An enchanting story often told and retold among locals and tourists in the Uttarakhand Himalayas is that of Pahari Wilson and his wife, Gulabi. It is a legend that once lived and breathed in these mountains.
For the last one century, the freshness and beauty of the legend has not faded. It has, in fact, grown more popular and interesting down the decades. Known as ‘Pahari’ Wilson or Raja Wilson, Frederick E. Wilson, was an adventurer who is believed to have deserted the British Army just after 1857. He escaped into Garhwal and met the Raja of Tehri, seeking refuge.
But the Raja, who was loyal to the British, refused to give him shelter and he moved into the interior areas of the hills. He landed in Harshil, a remote idyllic valley on the banks of the Bhagirathi, with slopes full of majestic deodar trees on both sides.Wilson married a beautiful Garhwali girl, Gulabi, of Mukhba village. He, in agreement with English Company, then made a fortune out of timber. The British were building the Railways in India and there was great demand for quality wooden sleepers for the rails. The timber trade had made Wilson so wealthy and powerful that he came to be known as "Raja Wilson".
Gulabi and Wilson lived in Wilson Cottage, a huge mansion built by him in the late 1850s, which now lies in ruins. Wilson and his wife lie buried in the Mussoorie cemetery. Wilson had a great understanding of the local places and people. He built several bridges in the area, the most famous of them being the 350 feet suspension bridge over the Jadh Ganga at Bhaironghati. This bridge was a source of terror for the locals who hesitated to use it. Wilson then galloped across it many times on his Arab Gey horse. Villagers say that even now, on full moon nights, he can be seen and heard galloping in the area, though the bridge has collapsed long ago.
Wilson is also remembered for the large, juicy, red apples he introduced to this region. Known as “Wilson Apples”, these are sold by locals to travellers and pilgrims on their way to Gangotrishrine during their pilgrimage which is now underway.
People in Uttarkashi, where Harshil is located, still talk of "Raja Wilson" in awe and admiration.Portraits of Gulabi and Wilson still hang in little forest bungalows in various places like Dharasu, Bhatwari and Harshil.
In his book The Raja of Harshil, Robert Hutchison writes that Wilson passed through the hill station of Mussoorie for the first time in the early 1840s. “One thing is certain: within his lifetime he became a legend throughout the North-West provinces of British India. In Garhwal that legend lives to this day, even if Wilson has been forgotten by historians and is totally unknown in his home country,” says Hutchison.
The book The Raja of Harsil :The legend of Frederick ‘ Pahari’ Wilson is a fascinating tale of love, power and adventure spanning four decades when India was a hotbed of controversy ,intrigue , and rising nationalism …a time when ‘Pahari” Wilson became known as the man who led a life that would have been the envy of kings!
From Hutchison, we come to know that Wilson had two wives, both from Harsil’s neighbouring village of Mukhba. The prettier one was Raimatta ,who proved unable to bear children. The other one was Sungrami whose nickname was Gulabi. She bore Wilson three sons –Nathaniel, Charles and Henry. The people of Harshil and Mukhba still tell tales about them, using their local names of Nathhu, Charli Sahib and Indri !
Till the time the towns of Harshil and Mussoorie live on, this legend will be passed from one generation to the next, with a little more colour added to it every time.