Shimla Diary: Arriving at Shimla

Summer Hill railway station

The foothills started after an hour’s journey from Chandigarh and the first thing noticed upon entering the hill terrain is that it is in the process of being converted into a hub of concrete. A feature one commonly attributes with the hazards of urbanization especially in the plains. All thanks are due to Brahspati Tripathi, a former student, for his efforts in making things smooth during the short stay at Chandigarh. Meeting Tripathi was somewhat due and apart from reminiscences we were quick to grab the opportunity to discuss future too.

I woke up to find that the HP State Road Transport Corporation bus had stopped for a tea break at Parwanoo, the foothills. As I disembarked the bus I realized that the tea joint was of HP Tourism Development Corporation and not a private venture. So, the government is atleast working in this part of the nation. A talk over the cup of tea, with the staff at this joint revealed that all the staff was on government roles and that they were completely HP government run outlets. Although the incharge was quick to voice the shortage of staff but also did not forget to emphasize that their good service was due to being a government owned outlet. The franchise mode has not caught up here.

Soon after recommencing the journey and getting engrossed with the scenic environment of the place, a phone call from an old University class mate Amber Raj, now a Major with the Indian Army, breaks my awakened slumber as he required me to attend to some of his personal financial work. The remaining journey to Shimla was also not free from disturbances in the form of phone calls being attended on and off.

As I arrived at Shimla’s Victory Tunnel and searched for some transport to take me to Summer Hill, the destination where the HP University is located, the sun was signing off its daily routine and dusk settled with cold rapidly engulfing the environment. The first unforgettable sight at Shimla was that of an old man carrying a plastic water tank of 5000 liter on his back. I would never stop cursing myself for not being able to click a photo of this spectacular sight.

Perhaps, years of association with the academic community has made Narendra Narwal apt at handling this clientele. This Manger of City Inn acted as my route guide over the phone ever since I started from Jaunpur to attend this Refresher Course at the Academic Staff College at Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla. He did send Yashpal to receive me at Summer Hill bus stand. It was almost half past six and the hilly cold was drifting down soon and certain, as I reached the reception of this preferred dwelling of participants. An hour’s wait also introduced me to Dr. Diganta Dutta a statistician from DDR College, Chabua, Dibrugarh, Assam. Starting 10th December, we were lodged by Narendra to spend three nights at the retiring rooms at the Summer Hill railway station.

Retiring Room at Summer Hill

Staff at Summer Hill station

Railway tracks at Summer Hill

The first sight of the railway station did bring faint memories of some bollywood movie where this station was featured. As night sets in and I ventured out of the retiring room, the hill terrain made it evidently clear that the romance of the wintry hills would not be the same for me as for the characters in the movie, whose name I have not been able to recall till now. The sensation of something dripping down the right ear was haunting at regular intervals, and the next toll of cold was felt in the morning when a molar reported pain.

(Photos credit Dr. Diganta Dutta, on his Nokia 6060. Photo of Retiring Room, Summer Hill credit my Nokia 3110C)