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Brewing contentment
“Coffee was always a hot favourite in Shimla,” says Shimla resident Man Mohan Verma. “Shimla was the second station after Delhi chosen by the Indian Coffee House management for opening an outlet. Even today, you have people discussing everything from politics to environment in the coffee house right from 11 am till the time it closes down.” Cappuccino culture? Well, it was something unheard of in the hills until the joints came up about a few years ago, asserts the retired bank employee. Just in case you haven’t seen contentment simmer over coffee cups, stroll down The Mall running through time, and Shimla’s history, in the evenings. You will find the joints placing the “craze for different coffee” on the front burner. Among daily visitors to one such joint is free-from-final-year-examinations Bhanu Partap Singh. Born in a village just on Shimla’s outskirts, but educated in Chandigarh, he believes in spending much of his free time in the cool of air-conditioned café bars. In fact, ‘let’s do a coffee’ is a part of his daily parlance. “The youthful ambience, the cool setting and the scintillating music — all make the place perfect for the two of you,” he asserts with a smile. “And then, you have so much to choose from. It’s an unending delight!”
For, Bhanu belongs to a generation with an international outlook influenced by sitcoms, movies and even talk shows like Koffee with Karan — a tête-à-tête with role models over a hot cuppa. And then, there are toothpaste and other ads talking about coffee and friends. All these influence his thinking; there is no denying the fact. Even Bhanu does not disagree. Back to the hills: Bhanu and his friends seldom hang around Scandal Point in the evenings or make themselves comfortable on the railings along The Ridge nowadays. For them, Café Coffee Day alone has three outlets in and around Shimla, besides one in Dharampur. The latest to have come up is in Sanjauli. The joint was inaugurated less than a month back. Barista too has an outlet on The Mall. Café Coffee Day’s team member Ashwani Kumar says: “Not very long ago, coffee was nothing but a beverage consumed at home by the elderly, or served to guests. But now, even locals are finding the café bars hip and happening… Though foreigners and tourists form a major chunk of the clientele, residents too are experimenting with the heady brew.” But has all this affected the sales of Indian Coffee House? “Not at all,” says Indian Coffee House’s assistant manager Suram Chand. “Coffee house is a destination checked out not just by the elderly, but even by the youth. We have nearly 1,500 customers coming in every day generating a business of approximately Rs 35,000.” Guess there is room for a heady drink for everybody!
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Vignettes
The present day entertainments on the stage of Peterhoff are not new to the building. Viceroy Lord Mayo (1869-72) had engaged Dave Carson, an entertainer, to perform at Peterhoff. He was warned not to jest on the policies of the government. He did touch income tax and sang the blue-tailed fly in which the allusions about the odious tax were so clever and comical, that both the viceroy and the finance minister, Sir Richard Temple were in uncontrolled fits of laughter. It was here that viceroy Sir John Lawrence and his Lady witnessed the performance of scenes from Ivanhoe and The Talisman in 1865.
Peterhoff today is the abode attending to government or private functions, as also for purifying body and soul through the interventions of Sudhanshuji or Murari Bapu. It is thirty-four suites Himachal Tourism hotel, with ten reserved for state guests; and stands on the charred remains of the earlier building that was lost to fire on the night of January 12, 1981. The then incumbent governor, Aminuddin Ahmed Khan could barely manage to come out of the blazing building. He lost all his belongings and was left with only the nightsuit he was wearing. The cynics say that it had to happen because Peterhoff was constructed over the dead, as the site was a native cemetery. During the viceroyalty of Lord Lytton (1876-80) and Lord Ripon (1880-84) many of their staff members died of typhoid. It was vocal that the dead under Peterhoff had called them. Peterhoff as Viceregal Lodge had an unfortunate start. Lord Elgin, the first viceroy staying here in 1862, died of heart attack while crossing a rope bridge over river Chandra in Lahaul. He is buried in the premises of the Church in Wilderness at Dharamsala. Lord Dufferin had shifted to the new Viceregal Lodge in June 1888. After partition of India, Peterhoff housed the Punjab High Court, since October 1947. It came into prominence hearing murder reference and appeal of Nathuram Godse who had killed the Mahatma. The case was finally decided on June 21, 1949 against Godse but G.D. Khosla, one of the three judges, aptly described what went inside Peterhoff courtroom in his book The Murder of the Mahatma, when on November 8, 1948 Godse read his reasons for assassinating Gandhi, “The audience was visibly and audibly moved. There was a deep silence when he ceased speaking. Many women were in tears and men were coughing and searching for their handkerchiefs…. I have, however, no doubt that had the audience on that day been constituted into a jury and entrusted with the task of deciding Godse’s appeal, they would have brought in a verdict of ‘not guilty’ by an overwhelming majority.” The High Court shifted to Chandigarh in 1955. Peterhoff after Yarrows had become the official residence of the Lieutenant Governors and Governors of Himachal Pradesh. When it got burnt down, Barnes Court gained the privileged position. The present building was completed in 1992-93 and Shanta Kumar Government named it ‘Meghdoot’ though it looked like an interbred of ‘a concrete bus-stand and a flying saucer’ to Raaja Bhasin. Governor Gulsher Ahmad, during President’s rule tried to restore its glory by shifting there but could stay from mid-July to November 1993. Virbhadra Singh’s government returned to power in 1994 and restored the Russian title (single f) of the building.
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Manali witnesses an influx of Bollywood biggies It was a perfect combination of snowy mountains and arch-lights that shone on Bollywood’s stars like Kareena, mother Babita Kapoor, sister Karishma, beau Shahid Kapur and co-star Bobby Deol, adding glamour and fun for the tourists in Manali last week. The youngest of the Kapoor clan, Kareena, and Shahid were camping in Manali’s Span Resort. They were here to shoot for a Hindi film Train — a romantic love story. The film is being directed by Imtiaz Ali, who was also here for the shootings. Bobby Deol, who was staying in a cottage in a small village, joined the unit after shooting for another Hindi film directed by Sangit Sivan. Karishma had come to meet her sister and mother. After meeting them she left for Mumbai, sources said. The choreographer Farah Khan was also in Manali to direct a dance sequences in the valley. The song had featured dancers from Kinnaur, Bilaspur, Chamba and Kangra districts. Historic Naggar, seat of erstwhile Raja of Kullu and the legendary Athara Kalru of local deities and snowcapped Rohtang Pass on the Manali-Leh Highway, and the gushing streams and waterfalls and lush greens meadows and jungles have emerged as favourite destinations for Bollywood film makers. The film unit took shots at Naggar castle and other areas around this heritage village, the home to Russian painter Roerick and his actor wife Devika Rani. With the tourist season in the peak, Manali has become a hot seat for gossips now, people talking how after the day’s shooting was over, Kareena and Shahid used to go for long drives. But they hasten to add: “Kareena’s mother was here, keeping an eye on them, so that the couple did not go ‘an extra mile ahead’.” After completing shootings in Kullu-Manali, the film unit is planning to go to Shimla. Bobby Deol told one his friends in Naggar that Manali had everything, beauty and peace, except for an all-weather-air connectivity. “Sometimes planes could not land at Bhuntar airport in Kullu due to bad weather. As a result, they have to go back that cost them dearly as they have a little time at their disposal,” say his friends Blazing the tinsel trail to Mandi-Manali tourist circuit, were also Rishi and Avantika. They were here for shooting for another Hindi film, Khushbu, directed by Tahlaz Nihlani. Nihani shot at Pandoh Dam in Mandi before he headed for other shooting locations. Not only Bollywood stars, even south Indian films makers are coming to Kulu-Manali for shooting. Says Nihalani: “Himachal has tremendous scope but the government should provide a single window system for permission for the units.” Film-makers say the lack of a film studio and supportive infrastructure makes shooting in Himachal, for that matter in other hill stations in the country, more expensive than foreign locales.
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shimla diary The social engineering carried out by Mayawati has worked wonders for the BSP in Uttar Pradesh and the question being asked here is—will a similar exercise carried out by the main parties in the Shimla Municipal Corporation poll do the trick? Both the ruling Congress and the main Opposition BJP have allotted tickets keeping in view the composition of the electorate in various wards. The Congress has fielded as many as 11 candidates from the upper Shimla region, most of them from the Kotkhai area. Upper Shimla, identified with apple and old Himachal, has been the stronghold of the Congress. The BJP on the other hand has posed faith in the Sood community, identified with Kangra and the merged areas, where the party has been calling shots. It has granted tickets to six candidates from the community and only one from the upper Shimla area. Three other candidates are linked to the region through marriage. The CPM, which is contesting for 11 seats, has not given much weightage to the social and regional equations. It can take credit for granting tickets to the only Sikh candidate in the fray. The party has fielded Malvinder Kaur from the Kaithu ward, which is reserved for women. Mon Cherry! A good crop does not always bring good returns to fruit growers. Higher production usually leads to a glut in the market as a result of which the prices crash. However, sweet cherry, the fruit of the classes, invariably fetched good returns. A relatively small scale of production ensured that the market stayed high even in the event of a bumper crop. But this year has turned out to an exception with prices of cherry crashing at the very start of the season. A bumper harvest left the growers disappointed. As it is a short duration crop, once the market falls there in no time for recovery. Last year the price of 1kg box in the Delhi market ranged from Rs 140 to Rs 200. However, this year it struggled to touch Rs 100. As cherry is highly perishable, the growers preferred to sell their produce in Shimla and other nearby markets, says Ravinder Makaiak, a leading grower from Kotgarh. He maintains that the average returns have not exceeded Rs 40 per box. With more and more farmers taking to cherry cultivation the situation is changing fast. Even the cherry has started feeling the impact of market forces.
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Devta’s Day Out
The temple of Chaturmukh Mehlan Devta is 80 km from Shimla in Mehlan village of Kotgarh. In upper Shimla every family has a kul devta and Chaturmukh is the family devta of Thakurs of Kotgarh and Khaneti (Kotkhai). The devta’s temple is constructed in Shikhar style and is a marvel in architecture. The devta premises has a Bhagwati temple known as Mata Kedar and was brought 150 years ago from Kedarnath. According to folklore, Kana Devta every month on Sakranti used to take a human sacrifice. A woman whose family had sacrificed four girls went to the jungles of Tannu Jubbar to seek the intervention of Kachli Nag to save them from the havoc wreaked by Kana Devta. Kachli Nag intervened and a cloudburst occurred over Mehlan village and the temple of Kana Devta was reduced to rubbles. The people of the area went to Kachli Nag and asked him to become their deity, but Nag was devoid of pomp and grandeur and preferred a sadhu-type existence in the jungles of Tannu Jubbar. Nag Devta promised help and told the people about the existence of a devta who had three brothers in Khadan village of Baghi pargana. The elder was Jaishar, younger one was Ishar and middle one was Chaturmukh. When the Khadan devta was dancing in Dudhbali of Jahu pargana, the residents of Kotgarh-Khaneti prayed that whoever would make itself alight like a flower, they would get him to Mehlan village as their deity. The middle one Chaturmukh obliged. Chaturmukh Devta respects Kachli Nag as its guru and every year goes to Tannu Jubbar mela and also to Dudhbali mela to meet its Khadan brothers. This year, the devta has gone on a Kedarnath yatra after 70 years and 40 persons are accompanying the devta. The people of Kotgarh and Khaneti showed great enthusiasm in organising funds for the yatra. No auspicious functions will take place till the devta returns from his pilgrimage. People accompanying the devta to Kedarnath went from Kotgarh to Chandigarh and then to Haridwar and after a holy dip in the Ganga, walked to Kedarnath. The yatra will end by mid-June.
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Jail inmates turn artists
Giving expression to their creativity while the prisoners are confined in jail helps them keep their sanity. They make exquisite jewellery, designer clothes, paintings and other pieces of art. Like the inmates at Tihar, professionals in designing jewellery, candles and clothes will give training to prisoners at various jails in Himachal. An NGO, Arman that started training inmates at Tihar jail so that the prisoner can spend time creatively in jail and after getting relieved from prison they can pick up some trade. Arman was started in year 2002, its aimed at not just helping in rehabilitation of the prisoners after their release but also equipping them with some skill so that they can start life afresh after their release. “Like in other parts of the country, the NGO will provide training to inmates in Himachal jails so that they can pick up skills for leading a respectable life after their sentence is over,” says Neeru Arya, General Secretary of Arman. Neeru, who was here for a jewellery and apparel exhibition held by the inmates at Tihar jail, said she would be getting top professionals in their respective field so that prisoner can be trained. She will also visit the Kanda and Nahan jails to assess requirements. With help of Food and Nutrition Department and Ministry of Culture, training has been given in pickle and jam making, candle making, mehendi courses for female prisoners and painting by the NGO. They will also be calling in some reputed artists like Sanjay Bhattacharya to give them tips on painting. Prisoners have held exhibitions from which funds worth Rs one lakh has been raised. The art faculty of Jamia Millia University and artists from Sahitya Kala Academy has given one month training to some of the prisoners at Tihar. Stone, terra-cotta and wooden jewellery designed by them is very popular with foreigners and embassy officials posted in Delhi.
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Trapped in age-old practices
Women might have attained great heights in every field of life, but those living in rural areas of some parts of the state are still subjected to old practices. While, they shoulder equal responsibilities with their male counterparts; they are forced to leave their homes during pregnancy and menstruation period. During this period, when a woman needs more care and better living conditions, she is forced to live in cowsheds and makeshift shanties. In Malana area of Kullu district, which is globally famous among social scientists and foreign tourists, a lady after delivering a child has to live in a cow shed or a makeshift place for almost a fortnight. And, not only is she confined, but also, she has to wash her own clothes in extreme cold conditions. Moreover, anybody who touches her is allowed in the house only after proper purification. Similarly, in large parts of Mandi, especially Browkari; females have to live in shanties made at a distance from the village, and even near cowsheds during her menstruation period. The only relief being that though in the old times, she was even asked to cook her own meal, she is now provided cooked food. The local people blame the carrying of such old practices to the lack of education and prevalent social factors. On the other hand, women and social organisations feel that awareness campaigns in the areas are the only solution to put a stop to such practices.
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Ayurvedic hospital understaffed
The Government Ayurvedic Hospital at Sirmour district is both understaffed and under-equipped. The earlier 10-bed hospital has now been upgraded to 25 beds, and is also housed in a newly constructed building. However, the recent changes have failed to take into account the need for increasing the requisite staff. The doctors are carrying out round the clock duties in paucity of staff. The strength of the staff needs to be increased with the rise in the number of patients admitted here. The immediate need at the hospital includes a pharmacist, ayurvedic doctor, lab assistant, lab attendant, helper, and a nurse. While, the daily strength of out door patients is more than 100, there is only one doctor to examine them. The other two doctors perform duties in shifts. A lady doctor who is there on morning duty examines the women patients. The need for an analyser in the laboratory has also not been met yet. “The equipment would allow one to undertake various tests like that of sugar, heart, liver functioning, kidney profile,” said Joginder Singh, a lab technician. The lab staff also reported that at times private practitioners undertake the tests and they charge exorbitant fee for the same. The authorities pinpointed the need to curb this unethical practice. Ram Krishan Gaur, an outdoor patient opined, “Doctors should not unnecessarily prescribe medicines that need to be procured from the market.” He added.
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Summer Fest gets underway
The Shimla Summer Festival will be an elaborate affair, extending to a full month from May 15. While the main festival will be held from June 2 to 6, a host of other programmes will be organised at various places in and around the city over the period. Folk dancers will enthrall the tourists on the Ridge, Kufri and Naldehra and a dance competition for schools will also be held. The winners will be provided an opportunity to perform during the main festival. A patriotic films festival for children, painting competition, flower show, baby show, roller skating contest will be the main highlights of the festival. The main festival will feature famous Bollywood singer Alka Yagnik, Shreya Ghoshal and Himachali folk singers. A fashion–cum-Shimla Queen Contest and a Sardool Sikandar nite will be other attractions. — TNS
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Cappuccino culture is brewing in the hills like never before. As coffee giants sow the beans of craving for the hot stuff, globe-trotting tourists and even local hardcore chai lovers are savouring the taste of hanging out in lounges steaming with style and glamour. Right fellows! In less than a year of their coming into existence, coffee lounges offering more than just “instant delight” have become “essential ingredients” of existence in and around the hill station. In fact, they are fast attaining the status of “hot-off-the-fire passion” amidst the daily crowd out to relish the flavor of life.
If in the process, he is forgetting all about the whiff of delight brought about by ginger-laced tea and the cool mountain breeze blowing soft across the pine trees, he is just not bothered about it. 
A Russian name like ‘Peterhoff’ (as Edward Buck spells it) in British Shimla appears strange. Peter the Great of Russia founded Peterhof (single f) in 1709 as country estate in the southwest of St. Petersburg and after his visit to France decided to make it into an imperial residence that would rival Versailles. The baroque palace and the garden were designed to make it the most lavish and popular of the Russian royal summer residences. It was the dream of anybody to own one like that as summer residence and so Peterhoff at Shimla in 1860s.
