Shimla, July 08: It was a poignant journey down memory lane for Congress president Sonia Gandhi as she took time off from a brainstorming session of party leaders and visited the place where she stayed several times with her husband Rajiv Gandhi as prime minister. Gandhi spent some time at the Wild Flower Gall Hotel in Mashobra, near here, which often used to be the "retreat" for her and Rajiv as the prime minister in mid-eighties.

The "retreat" was converted into a summer resort of the president and prime minister after the Viceregal Lodge building was handed over by late president S Radhakrishnan for opening the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies.
Former Pakistan President Z A Bhutto had also stayed at the "retreat" during India-Pak summit in 1972.

Bureau Report