Town boasts of heritage buildings, but no policy on preservation

Ajay Ramola

Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, September 21

A number of buildings in the hill town of Mussoorie have heritage value. Some of them are over a century old. Barring one or two, Standard Rink for instance that burnt to ashes decades ago, the Mussoorie residents have a lot to boast about. However, the fear that haunts them is no policy of the state government to ensure that the grand old buildings are kept intact.

The buildings in the town have weathered through the ages but are on the verge of fading away to oblivion, resulting in loss of character of the historic town that was established by the British in 1820s.

Stiffles Restaurant and Dance Saloon, which was later turned into Standard Rink, would have continued to add to the pristine heritage of the town, but it met a sad end when fire engulfed the building, burning it to ashes, a few decades ago. It was later turned into another government hotel called Garhwal Terrace, owned by the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) Ltd, but it is no match for its old grandeur.

Vijay Singh Negi, a documentary maker from Mussoorie, says the building owned by EL Stiffle was one of its kind and would have been the pride of the town had it existed today.

Another splendid building of the town is that of the State Bank of India (SBI) that has changed hands several times, and it has been known with different names during British period. There have been rumours that this building has been put on sale by its owners, much to the chagrin of locals. Sunil Arora, owner of Cambridge Book Depot, opposite the SBI building, has been a witness to this majestic building since his childhood. He says the sale of this building and closure of the SBI branch, if happens, would be a severe blow for the residents as well as the town.

However, SBI branch manager Vivek Sinha rubbishes the town talk. “This SBI branch is functional since 1955. It holds the Reserve Bank of India’s Currency Chest. So the task to move the mechanism out of the building will be a Herculean task. I am not aware about any plan regarding the sale of the building. As the matter is in the court, I can’t comment further,” he says.

Trevillion and Clarks, popularly called as the Exchange Building, houses Clarks Hotel and Restaurant. Despite several architectural changes, it still possesses the look of an old building.

The Christ Church was founded in 1836. Its gothic design and the pre-Raphaelite stained glass windows draw a lot of tourists. A deodar tree, planted by the Princess of Wales on March 4, 1906 after attending morning service at the church, exists even today.

The Mussoorie Library’s existence dates back to 1840s. Its reading room comprises Victorian-era sofas, books and cupboards. These remind us of the rich heritage and history of the town. This building once belonged to Scott and Pitt, who later sold it to Major Swetenham. In 1843, a Mussoorie Library Committee was formed with Vansittart, then Superintendent of Dehradun, as its president. Major Swetenham sold the land for Rs 300 and it was transferred in the name of Vansittart to be held forever in the trust for and on behalf of the Mussoorie Library Committee.

According to Hugh Gantzer, former chairman of the Mussoorie Library, the library members, led by honorary secretary Ganesh Saili, have been able to refurbish and retain its old look using special funds set aside for the task.

If one takes pride in heritage, he or she should be open to spending money to retain it and that is what the library members have been doing over the years, said Gantzer.

Residents say it is the duty of the state government to come up with a concrete plan and policy to preserve the grand old buildings of the town. They say no one should be allowed to make changes in the buildings to retain its heritage value. Poonam Chand, Deputy Director of the Tourism Department, said the state didn’t have a Heritage Act or a dedicated policy for the preservation of heritage buildings. “But residents can get their properties registered as heritage buildings with the Tourism Ministry under the new heritage policy of the Central Government,” she added.