Subathu

Subathu
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Presidency: Bengal
Coordinates:	30.97°N 76.99°E
Altitude:	1,265 m (4,150 ft)
Present Day Details
Place Name:	Sabathu
State/Province:	Himachal Pradesh
Country:	India
Transport links

Subathu was a hill cantonment in Simla District, Punjab. Together with Kasauli and Dagshai, it was created by the British Army in the mid-19th century for the families and some of the troops to escape to in the hot weather which was so unhealthy in the plains. They are on the ridges of wooded hills about 20 kms into the Himalayas on the road between Chandigarh and Simla. Kasauli is the major town in the area.

A photograph of a plaque advises that Subathu was established as a Military Garrison (6th Native Infantry) in 1815 to oppose the forces of General Amar Singh Thapa located at Maulan Fort. In the olden days the route to Simla was via Subathu.

Subathu is close to Kasauli, but at a considerably lower level. Subathu lay in the ‘malarial belt’ and the disease in 1841 claimed the life the Letitia, the daughter of Sir Henry Lawrence (of Indian Mutiny fame). After this tragedy, Lawrence’s wife, Honoria, could not bear to live in the place any longer. By that time the Kasauli hill had also been surveyed and they decided to move to its healthier climate. The Lawrences built ‘Sunnyside’, the first European residence on the hill [at Kasauli] and Lawrence’s wife Honoria wrote in a letter, "From our house we can see the burial ground at Subathoo where the mortal remains of our little angel lie. It is on a solitary hill above Subathoo, ten miles from Kussowlie."

Spelling Variants

Modern name: Sabathu
Variants: Subathu/Subathoo/Soobathoo/Sabhathu

First World War

There was a Young Officers’ School at Subathu c 1917-1919. This appears to have been associated with a similar School at Ambala and it seems likely that Subathu was the summer location of this School.

External links

• Churches and Cemeteries of Himachal Pradesh, now an archived webpage, from Himachal Tourism has sections on Subathu, Kasauli , and Dagshai, in addition to Simla and other towns.
• Subathu "A prominent market town of yesteryear" by Romesh Dutt February 20, 1999 The Tribune

"Museum that showcases heroic deeds of Gurkhas by R D [probably Romesh Dutt] February 20, 1999. The Tribune. Located at Subathu.

• "Imperial legacy and Gurkha heritage – Subathu" by Ravinder Makhaik January 10, 2017 theoktravel.com
• A beautiful cemetery beckons you by Madan Gupta Spatu January 22, 2000 The Tribune. It is the oldest cemetery in the Simla Hills which was built soon after the British defeated the Gurkhas here in 1814. It is the burial place of Letitia, the daughter of Sir Henry Lawrence, who was buried here in 1841,(FIBIS database entry)
• Historical cemetery faces neglect The Tribune Monday, March 28, 2005, Chandigarh
• Inscriptions from Cemetery in Subathu bacsa.org.uk

Cemetery in Subathu shimlawalks.com, now an archived webpage. With inscriptions.

• "Birds walk the ramp at Subathu, Himachal Pradesh, India" by Lt General Baljit Singh from Indian Birds Vol 2, No.2 (March-April 2006), pages 38-39
• Photograph: General view of the cantonment and sanitarium at Sabathoo by Samuel Bourne 1865 with description British Library Online Gallery
• Photograph: Sabathu c 1917 25thlondon.com. Retrieved 25 August 2014
• Postcard Subathu-Back view of Hospital Click to enlarge. postcards.delcampe.co.uk Probably c 1910

Historical books online

• Sabathu Imperial Gazetteer
• "Topographical and Sanitary Report on Subathoo (A Lower Himalayan Station)" by Dr Munro Surgeon, 93rd Highlanders 1859-60, page 362 Army Medical Department: Statistical Sanitary and Medical Reports for the year 1861 (published 1863) Google Books
• Report on the Water-Supply of Subathoo by W. G. May, Assistant Surgeon, Analyst 0f Potable Waters Fifth Report on the analysis of potable waters of cantonments in the Bengal presidency 1869 Google Books
• "Subathoo", page 151 A Guide to Simla: With a Descriptive Account of the Neighbouring Sanitaria, Subathoo, Dugshaie, Sunawur, Kussowlie, Kotegurh, Chini, &c., &c., &c‬ by W H Carey 1870 Google Books
• "Sabathu", page 119 Punjab District Gazetteers Volume VIII A. Simla District 1904 Archive.org.