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Anjali Cottage, Shimla
History : Originally part of a larger property
named ‘Norwood’, this property – by then renamed ‘Ballengeich’ - has been in
our family since 1929. Dr P K Sen, a
renowned barrister, immediately after independence an MP from Bihar, and the
biographer of the Brahmo Samaj, and Mrs Sushama Sen, a member of the
Constituent Assembly and then an MP from Malda, in West Bengal, bought the
house for their summer use in 1929, and lived there for much of the year from
that time on till 1971, shortly before Mrs Sen died. Because of their prominence
in public life - in Shimla and in Delhi, and at a national level - the house
has a rich and colourful social and political history. They entertained a lot,
and the house had a beautiful garden that spilled down the hill, full of
flowers. They gave the cottage the name
‘Anjali’ after their youngest child, who died young.
A
particularly well-placed property : Anjali Cottage is a heritage building on a steep hillside
in a heavily forested area in the vicinity of the Vice-Regal Lodge, overlooking
a densely wooded valley, facing west and with wonderful sunsets over Summerhill
- and also the occasional nostalgic sound of the ‘toy train’ linking Shimla to
the plains, which passes nearby, within view..
Excellently
located in terms of proximity to the town as well as road access : Anjali Cottage is just 7 minutes’ walk
and 2 minutes’ drive from the Cecil Hotel at Chaura Maidan, a major landmark in
the city; and just 10 minutes’ walk in the other direction from the Indian
Institute for Advanced Studies, housed in the old Vice-Regal Lodge at the top
of Summerhill. It has road access both
from above and below the property – therefore in principle also allowing
parking at both levels, a great luxury.
But at the same time, it is quiet and peaceful – unlike most parts of
Shimla -, with very few buildings around it; and the few there are, are residences
of well-placed government officials and of Army officers. It offers wonderful walks around Summerhill
and down into the valley below. Vehicular
traffic is restricted to those with permits; the area is secure.
A
possibly unique property
: Aside from enjoying easy road access from above and below the property, which
is rare, Anjali Cottage is the only
private property in what some have said is ‘the largest urban forest in the
world’, with several original growth trees on the property, overlooking a
thickly forested valley, and with still richly forested hills all around it. It is in fact perhaps the only such private
property today available in Shimla – within and overlooking a quiet, wooded
valley and yet so close to the main town.
Green
Zone : The property falls
within what is called the ‘Green Zone’ in Shimla, which was brought in to
preserve the remaining existing rich forests within the city area. This means that the forest around it and the
wooded valley it overlooks will always remain intact, and that no high-rise
buildings will ever come up around it.
State byelaws also prohibit the cutting of trees, and this law is applied
very strictly.
Heritage : The original main cottage was built in the
late 19th century or early 20th, with the first sale taking
place in 1917. There have been some
additions since, but the original features and charm remain. The building has a mix of local dhajji
(wooden frame with rubble infill, plastered) walls and brick walls, with
extensive wooden doors and windows; and a roof of mostly original heavy tin
sheets on heavy wooden beams. It has a
long glazed veranda, an attic, a basement, and three fireplaces. The present Service Quarters unit can be
reconstructed into a proper building.
Area
of land : 1,483 sq mt,
or 2 bighas.
The
property is roughly triangular in shape, on the side of a hill. The arrangement
of the property is such that the main cottage is located roughly in the middle
of the property, with a large amount of gracious open space in front of it and
in the rear of the property – all overlooking the valley. There are two main
structures on the property : The main colonial-style cottage, and a large
service quarter building. The cottage
has three floors – a main floor, an attic, and a basement. The service
quarter building, which sits on a steep slope with a high full-storey
foundation wall on one side, presently has only one floor.
Area
breakdown of buildings on the property :
Present covered area of Main house
|
226.73 sq mt.
|
Minimum covered usable area in Attic
(estimated 50% of main house)
|
113.36 sq mt.
|
Present covered area of Basement floor
|
51.70 sq mt.
|
Present covered area of Service Quarters
|
61.50 sq mt.
|
Covered area of Toilet block
|
5.29 sq mt.
|
Total covered area (all
floors) :
|
458.58 sq mt.
|
Total built-up area on
property :
|
293.52 sq mt.
|
Or : Total built-up area in sq ft :
|
3,158.27 sq ft.
|
Say
|
3,160 sq ft.
|
Renovation and development possibilities : Present byelaws, including its being
within the Green Zone, permit only renovating the building as it is or, with
permission of the Shimla Municipal Corporation, rebuilding within the present ‘footprint’
of the house and according to its present profile. But if rebuilding is to be
done, an imaginative interpretation and design could lead to a considerably larger
attic area, a significantly larger basement coverage, and a full floor basement
/ lower floor to the Service Quarters, ie a total buildable area closer to 700
sq mt or 7,500 sq ft; and with parking both in the basement of the main house,
accessible from the lower road, and at the ‘ground floor’ level of the upper
building, presently the Service Quarters, which is accessible from the upper
road; which is a luxury in Shimla.
It is important to also note that there is presently a
proposal before the Town & Country Planning Department of the state government
to relax the Green Zone provisions and to permit some redevelopment and some additional
floor area in properties that fall within the zone. We have heard that the recently elected state
government is favourably inclined to approving the proposal – and if this
happens, then the possibility will arise to go somewhat beyond the floor area
presently possible, as above, of 7,500 sq ft – perhaps up to 11,000 sft - and
also to re-design the place as a guesthouse or hotel.
In this regard, it is important to note that although
the property has several fine old growth trees, these are all located around
the perimeter of the property and there is therefore extensive open space on
the property on which, if the revised byelaws permit, further cottages could be
built.
Directions
: The
property is located on a quiet back road between Chaura Maidan and the Indian
Institute of Advanced Studies on Summerhill, and is just a 7 minutes’ walk from
each. Coming from town, the landmark is
Cecil’s Hotel, located on Chaura Maidan. With the hotel to your left, take the road
bearing to the right, going past the
Chaura Maidan Post Office.
Coming
to our cottage from Chaura Maidan, you will pass an Army Mess on the right
(with a high perimeter fence), and then some minutes later the gate to the residence
of the Director of the NAAA (National Academy of Audit and Accounts), also to
the right. You will then see,
immediately in front, the guardhouse and entrance to a complex called ‘Willows’
(which is where the Deputy Directors of the NAAA stay). Turn left around the hill, and our property
is immediately past and ‘below’ Willows, abutting it.
You will first see the rear gate to the
property, on the right, leading to the Service Quarters. Go further down the hill, about 150 meters,
take a sharp U turn to the right, and the front gate of our cottage is right
there. Our property runs all along to
the right of the walk down to the front gate and is visible all the way. Enjoy the view over the house, to Summerhill,
with the magnificent Indian Institute of Advanced Studies just visible through
the trees, on the peak of the hill !
For further details and to see the property, contact :
Representing us in Shimla : Mr Lachhman D Pal, at +91-94180
18786 and at lachhman950449@iciciprupartner.com
namskaar
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