“ I do not know How they Mix it . We use Red Label and Green Label Tea . Chicken patties , Pine apple Pastries and one set Tea . Anything else. ”
Sharma a new Waiter in the Hotel said when I asked him the trade secret of Tea Brewing in the Hotel.Sharma moved ahead to take order from another table . Perhaps I know all the Waiters of this Hotel. Three of them though old , still serve you delicious Patties , Excellently brewed Tea , Fresh Pine apple pastries , Crisp Butter Toasts and a variety of Non Vegetarian Preparations including the much relished kashmiri WAZWAAN.
This is AHDOO”s Hotel of Kashmir .Visit it to know the quality of Tea served over here. I have sought the formula of this excellently brewed tea from every waiter . One said that Red label and Green Label Tea is mixed in the ratio of 75and 25 respectively to create the Particular Flavour and taste . Another said that the ratio is 60and 40 . I tried both at my place . Failed and kept coming to the Hotel to have tea brewed magically .The tea is served in Heavy Metallic Tea sets in style by well uniformed waiters . Heavy Bone China cups , Neatly laid out Table cloths , Laundry Fresh napkin sets and the ambience inside makes you feel special. Whatever you order , you are given a cup of Chutney free. The waiters are pleased to make your cup of tea if you so desire. Hot Chicken Patties , Delicious Pine Apple Pastries , varieties of Cookies , Cakes , Black forest ,Crisp Butter Toasts , Paneer Pakoda , Kababs , Boneless Chicken Tikkas and Mutton Tikkas can be ordered with Tea. For Lunch or dinner you have a variety Vegetarian dishes including Green Haak, Nadru Yakhani and Dam Alu . The non Vegetarians can have Mutton Yakhani ( Mutton in Yoghurt ), Rogan Josh , Gushtaaba , Tabak Maaz ( Fried Meat ), Ristaa , Methi Maaz ( Methi and Mutton ), Chilli Korma , Dhaniwal Korma and Chicken . One can also order a plate of Complete WAZWAAN dishes. They serve a variety of desserts and ice creams . You can also order coffee and juices . The Hospitality inside the Hotel has to be experienced to be believed.
Initially established as a restaurant in 1920, the Hotel has undergone several changes since 1989. The ground floor is totally occupied by Bakery section and the Toilets . The first Floor is used for the Restaurants . Second and third floors have well maintained 24 deluxe rooms for the guests. It has three spacious conference halls now.The Hotel has two entrances . One from the Residency road side while the other is from the bund side. Internet , Resident doctor facility , cab hiring arrangement has also been added for the guests by the Hotel management now.
Many memories are tied to this Hotel. Late Mohan lal Aima and his artists finalized the Operational aspects of Dina Nath Naadim”s Opera “ BOMBUR TE YEMBERZAL ” over a cup of Tea in this Hotel only. Shooting sequences of first Kashmiri Movie “Menziraat ”were finalized in this Restaurant only. Some very important meetings which changed the course of Political streams in Kashmir took place in this Hotel only .Ajit , Saira Bano , Johny Walker , Jeevan, Balraj Sahni and Kabir Bedi have visited either in the Bakery or the restaurant of this Hotel. There is hardly any kashmiri writer or Artist who has not sat and gossiped with friends in the restaurant of this Hotel over a hot cup of tea. We once saw poet Nida Fazili in the hotel Lobby. M K Raina leading theatre personality of the country has been seen many times in the Hotel .A Friend of mine also informs me that he once saw Dilip Kumar (Acting legend of Indian Cinema ) in Ahdoo's hotel . I am not sure . Could be true.
I was once attached to a delegation of parliament members as their local guide by the bank. It was Perhaps 1985. Parliament members attached to me were Bal Kavi Bairaagi Congress MP from Saagar ( MP ) , Vithal Bhai Patel from Ahemdabad and Prof Samson ( If I am very correct ) from North East. They were all men of different tastes . Bal Kavi Bairagi became quite friendly. He was a poet as well. He also wrote the popular film song “ Tu Chandaa Main Chaandini , Tu Taruvar Main Shaakh Re , Tu Badal Main Bijri , Tu Panchhi Main Pyaas Re ” Bairagi ji and his wife asked me for a good cup of tea and I took them to AHDOO”s . Both relished the tea and pastries.
My friends in the bank Especially Basharat Fazili , Tej Dhar and Padroo would pool money to go to Ahdoo’s on every alternate days . Bashrat would order Patties , Pastries , Tea and end up having ice cream as well. Rinchen Bhutia ( A Management Trainee from Darjeeling who stayed in valley for more than 15 years and worked with us ). Baleshwar Taneja ( Smart officer who worked in worked in valley with us )and even our Boss and senior Manager Mohd Shahid Aftaab ( from Kanpur who worked in Valley ) fell in love with Ahdoo’s tea once we introduced them to this delicacy . shri Aftaab rose to become Executive director of Vijaya bank after being posted out of Kashmir . He never forgot Ahdoo’s .
We had devised a novel way of meeting expenses of our weekly visits to the Hotel .Our friend Padroo took up an agency from LIC in the name of his wife. Basharat Fazili and Tej Dhar would bring him business. Padroo would posibly get 35% of first year's premium as his commision from LIC. A part of it would be shared with the Policy Holder and the remaining would be spent at Ahdoo's . The new Policy Holder was brought to Ahdoo's and humoured to foot the tea bills once he signed policy papers . He was made to believe that a best bargain had been organized for him and a tea at Ahdoo's was due from the commisssion paid by Padroo .So one policy for Padroo meant two sittings at Ahdoo's . So Long so much about Ahdoo's . Enjoy the views with some lines from a poem of Dina nath Naadim in Kashmiri . Naadim sahib wrote a beautiful Poem DAL BATHISS PYAATH( ON THE BANK OF DAL LAKE ). Even while describing the natural scenes , Naadim sahib is touched by all round poverty prevailing at that time in valley.
Yimm Bunglow Chhi Aassan Vaael ,
Yihundh Duniyaa Chhu Alagh .
Hum Paharee Chhi Zakhaman Kraael ,
Yihundh Duniyaa Chhu Alagh .
Addei Aaquil addei yetti Chaarei
Tse pakh Halpaarei Lagay.
Tsetti Vaati kunni Vizi Vaarei
Tse pakh Halpaarei Lagay.
( Dina Nath Naadim )
These huge mansion owners ,
O their world inside is differrent.
Those Thatched roofed huts of poor,
Their world inside is altogether differrent.
To the dwellers of this land ,
some of whom are worldy wise
and the rest simple folks ,
I advise" O Kashmiri March on, Progress shall visit thee.
March on brother , your turn shall also come ,
O Kashmiri march on Progress shall visit thee.
( Translation from original kashmiri by A k mota )
