The journey of Mussoorie from ponies to Audis

Ajay Ramola

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Tribune News Service

Mussoorie December 27

The Queen of Hills, Mussoorie, has not been left untouched by the pace of development. A number of vehicles have made their entry to the hill town, where the plying of luxury cars, including Audi, is a common sight.

However, development in this picturesque hill town has not been without its pitfalls. The British Raj saw focus on growth, which was absolutely essential and facilitated people's lives, but no such thing has happened in the recent times.

Earlier, people would embark on a trip to Mussoorie either on foot or on ponies and dandis. While travelling towards Rajpur from Mussoorie, there was a toll booth past the glass factory, which existed during the British period. The toll for dandis and coolies was Re 1 while it was eight annas for ponies and jhampans (hand-pulled rickshaws). Dandi-wallahs, rickshaw pullers and coolies, who used to carry goods to Mussoorie, would stop at Halfway House, near Jharipani, due to a steep climb. Besides Halfway House, an old rest house known as Khansamah was a perfect place to quench the thirst. A few distance from from the rest house, one could still see an old column, which has been repaired now, with inscription, “Sacred to the memory of Sir C Farrrington, Bart, Captain of her Magesties, 35th Regiment." Captain Farrington died on March 28, 1828. According to local historians, this was the first recorded death in the history of the town.

Capt Farringdon was a military officer, who was trying to reach the convalescent depot that had opened in 1927 for soldiers needing rest from war injuries. However, he could not make it due to a difficult journey and died.

From Jharipani, people going towards Kulri to Landour would take the road towards the eastern portion of Mussoorie, just above Ralston Cottage at Barlowganj.

Visitors going towards Library, Vincent Hill or Happy Valley would take the lower road past crown brewery from Barlowganj. The Municipal Council had installed lamps surmounted by clean looking lanterns at Barlowganj for the convenience of commuters.

Street lights installed by the Mussoorie Municipal Council in the 1900s were a shining example for other municipalities. According to historians, Britishers were impressed with the honesty of Garhwal coolies. They even put it on record that "there were a few occasion when goods got lost midway from Rajpur. Such was the honesty of coolies, known as paharis". British soldiers in order to impress women would use horses as the mode of transportation from Rajpur to Mussoorie, as it was the only way to show their horsemanship.

Such horsemen were given a name “Galloping snobs”. Some of the horse riders used to canter downhill to create a record of reaching within the shortest time. However, a ride to Rajpur on horses and ponies gradually came to a halt. Luxury cars now dominate the roads.