warvet

  HAUTE COUTURE PERSONALISED Like places that are named after people of eminence, there are many items of our dress that are identified with historical figures.   The first such item that comes to my mind is ‘Gandhi Topi’. A symbol of simplicity and utilitarianism as was with everything Gandhi, the perplexing part is that I had never seen a picture of Gandhiji actually wearing one! Not to talk of the average congressi and now the aapians who have hijacked this headgear to hoodwink the masses, I associate it more with Dadas and Mamas and Taus in childhood rural upper Shimla. Satya Nand Stokes and Dr Karan Singh also remind of the topi. On some basic research I found that it was invented in year 1919 when Gandhiji was proceeding to meet the Nawab of Rampur (same of Rampuri chaku fame) that it was pointed out he had to cover his head as was the protocol (It reminds me of the story of a young Bilaspurian who had got government service under British in pre 1947 Lahore as was told t...

BOAT PUSHERS AND RIVER OF BLOOD BY WARVET   ‘Eden Garden claimed as a Waqf Property’ sceamed the headlines of a National Daily! The iconic cricket stadium of Calcutta, that Mecca of Indian Cricket immediately took me on a nostalgic trip of all those nail biting matches we enjoyed in our childhood. It seemed insane. This claiming spree in vogue currently. I always thought the stadium was named thus as it must have appeared as the proverbial ‘Garden of Eden’ to the one who had christened it. However as I delved deeper in its history later to my utter suurprise, I found it was named after George Eden - the owner of the property that was his house once upon a time. George Eden or Lord Auckland who was the Governor General of India (1836-1842) and is imortalised in my Shimla due to ‘Auckland House’ - the prestigious school.   The etymology of the names of places is an interesting subject. In my vocation, I have stayed in a large number of places in India. All our places are interes...

  ADVENTURE IN KASHMIR HIGHLANDS 'Snowfall in Gulmarg' I saw the Whattsapp message from Amir, the Ski coach we had hired in Gulmarg the day before. 'Congratulations' I replied. Whole of Kashmir, more so Gulmarg was waiting with baited breath for snowfall. It was last chance for the tourist season to go strong. As we were gliding over the majestic Deodar filled gully in the cable car called Gondola, with our skis safely secure in the slots outside the sliding doors, the ski instructors in the car were telling their clients - Its the lowest level of snow this year. Where you see 6 inches, before 2022, it used to be 4-6 feet! In this jungle you see, a man would be lost if he strayed from the track below.  Down below you saw locals trudging up with their loads. Some ran tea shacks at the first phase or Kongdori. some were dragging their wooden sledges. They give ride to tourists on those contraptions, sliding down the slope. There are expensive snow scooters for those who c...

  BUTCHER OR SAVIOUR ‘Dyerton’ – Hell! Wasn’t it ‘Diverton’? I hit brakes. There were tyres screeching behind me.   The car following me almost bumped into me. The local taxi behind me overtook me with the ruff looking cabbie abusing me menacingly. Thankfully his windows were all rolled up and I couldn’t hear his filthy abuses that I could very well lip-read. I heaved a sigh and put the Black Safari (Tata’s call it ‘Dark Edition) in reverse and went back. Of course it was ‘Dyerton’. Afterall it was the eliusive link to one of the most horrific massacres of modern India. I knew   the family lived in that area once. And the place was called ‘Beerkhana’ for the excellent beer they brewed here. Expert distillers that they had turned out to be, It had after all negated the need for the British to import vast quantities of beer from England and showed that equally good beer could be made in ‘The Queen of the Hills- Simla’. Later they established the Solan Brewery for mass pro...

  PARADISE WITHIN JANNAT “ Paradise isn’t lost; It’s frozen in Gulmarg”   As I drew the curtains aside after a good night’s sleep in the cosy Army guest room, I was bowled over by the white snow covered Himalayas that covered the horizon. It was the moment just before sunrise and had all the elements of that high altitude morning. I rushed outside to the wooden patio and filled my lungs with the Deodar scented air. A giant tricolour was fluttering in the crisp air. The mighty Apharvat range was in front of me in all grandeur of its white cloak. I looked at its gentle slopes that came towards the Gulmarg bowl. There were a number of gullies with conifer forests. Amongst them were the world renowned ski slopes which drew enthusiasts from all over the world. Commandos of the Indian Army trained there for Mountain Warfare. The courses run by ‘High Altitude Warfare School’ were considered tougher than the ‘Para’ Courses! Only the Toughest of the Tough passed. 70 percent o...

  THREE ICONIC ANCIENT TEMPLES OF KASHMIR BY WARVET   Although almost all of the twenty thousand ancient temples existing in Kashmir were destroyed by radical rulers over centuries, three of them stand unmolested today belying time. These ancient treasures are pristine timeless beauties. Reasons for their escape from destruction are interesting.   SHANKARACHARYA TEMPLE ‘Have you been to Shankaracharya Temple? The 256 stairs that lead to the temple were constructed by me!’ Said the Maharaja. He prefers to be addressed as ‘Dr Karan Singh’. The nonagenarian in a way Citizen No 1 of J&K told me, not for the first time. Of all the great things he has done for preservation and furtherance of Hindu places of worship in Kashmir through his ‘Dharmarth Trust’, Shankaracharya Temple, that is situated atop the hill on which his palace – ‘Karan Mahal’ is situated, is closest to his heart.   The palace is more of a big British bungalow overlooking acres and acres...