Shimla 1971 – The Journey Begins

Exactly half a century ago in July 1971, when I was only 19 plus, I had received appointment letter from the office of Accountant General Punjab. (Under Controller and Auditor General of India) and was asked to join at Shimla then called as ‘Simla’.

For me, who was a raw adolescent then, It was first ever exposure to the outside world and I reflect that Shimla played a profound role in shaping my life and personality.

Hundreds of incidents, episodes ,events and anecdotes which happened during my two years stay in the queen of hills till August 1973 are etched in my memory and it was in this serene and tranquil town ,which once was the British summer capital of India that my love had truly blossomed.

A whole new world was opened to me when on July 3 1971, over meandering tracks and hills, I reached Shimla by narrow gauge train after traversing through 107 tunnels and was awe struck by the enchanting beauty of the town nestled in pine and deodar trees.

Soon after alighting at Shimla railway station, wading through the picturesque hills and amidst dancing clouds, I reached at the imposing office building ‘Gorton Castle’ which was located at an airy hilltop on the Mall Road.
The architecture of this castle was inspired by the Neo-Gothic style.

A writer Pamela Kanwar aptly describes it as “a picturesque, multi-faceted building.”

As she says, “The entrance has a chalet-like appearance with a large portico with a decorative frieze.Its solid grey stone walls are surmounted by square as well as high-pitched pointed towers.”

Red galvanized iron roofing is common to many other buildings in Shimla, but in this case it adds to a fairytale feel; seen from a distance, its red towers stand out brightly amid the lush green deodar trees.

Same day, the administration section referred me to Snowdon Hospital at Sanjauli now Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital for the mandatory medical examination after which I was inducted in the central government audit department on July 5 at a monthly salary of Rs 280/-in summers and Rs 310/- in winters.

When I asked the joining audit officer about the accommodation I could get , he told me go to any hotel where I can get a room at nominal rate.

Surprisingly, as I stepped out of the Gorton Castle in the evening, few meters from the building, there was Tashkent Hotel on the Mall Road and the attendant was pleased to give me a small room with one bed, one table chair and common bath room on a monthly rent of Rs 30 /- (imagine one rupee per day for a room in a hotel on the classy Mall road).

Later I tied up for two meals a day at Paradise Hotel near Scandal Point on the Mall Road for a princely sum of Rs 30 per month.

Later for two years I shared furnished accommodations with friends first at the annexe of Oberoi Cecil and then at the Central Hotel on Rs 75/- per month.

Evening stroll on the Mall road was a routine with the residents and Middle Bazar, Lower Bazar , Cart road , Ridge and Lakkar Bazar were the other spots of interest here and walking was the only option as two wheelers or four wheelers were restricted.

During first fortnight I had visited Jakku Temple, Kali Bari Temple, Glen, Sanjouli, Summer Hills, Tara Devi Temple and Kufri etc.For me every spot was charming.

My first posting was in the gazetted audit department and the first salary slip I prepared was of Dr. Gunwant Kaur and my colleagues informed that she was the daughter of Giani Zail Singh who later had become the President of India.
The monthly salary of Punjab government doctor then was Rs 300 /- plus Rs 150 per month as non- practicing allowance (NPA) and Rs 100/- per month extra if the posting was at some rural area.

Staff of over 1000 employees was mostly drawn from different Punjab districts and it was there that I fast learned speaking Punjabi language in all the three dialects of Majha, Doaba and Malwa.

Seeing hustle –bustle of tourist season , flourishing business houses and glittering life style of the people it was at Shimla that the seeds of becoming an entrepreneur were sown.

During my stay at Himachal’s capital I made several friends but even after 50 years I continue to have great bonhomie with Ravinder Arora (today one of the top jeweller of Chandigarh) and Sudershan Kumar (retired as DGM from Hindustan Steels ) and we have bonding like one family.

The interesting Shimla events which can never fade from my memory are my waving to Smt Indira Gandhi when she had addressed a public meeting at Ridge Maidan after Himachal getting full statehood, union ministers Jagjivan Ram and Swaran Singh together walking on the Mall road, my glimpse of Benazir Bhutto when she was shopping at Janaki Dass and Sons.

She had come with her father Zulfkar Ali Bhutto during the Shimla accord of 1972.

Another unforgettable occasion was when in 1972 on a sunny winter Sunday when I was returning after attending a public rally of then Jan Sangh leader Atal Behari Vajpayee at Anaj Mandi I saw Vajpayee and three others standing on the roadside near Cart Road as the jeep he was on board had broken down.

As I neared the vehicle, addressing me, Vajpayee said ‘ Bhaishaib Zara Dhaka Lagwa do’
We together pushed the vehicle and as it started, mustering courage I said to Vajpayeeji ‘Apka Bhashan Bohat Acha Tha ’saying ‘dhanyawad’ he boarded the jeep and drove away.Those were simpler times when taking pictures was not felt necessary.

After my posting at Shimla my Kausauli based friend Kuldeep Munshi who belonged to the family of forest contractors and hoteliers had started frequently coming to Shimla.

It was with him that I got an opportunity to meet film director Manmohan Desai over a cup of coffee at Oberoi Clarks.The latter was at Shimla for the shooting of film ‘Aa Gale Lag Jaa’.

Shimla was a favorite rendezvous of bollywood and during my stay I had the opportunity to see cine stars like Hema Malini, Rakhi, Gulzar, Shashi Kapoor , Prem Chopra , Manmohan Krishan , Vimmi and others while shooting for their films.

Kuldeep had hosted several dinners for the friends at then his family owned prestigious restaurant ‘Devicos’ at The Mall.On many occasions I got exhilarating experience of beholding Shimla covered under the while blanket of snow and experiencing the bone chilling winters.

Turning point was in 1973 summer when I took my sisters Kalpana , Rachana , Deepa and now my wife Sudha to Shimla for vacations .

Sisters stayed with me at the Central hotel while Sudha stayed at her uncle’s place and for one week there were daily outings and sight seeings. As the cupid had struck between me and Sudha the sisters came back to Ambala while Sudha continued to stay there for a month.

Our love was pronounced to the world and our meetings were open and enthralling and the perfect romantic settings were provided by Sudershan when in his melodious voice he would sing love songs at the secluded ‘Lover’s Lane’ in the soothing shadows of pine and deodar trees;oblivious of outside world, we would be engrossed in each other.

Addressing me, Sudha quoted invigorating verses, such as this one..

“Come live with me and be my love,
And will all the pleasures prove,
That hills and valleys, dales and fields
On woods and sloppy mountains yields.
And we will sit upon the rocks,
And see the shepherds feed their flocks,
By shallow rivers, to whose falls,
Melodious birds sing madrigals”.

Original Letter Scan: