However, I did not know that one fine day, when I would head for my favourite coffee joint in Jhoolaghar, I would be met by silence, emptiness and dust. I really hope that soon, the place will be alive again . I hope it does not meet the fate which the landour Clock Tower met. It was brought down and has still not been rebuilt. I did not ask anybody about Jhoolaghar when I saw it missing
I sincerely hope that I do not have to say “Once upon a time, there was a Jhoolaghar in Mussoorie”. At the moment, I cannot say whether it has vanished forever or just temporarily brought down.
Recently, I happened to go upto Mussoorie from Dehradun and while I was walking up the Mall from the Picture Palace end towards the library Chowk end, my steps turned left to the place which had been a favourite since childhood for having coffee or tea. And I was in for a shock as I saw that the entire set -up had vanished and there were clouds of dust and piles of mud in its place. The giant wheel gone, the tea shops no more there and the shops of photographers who provided people with costumes of Kashmir and Garhwal before clicking pictures had also disappeared! I could not believe my eyes.
For years and years, this flat area with the swings and teashops had been part of all my memories of this lovely hill station. How had it vanished suddenlyIJ Perhaps, it is going to be renovated, I thought. Or it has been shifted elsewhere. All kinds of thoughts came to me but the feeling I had was one of deprivation. As if a loved one had suddenly gone out of my life.
Ever since I can remember, “Jhoolaghar” was a spot in Mussoorie where we spent many a happy hour as children and later, as adults. It was next to the trolley station from where the bright red trolleys left for the “Gun Hill” (Tope Tibba) on the ropeway and returned. The trolleys were functioning when I went recently but the wide open space was now bereft of the swings and shops that always lent a lot of colour and vibrance to the place. Not a soul could be seen there.
But I could see many scenes appearing and reappearing as I looked at that deserted space. I could see myself and my cousins on the giant wheel, screaming with joy and excitement, waiving to all who were watching us. I could see us all on the benches, eating chocolates and popcorn and having the time of our lives, running around the swings and trying the see saw, requesting the photographers to give us new types of costumes to get ourselves photographed in them, pestering our parents for more money to spend on the goodies available at the various little shops there.Endless scenes came back to me in those few moments . And the loud music that played from here and echoed in the hills and the entire town down the years.
I recall the popular songs of Qurbani playing from Jhoolaghar and fascinating us with their exquisite beats. Day and night, the same songs would play till we knew every word, every note , every twist and turn of each song! They were so melodious that we never got fed up of hearing them. laila O laila, Ham tumhe chaate hain aise and Qurbani, Qurbani, Qurbani, Allah ko pyaari hai Qurbani” — thanks to Jhoolaghar, I know these songs by heart. later, songs of Saajan, Sadak , Dil Hai ke manta nahin, Dil and Aashiqui would echo in the hill town and provide a pleasant, musical backdrop to my visits to Mussoorie . Sweet Nadeem-Sharavan compositions would make the time spent at Jhoolaghar memorable.
However, I did not know that one fine day, when I would head for my favourite coffee joint in Jhoolaghar, I would be met by silence, emptiness and dust. I really hope that soon, the place will be alive again. I hope it does not meet the fate which the landour Clock Tower met. It was brought down and has still not been rebuilt. I did not ask anybody about Jhoolaghar when I saw it missing. I was afraid of getting a reply which would take away my hope of seeing it again. Even if does not come back , my memories of mornings and evenings spent there will always remain with me.That is why I think memory is a great blessing.It is like a treasure chest which nobody can take away from us. Forever, Jhoolaghar and the joys it gave us will be etched in memory. The fun, the photographs, the music, the warmth and happiness it gave us will always be cherished . Hope to see it again in reality once again, though.