The Tribune - Windows - Main Feature

Page 1 of 3

Saturday, May 26, 2001

MAIN FEATURE

SHIMLA: Another age, another time

Shimlas reputation as a place for pleasure-seekers took birth almost with the foundation of the town itself. "The presence of unattached ladies, bachelors, flirts, match-makers gave to Simla its early reputation.... Early evenings on the Mall, was the customary place for building acquaintances.... Eligibles... socially desirables... all were on the Mall." A nostalgic journey by Raghuvendra Tanwar

WH EN Charl Pratt Kennedy w as deputed i 1822 as Superi endent of the H il es n nt l St es, coul he have i agi at d m ned t hat he w as dest ned t i t at t i o ni i e he f oundi ng process not onl of a new t n i Indi but of a w ay of lf t y ow n a ie hat w oul rem ai d n t f he ocus of soci i e at ent on t alt t i hroughout t 19t cent he h ury? The Bri i i Indi t sh n a had caled Shi l by vari l m a ous nam es Vi ceroy Shoot ng Box, Abode of t s i he Li t e Ti G ods and even M ount O l pus. tl n ym
Shi l w as f m a orm aly acqui l red by t he Bri i t sh i t n he t enure of Lord W ilam li Bent ck. But i w as duri Lord Auckl i t ng ands t m e t i hat Shi l began t com e of m a o age. A report of 1839 st es t at hat m ost European product rangi f s, ng rom fne i f abri t French sauces, Scot sardi cs o nes, Englsh sw eet and even fne horses i s i w ere al avaiabl i Shi l There bei no roads w ort t l l e n m a. ng h he nam e, t he onl y he or adi or m ode of t ravel w as t jampans f l es and horses f m en. The jampan w as a ki of chai usualy covered and at ached t t o or f nd r, l t o w our sm al pol and l es lf ed on t shoul it he ders by t o or f w our m en. W heel carri ed ages w ere not alow ed l or w ere not f easi e i Shi l t l as l e as 1840s. bl n m a il at Yet Shi l s reput i as a pl m a at on ace f pl or easure-seekers devel oped al ost w i h m t is f t oundat on. "The presence of unat ached l es, bachel i t adi ors, fi s, m at lrt ch m akers gave t Si l i s earl reput i . . Earl eveni o m a t y at on. . y ngs on t M al, w as t he l he cust ary pl om ace f buidi acquai ances. . Elgi es. . soci l desi or l ng nt . . i bl . aly rabl . al es. . l w ere on t M al. he l" Lord D al housi (1848-56) spent t o seasons i Shi l but di not qui e lke i . e w n m a d t i t In a l t he w rot "Thi pl et er e: s ace has been great y overrat l ed i clm at and n i e everyt ng el " Af er t M ut ny of 1857 had been set l hi se. t he i t ed, Shi l w as hom e t m a o al arge num ber of i ured and si Bri i t nj ck t sh roops. Li D al ke housi even Lady (hi e, s successor w ie) Canni f s f ng ound Shi l s beaut "rat m a y her quest onabl . every i e. . road has a khud." O f Shi l s soci lf i t m a al ie n he m i e of t ddl he 19t cent h ury, t he f ous Times (London) am report er H ow ard Russel w rot (June 14, e 1858): "Soci di i i al st nct ons are ri d. . each gi . m an st us w as ent rel depended on hi s at i y s rank and of i . w om en w ere t aly fce. . ot l t on on t r hei dependent f or t r ow n posi i hei

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010526/windows/main1.htm

17-08-2011

The Tribune - Windows - Main Feature

Page 2 of 3

husbands and nei her w eal h, w i , nor desi t t t rabl connect ons coul break t e i d hrough t barri " So am bi i bi t w ere t bureaucracy t he er. t on t en he hat a com m on j oke i t n he 1860s w as: "You cannot sl eep i t ni n he ght i Si l because of t noi of t n m a he se he ndi of axes " gri ng . It w as t he f oresi f Si John Law rence w ho recom m ended t hi H om e ght ul r o s governm ent t i he dea of m aki Shi l t sum m er capi al of t G overnm ent of ng m a he t he Indi Surpri ngl hi rel a. si y s evant m i es m ake no m ent on of Shi l s beaut nut i m a y: "H ere you are w i h one f t oot i Punj and anot n ab her i t N ort W est Front er. n he h i H ere you are am ong docie popul i and yet near enough t i l l at on o nfuence O udh. " Som e years earler, D al i housi had al e ready i t at a proposal t buid a road t ni i ed o l o Si l The concept of t H i m a. he ndust Ti an bet Road i i f s n act credi ed t D al t o housi e. e e: O f t proposed road, w hi becam e t Cart Road at Shi l D al he ch he m a, housi w rot "It w ilnot be surpassed by any m ount n road i t w orl " l ai n he d. The t one of Shi l s soci lf i t m a al ie n he 19t cent h ury w as norm aly set by t l he Vi ceroy and hi l s ady. The earl soci ci y al rcui s m ai y i uded w i t nl ncl ves of of i al fci s w ho w ere post i t fel of i ed n he i d, fcers f rom cant onm ent and, i due course, ri s n ch Englsh busi i nessm an f rom C al t A dram a cl cam e i o bei i 1840. W el cut a. ub nt ng n l bef ore t he end of t he 19t cent h ury, Annandal had becom e f ous across e am Bri i Indi f i s f es and f rs and w om en archery com pet t ons. t sh a or t et ai s ii Pet erhof , t f he G overnm ent H ouse, w as occupi ed f t or he frst t m e i 1876 by t i i n he f ashi onabl Vi e ceroy coupl e, t he Lyt ons. t f or Pet erhof f devel oped a reput i at on hospi alt part cul y f t i y, i arl or t he qualt and iy quant t of exot c dri iy i nks served t here. It s l unch m enus t ook m uch t m e of t i he soci y et gossi The G ai y Theat opened i 1838 p. et re n but i w as Lady Lyt on w ho brought i of age t t t al ost 40 years l er. In 1887, t m at he new G ai y Theat et re opened i t n he Tow n H al l buidi l ng. The si e f one of m ai l t or n andm arks of Shi l t m a he Vi ceregal Lodge w as chosen by Lord Lyt on. There i a st t s ory of how Lady Lyt on w as so i pressed by t m t beaut of t pl he y he ace and how she i l nfuenced Lord Lyt on. The si e had unt l t t i t hen been know n as t O bservat he ory H il (nam ed af er t observat l t he ory buit by l Col Bouieau i 1844). Records rel i t t const l n at ng o he ruct on and ot i her det l of ais t buidi are m i he l ng nd-bogglng. i Am azi y, j ngl ust as t oday, ext ensi ve const ruct on i Shi l had becom e a cause i n m a of w orry as earl as 1901. "The Publc w orks y i m a and ot her buidi l ngs have m ade Si l m onst rous", Curzon not ed. "Too bust i . lng. . t publc. . pom p t i oo i . o rksom e, i i lke di ng t s i ni everyday i t house keepers room w i h t n he t he but er and t m ai " l he d. C urzon began escapi ng t t o he Ret reat and , t hen t hi new f o s ound l ove N al dehra. The ot her Vi ceroys t reat ed Shi l as a holday break, but Curzon, a w orkaholc t m a i i o t core, di t opposi e. H e t he d he t ook al ong t Shi l hi sensi i fl o m a s t ve ies. It w as at N al dehra t hat C urzon penned som e of hi m em orabl m i es. Si t ng and di ng s e nut ti ni i t open. W al ng t sl n he ki he opes, al t w hie t nki l he l hi ng. Al t t m e i t l he i n ouch. At N al dehra, he even i aled a com pl nst l ex com m uni i cat on syst em of rel ng ayi m essages t Shi l by helograph duri t day and fashi l ps at ni . o m a i ng he l ng am ght ost m ost of i s f ed w idlf The gol t am l ie. den By t t he urn of t cent he ury, Shi l had l m a eagl w as rarel si ed af er 1900, and t l e y ght t he eopard t had di oo sappeared. In N ovem ber, 1903, Shi l w as connect m a ed by t Raiw ays. It w as a m onum ent event he l al t hat changed Shi l f ever. W i hi a year, m a or t n Shi l added 1400 new cot ages. H ot s lke m a t el i Ceci, G rand, M et l ropol f l ed i t r e olow n hei

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010526/windows/main1.htm

17-08-2011

The Tribune - Windows - Main Feature

Page 3 of 3

m odern f orm . W i hi fve years of t com i of t Raiw ays, t sum m er t m e t n i he ng he l he i popul i of Shi l had averaged t 38, at on m a o 000 of w hom 7000 w ere Europeans. Am ong t frst non-of i al perm anent resi he i fci dent w ere t m em bers of t D yer s he he f iy w ho t am l hen ow ned t brew ery at Sol he an. The t radi i t t on hat m ade Shi l st m a and apart as a t n of cl ow ean orderlness, a i t radi i t t on hat cont nued up t t t m e of D r Y. Parm ar exi f i o he i S. s t rom pow er, w as st ed by C urzon. The surest w ay t rouse C urzon t per i w as sai w as t art o s em t d o lt er t road or t hilsi it he he l de. It w as C urzon w ho i t at w i h ri f f ni i ed t ght ul anat ci i sm t polcy of upkeepi and speci care of ol buidi he i ng al d l ngs. By t he earl years of t y he 20t cent h ury, Shi l had em erged as a m a decent pl ace t o ret re. O f how t ret red spent t r t m e, a i he i hei i l t reads: et er "H e ri ses earl . . Si new spapers t read, y. . x o f y M adras cheroot t sm oke. . A ki y ort s o .. ndl t f i t lnger. . A gam e of bilards. . 12 ifn o i .. li . pegs t dri . band on t o nk. . he M al, di l nner, chat er. . Scandal . j t .. s. . okes. . . .." Anot her ref erence st es: at "N o w here possi y i t w orl are t passi bl n he d he ons of hum an nat ure l d so open ai f di or ssect on as t i hey are i t s (Si l rem ot hilst i " n hi m a) e l at on. For t hose w ho have seen Shi l i i s pri e, say t si i m a n t m he xt es, i s st e t t at oday l eaves one w i h a sad and holow f i t l eelng. Shi l i a good exam pl of w hat som a s e caled devel l opm ent and progress can do t nat o ure and i s beaut t y.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010526/windows/main1.htm

17-08-2011