Palampur: ‘Village of artists’ in need of a repaint

Ravinder Sood

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Palampur, February 7

Andretta, a small village situated in the foothills of the Dhauladhar ranges about fifteen kilometers from Palampur, is renowned in the state as the village of artists.

Irish writer Norah Richards was among the many who called this quaint village home. First arriving here 1936, the writer, dramatist and follower of Tolstoy — who was married to a professor working at the Government College, Lahore — built a beautiful English-style cottage constructed of mud, slate and bamboo in Andretta.

At Andretta, She taught drama to the students from all over the country. She was honoured and made a fellow by Punjabi University, Patiala. The artiste donated her residence to the varsity. Today, Punjabi University preserves the cottage as a heritage monument.

SS Boparai, former Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University took keen interest in the property and declared it a heritage monument of the university.

Understandably, the late artiste’s lived-in cottage called for a restoration. Boparai, with the help of local craftsmen, carpenters and masons, lovingly restored the house to its original state. The original architecture and interiors of the house were not disturbed during its restoration. Its life, however, has increase by another fifteen years.

Every year, Punjabi University students come to Andretta on October 29 to celebrate the birth anniversary of the late dramatist. Students stage plays at the event here in Richard’s memory.

Following Richard’s footsteps, well-known painter and sculptor BC Sanyal and professor Jaidyal —who had been her husband’s pupil — also built mud houses at the village. Prithvi Raj Kapoor, who is often regarded as the king of Indian cinema, frequented the village and stayed with Jaidyal, who had been his tutor in Lahore.

Famous artist Sardar Sobha Singh — who was most renowned for his paintings of Sikh Gurus — also settled in the village, where he resided until his death. One can visit the art gallery developed in his memory by his daughter Bibi Gurbachan Kaur and grandson Hirday Pal Singh. Dozens of the late painter’s artworks are showcased at the gallery, which also offers blueprints of his paintings.

After Richard’s death in 1971, there seemed to be a vacuum in the cultural activities in the once culturally-rich village. Now, BC Sanyal’s daughter Amba has started a new venture named ‘Norah’s Center for Arts’.

Artist Sardar Gurcharan Singh’s family members also settled in this village, starting the ‘Andretta Pottery and Craft Society’. A museum showcasing a complete collection of Himachal village pottery — which is on the verge of extinction — has also been set up.

Much like Richards’s home, her ‘greater home’ is also in need of a restoration. Today, Andretta is crying for the attention of authorities. Potholed roads, overflowing drains and contaminated drinking water are some of the problems plaguing the village. Almost all of the interior roads of the village are in poor shape. Some paved streets have been damaged because of the drains overflowing regularly. Garbage can be spotted lying about in every nook and corner of the history-filled village.