Thus Spoke The Mall: Shimla's Main Walking Street

Hey, let’s meet at the Mall@Coffee House! This term, “the Mall,” has become iconic by now. For everyone going on an evening stroll, a leisurely walk or shopping, The Mall becomes the obvious choice, leaving no room for confusion. 

Yes, I am here as a living legend. Be it the old or young, I do not make any gender or age distinction among my admirers. The weekends are truly fun. I roll-out my ‘Heart & Soul’ to the age-old romance.

I am Shimla’s Mall, the iconic heritage site. I am the true legacy of colonial life.

The generations have changed. The time has run faster than I had expected. Several pleasant and unpleasant memories stand frozen in my mind. Momentous chapters of the Indian history and freedom struggle were scripted on my soil.

The dust on my face still has fine fragrance of those man-pulled rickshaws, foot-tapping horses, buggies and ‘tongas’ rolling up and down when Gandhi ji (Mahatma Gandhi), Pandit Nehru, Sardar sahib (Vallabhai Patel) and many others converged frequently at the ‘Observatory Hill’ venue. The viceroys walked the talk, graciously to mark the day when India will awake to ‘life and freedom’.

The wrinkles on my face tell many stories. One is about alterations, changes and facelifts as many also call it as impacts of modernisation. The market forces at work. Who minds? It’s maybe good to hide my ageing. I have to be content with accepting the effects of modernity and move with the time.

Yet, many old timers do not like it. They fear me losing to heritage outlook. The British discovered a salubrious hill town –Simla, now Shimla. At one point of time, I was compared to some of the finest streets of London, Paris or St Petersburg. Old literature suggests my tarmac was washed down every day by 'mashkis' carrying water in goatskin bags full of water. What a grace it was to bathe under the open sun!

Now, just stand at a vintage point, near ‘Scandal Point’ or the Christ Church, even Town Hall, and see the skyline above the row of shops, their architecture and aesthetic.

Author Raaja Bhasin endorses the point saying, "Architecturally, this stretch is often likened to an English small town market place. Elements of Tudor framing, a varied roofline, assorted columns and numerous decorations have given this row a considerable character."

He further explains the beauty saying, "The row has a variety of windows that range from bay, to sash-barred, and to diamond cut panes; some other unusual elements also find expression and take the form of Mughal inspired cupolas that hold bay windows."

Everything is drawn like a postcard: picture-perfect. Walk on the left— declare signs along the walk with a warning – Spitting and littering on the Mall is punishable.

So what has really changed? Some of the landmark general merchandise places, shops and grocery stores and authentic Indian wayside eating points have disappeared and been replaced by big shopping brands. Flashing signboards, hoardings with colourful illuminations, extended facades, crooked and asymmetrical hangings make me look highly annoying.

The only leftovers, which still maintain the old aesthetics and heritage character, could be counted on fingertips. Maria Brothers—Mall's antiquarian booksellers—a bookstore known as home to travellers and book enthusiasts looking for antique books house, Gandamull Hem Raj, Minerva book house, Asia Book store, Diwan Chand Atma Ram, Alpha restaurant, Devicos, Indian Coffee House – one of the City’s main gossip hubs – Nathu Ram, Bindra Studio, Jagson furnishers and few more maintain a certain grace for the regulars who show up almost every day. So are Chinese shoe shops – Ta Tung & Co, C Fook Chong & co and Hopson & Co.

Himani, another old landmark that once used to be a merchandise store started before 1947, is still there but now sells garments and footwears of the brand Woodland, while the upper storeys have been turned into a restaurant-cum-bar. It was renowned merchant Lala Kashmiri Mal who set-up the business.

An incident of fire in the property severely damaged the premises. Shimlaites preserve the horrific memories of the unfortunate victims who lost their lives to the blaze. Dinesh Gupta, Lala Kashmiri Mal’s grandson, rebuilt the property, which also housed his residence on the first floor for some years.

Gupta, a journalist, opines, "I don’t say Mall has changed but it has become better. My grandfather started his business when there was no Mall Road (as fascinating it looks today). It was a kaccha narrow track. Gradually Britishers developed it as per their taste and needs. Now, it’s Indianised. One gets a good feel and lot of charm even as modern installations and company brands have come here to do business."

What is the harm if I earn Rs 1.5 lakh per month by renting out space to woodland? he asks.

Madan Lal Sharma, a businessman, remembers the times when man-pulled rickshaws used to ply in the town. The concept was brought in by the Britishers but remained prevalent till 1970s and gradually got phased out. The rickshaw-stands and tracks have long vanished.

"The Mall is now practically branded across its length and width," says Sunil Sinha, a Bollywood actor of “Maachis” fame. He feels particularly sad about the fading heritage character of the Mall even as some of the architectural landmarks give a different feel as one takes an evening stroll here.

The popular brands and showrooms of Octave, Puma, Blackberry, Pringle, Allen Solly, Reebok, John Player, Adidas, Monte-Carlo and Woodland apart from fancy jewellery stores such as Tanishq (iconic Janki Dass building), CaratLane and several eateries or fast-food joints –Dominos and a newly opened High-end Café at heritage Town Hall now set-out the market line of Shimla.

For good or bad, I, the Mall, have to flow with the time and changing tastes of people and market needs.