A mall in the clouds

It is the most fashionable place to be at in Shimla, and it's nearly two centuries old. The Mall is an iconic landmark in this erstwhile summer capital of the British Raj. Some of the finest examples of colonial architecture coexist happily with the modern to produce a charming visual effect on the visitors who throng here.

More than 26 lakh tourists visit Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, the year round, and The Mall is a big draw among them.

The locals love it equally. An afternoon stroll here is a regular feature for Neha and Kanika, undergraduate students in the town. Apart from all that window shopping, they regularly buy branded jeans, fancy tops and T-shirts, sandals and handbags from the many shops located here.

The chilly wind, followed occasionally by clouds descending to one's feet and a monsoon drizzle make a walk on The Mall really romantic for Danish national Abbelone Borch Nielsen, whose boyfriend is busy compiling information on Shimla for international travel guide Lonely Planet .

The Mall provides a panoramic view of the valley, as people sit on street furniture or at the viewing gallery located halfway down the stretch. “You haven't visited Shimla if you haven't been to The Mall,” declares Subhash Ahuja, who runs a cottage emporium here for over five decades now.

Old-world charm

Situated between the Ridge road and Lower Shimla, another bustling marketplace, The Mall has been an integral part of Shimla ever since the British arrived here in the 19th century and made it their summer capital.

The first British summer home was built by Scottish civil servant Charles Pratt Kennedy in 1822. Over the years more and more cottages mushroomed.

Horses and hand-pulled carts have long since vanished from the scene, but The Mall still retains much of its old world charm.

The majestic Municipal Corporation building graces this stretch, as does the famous Gaiety Theatre, built in 1887 along the lines of a Victorian theatre, which remains a cultural hub. Both buildings have been accorded heritage status and were renovated in recent times.

“Not much has changed since our father came here as a refugee from Pakistan after Partition in 1947. The Mall continues to have about 150 shops on the 1.5-km stretch. The only difference is, now there are many showrooms of multinational companies, and the visitors have more money to spend,” says Anil Berry, who runs a handicrafts shop along with his brother Pradeep.

Even the tourist season in Shimla has changed considerably, with visitors arriving continually even during the off-season in winter. This means shops at The Mall no longer close during lunchtime or during winter. And the shopkeepers and shoppers are not complaining, thank you!

Pedestrian's paradise

“But my only complaint is that the fire brigade vehicles used to wash the road every Sunday when Himachal was part of Punjab; the cleanliness and upkeep is not as good now,” says Pradeep Berry.

But apart from police and fire brigade vehicles, The Mall is strictly closed to vehicular traffic.

With the horses and rickshaws too gradually disappearing, it has become a pedestrian's paradise.

Visitors park their cars in Chhota (small) Shimla and take the lift available there to reach The Mall. There are several staircases connecting The Mall to Lower Shimla, but these are guaranteed to test the stamina of even the fittest.

Recalling the old times, septuagenarian Hari Singh says, “Hand-pulled rickshaws used to be symbols of prestige. You could be sure that the one riding it was either a doctor or an advocate. At times it used to be the preferred vehicle for Christian marriages as well. Amongst the tourists, elderly people used the rickshaws. Nearly ten rickshaw stands used to line the stretch, waiting for passengers. They were taken off the road as they were pulled by humans and were always seen as an inhumane mode of transport.”

Valuable real-estate

As The Mall cannot be extended any further, the property value here has skyrocketed, particularly after multinational companies began opening retail showrooms on this stretch.

With the smaller businesses no longer able to afford the steep rents, they are increasingly forced to make way for larger and high-end businesses, leading to legal tussles.

The place is filled with bookshops, jewellery showrooms, departmental stores, and cafes.

Over the weekend, youngsters love to hang out here in large numbers.

Old-timers recall youngsters from another era, famous ones at that, who once hung out at this very same place. In July 1972, as the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her Pakistani counterpart Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto discussed the nitty-gritties of a peace treaty that came to be known as the Shimla Agreement, their children, Sanjay Gandhi and Benazir Bhutto were often spotted together at The Mall.

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