RESIDENCY ROAD AND SHAKTI SWEETS SHOP OF SRINAGAR KASHMIR

                                           

                                        

  “Listen Friends , When I die , take my body  to its last journey from  this road please ”

Said Johny our friend and colleague in the bank .Johny would be in Residency Road area from 5 PM to 8 PM every day . Some times in the coffee House , some times outside Shakti sweets , Some times having Tea , Chicken Patties and Kebabs in AHDOO’s Hotel  and quite often  enjoying Masala Dossa at SURTI GUJRATI HOTEL nearby.  He could also be  seen gossiping with Meer sahib at MIR PAAN HOUSE .Johny wore a typical Cap . Perhaps Devanand had set the trend for such caps in Kashmir with his   movie Jewel Thief.  Johny would wait for us to come . We would then walk upto Zero Bridge via The Bund . Gossiping , discussing films , writers , Artists and politics to everybody’s amusement .At times we would go to SURTI GUJRATI  Hotel to have Crisp plain Dossa and coffee . Johny preferred Kebabs or Mutton Tikka . He would always say that he does not eat GHASS- PHOOS ( Waste Grass ).Then One day Dr B K Jalali ( That time a leading surgeon in Kashmir ) told us that your friend has Hydatid Liver Cyst and he is to be operated upon . All of us got worried. Many friends and well wishers joined together to ensure that he gets good treatment . Johny got himself operated upon in Mumbai and bade good bye to Kebabs and Mutton Tikkas .He never said good bye to Residency Road area .He was now regularly seen at Coffee House or outside Shakti Sweets . Some times standing outside watching people and sometimes sitting with the owners and gossiping . The owners were Punjabi business men., Active and enterprising who  had mixed well with locals . They spoke their language  and had developed excellent relations with entire shopkeepers of the area . They did not move out from Valley even under grave provocations and threats .

Presently SHAKTI SWEETS  has undergone extensive renovations . Sitting space has been created inside the shop with 8 tables .Glass pieces decoration in Jaipuri style looks   attractive . The show case has variety of sweets like Kaju Barfi , Pinni , Kalakand , Jalebi , Russ Malai , Patisa ,Laddu , Pedda , Chocolate and Chhana Murgi. It is almost a monopolistic business for them as Prabh Dayal and Sant Ram Sohal’s family has migrated out from valley. Though NATHU’S have also opened a Franchise on Boulevard but they primarily cater to tourists .

The hustle and bustle of residency Road continues as it used be in those days when we moved around . Crowds still move leisurely in this area . Shoppers walk with fresh purchases .Groups of smart young men standing outside Shakti Sweets talk , gossip and laugh in between .Girls from nearby Women college keep coming in groups  to have Tikkis , Paapdi and Channa Bhathura . Meer sahib still serves Paans to stray customers . Visit to this area still means meeting friends and new faces in the city .Bars ( Marina , Premiers and Gold Dustin ) have since closed down. We have a Good book shop in place of the Fashionable Ready made garment shop Blue Fox. Vir and co still run their Dry Cleaning shop in Lambert lane . Coffee house has since closed down. Surti Hotel was gutted in a devastating fire . Ahdoo’s Hotel continues to serve delicious patties and excellently brewed Tea. Paul Brothers , Fashion House and Subhana still stitch elegant and fashionable suits for the city dwellers. PRECO and LICA STUDIO still run their photography shops though many new photography shops have also come up in the area . Pashmina shawl dealers SHYAM AND CO are now in Karol Bagh New Delhi. Kashmir book shop and Hind book shop have since sold out their shops and business. Sri Chand Chinar Udaseen Temple( Exactly opposite Coffee house ) is renovated and visitors keep pouring in during daytime .Enjoy some views of this area with some lines from a poem of Ali Sardar jafri

Phoolon ke Katoron me

Shabnam ki gulaabi Hai

Aur Baade Sehar Gaahi

Badhmast Sharaabi Hai.

Kal Subh Ke daamun me

Tum Hoge Na Hum Honge

Bas Reit ke seene pe

Kuchh Naqshe Qadm Honge

Saaye me darakhton ke

Phir Log Baham Honge

Kis Desh se Aaye ho

Kis Desh Ko Jaana Hai

Aey Waqt ke Mehmaano

( Ali sardar jafri )

The dew filled flower Petals Look like

bowls filled with wine .

The Morning Breeze ,intoxicated ,

Moves around softly in this garden.

Both you and me shall not see

Tomorrow’s glorious dawn.

Just our footsteps on sand ,

Shall all what others shall see .

People shall again come and

sit under these shady trees .

To them I shall say

“ Where from do thee cometh ?

Where have thee to go ?

O you guest of brief stay

(Text and photographs by  Autar Mota )

New Delhi( In travel ) 21st october 2012 ... Time 1155 PM ... Good Night . Let me sleep now .

                                                                                                   


CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.