Come To The ‘Scandal Point’ 

"Come to the Scandal Point and walk to the Press-Room via Mall Road. Thereafter, we will head for Indian Coffee house"

These were a few crisp words from (late) N.D. Sharma, a senior journalist and my long-time mentor. This was my first Shimla trip in 1985-86, the hill destination I always loved to visit.

This was an age when mobile phones, the internet and social media were nowhere in sight. It was an era of teleprinters and fixed-line non-STD phones in newspapers’ offices and reporters’ residences.

'Sharma ji', as he was known, had just been transferred to Shimla from Jammu. He invited me to the hill station to escape the scorching heat in Jammu, where I had started my journalism career with him as a trainee.

Until then, my knowledge of Shimla was quite straightforward: it was the summer capital of British India, known for its colonial landmarks, cedar trees, wooden houses, and the lively Mall Road, as well as the Indian Coffee House, a hub of writers, journalists, and travellers.

To cut the story short, what amused me was the word ‘Scandal Point’. The first time I heard it, I started wondering what the scandal possibly could be in Shimla.

Many governments have been raised and felled at the iconic Coffee House in quick gossip sessions over steaming mugs of coffee and plates of dosas. The trend continues even now.

After a short walk from the Coffee House, comes a historic intersection that dissects a road towards the Ridge and the landmark Christ Church. Towards the other side is colonial-look Mall Road, where the 1887-built Gaiety Theatre stands as a remarkable piece of architectural brilliance.

Yes! You are standing right there—The scandal Point, a name linked to the apocryphal story of a scandal involving the former Maharaja of Patiala, late Bhupinder Singh. The 'urban' legend goes that the Maharaja had eloped with the daughter of the British Viceroy from this point. Thus, an intriguing incident—a scandal! 

Ask Raaja Bhasin, a Shimla author, what type of queries he faces from the foreign tourists, especially those from the UK, during his privately guided heritage walks? A year back, Bhasin had the privilege of walking with President Draupadi Murmu, who wanted to experience a stroll through Shimla to know about stories along the Mall and its heritage sites. 

“I speak the truth. There is nothing scandalous about the Scandal point. There are several myths about Scandal Point. I wonder how people believe such fictitious legends and urban tales. The Maharaja in question, at the time of the supposed incident, wasn’t even born, and if he was, he must have been just an infant,” he says, digging into history.

Bhasin adds, "So many incorrect tales are being told, and re-told about Shimla, the scandal point in particular"  

What holds real historical significance is the presence of a tall statue of Lala Lajpat Rai, a prominent face of India’s Freedom movement and a Hindu reformist. Its location offers panoramic views of the snow-capped mountain peaks and the valley below.

In winters, the snow-spells add more charm to the hilly landscape of Scandal Point, overlooked from Jakhu hill and 108-feet high Hanuman statue, believed to be the tallest in the world.

In the coffee table book 'Har Ghar Kuchh Kehta Hai’ (Every House Tells A Story), on Shimla heritage, Scandal Point also finds a mention.

At the crossroads, where one arm reaches to the Ridge and another to the Post Office (GPO as known), is a famous scandal point, and an apocryphal tale goes that a former maharaja of Patiala carried off the British Commander-in-Chief’s daughter from this spot.

The old-timers like Jaidev Negi, Chief Librarian at HP secretariat library, also agree that from childhood days, he, like many others, has been listening to this tale about the former Maharaja eloping with a girl from this most-visited tourist point, but there is no authentic evidence found to support the myth, so far.

Few academic researchers, who have done studies on the erstwhile princely Patiala state to know the genuineness of this story, did not come across evidence about the involvement of any maharaja of Patiala in the eloping incident. 

Scandal Point, in other words, is a popular meeting point for tourists and locals. Those going for evening strolls on the Mall and Ridge of Shimla continue to enjoy the love in the Shimla’s breeze and the charm of the modified British-centric Mall.

Since then, as a longtime native of Shimla—my workplace, I find Scandal Point as the 'Heart of Shimla', a zero-point where love and romance thrive together under the blue sky and Shimla's majestic evergreen Deodars, beyond the tales of the Maharajas.