttar Pradesh. The entrance to the estate, in Laṇḍour Bazaar, is a fortress-like construction, with battlements for guards, an iron gateway and a reception room for visitors. The estate, originally known as Woodcraft and Greenmount, was the property of one G. B. Taylor before it was purchased by the government in 1853 for Mahārājā Duleep Siṅgh. It came to be known as Castle Hill from Duleep Siṅgh's occupation of the 'castle' on the top of the hill as his residence. As Duleep Siṅgh arrived at the estate in the summer of 1852, he was, besides the train of servants, accompanied by his guardians, Dr and Mrs Login, the former officially designated as superintendent and agent to His Highness, his tutor, Walter Guise, and his nephew, Shāhzādā Sahdev Siṅgh, son of Mahārājā Sher Siṅgh and his Rājpūt queen, Rāṇī Dakno. The Mahārājā received here lessons in music and drawing and enjoyed outdoor activities such as cricket, hunting and hawking. He learnt especially to play the flute and raised a small band which performed at the Mall, in the city, in the evenings. He practised painting under the tutelage of the city's artist George Beechey. The summer of 1853 was again spent at Castle Hill, this time Prince Sahdev Siṅgh's mother, Rāṇī Dakno, also joining the party. In April 1854, Duleep Siṅgh left for England never to return to live in India again.

         The estate now is the property of the Union government and houses the offices of the Survey of India.

Waryam Siṅgh