By Saeed Ibrahim
In the colonial era, Deolali (also known as Devlali), had been set up as a cantonment town by the British in 1861. It had an Army Staff College and was also an area for Rest and Recreation (R&R) for the British troops after finishing their tour of duty and waiting for ships to take them back home to Britain. After Independence, Deolali continued to be a military town. With its proximity to Mumbai, its good climate and clean, fresh air, it very soon became a popular hill station for rest and convalescence.
In the early sixties, my grandfather suffered from repeated attacks of bronchitis and his doctor recommended moving him for a lengthy period of convalescence to a calm and peaceful hill station away from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai city life. Deolali, situated at a height of 1690 ft above sea level and about 200 km from Bombay, appeared to be the ideal choice. And so my grandparents took up a semi-permanent residence in Deolali Camp and over the next few years we spent all our school holidays in Deolali.
Deolali Camp was a neat and well-kept place with wide roads and, in those days, with no vehicular traffic, apart from cycles and the occasional military vehicle. Modernisation and growth have altered the rhythm of this once quiet getaway where life moved at a gentle, predictable pace. Today Deolali has become busier and more commercialised thanks to modern restaurants, shops and fast-food eateries. New housing developments and multi-storey residential flats have taken the place of sprawling colonial-era bungalows and the quiet roads have become noisy with the traffic of cars and motor bikes.
Within Camp limits and concentrated around Deolali’s main street, some familiar landmarks still remain to remind us of the old Deolali. These establishments have survived, while others have disappeared, succumbing to the demands of development and commercialisation.
One such survivor is Milton Photographers on 305 Howson Road. Established in 1918, it is perhaps the oldest photo studio in Deolali, operational even today and run by one of the descendants of the original owner. I have an old family portrait with my parents and grandparents taken sometime in the sixties. It is a high contrast black and white photograph encased in a cardboard folder and in the bottom corner there is a stamp reading “Milton Studio, Deolali Camp.”
Close by on Howson Road is another legendary local haunt – the Bharat Cold Drink House. Established in 1948, it has been a favourite eatery for local residents and military personnel for over 75 years. It has recently shifted to renovated premises directly opposite the old location, retaining its rich historical legacy with walls decorated with old photographs depicting the nostalgic, relaxed lifestyle of old Deolali. Started primarily as a refreshing beverage house, it has reinvented itself to become a well-loved spot for both classic drinks as well as popular snacks.
I can still savour the unmistakable whiff of freshly baked bread as one rounded the corner into Howson Road. This tantalising aroma emanated from Empire Bakery, another iconic institution of old Deolali. It was established in the pre-Independence era by a Parsi couple as a small, family-run bakery with a distinct, no-frills, old-world charm, catering to the British and Indian military personnel as well as the local civilian population. Today, after expansion, it is known as Empire Stores and Bakery, and functions as both a bakery and a confectionary shop. Keeping alive its unique legacy, it continues to offer traditional local favourites such as the large, white uncut loaves, the hard, round, crusty Broon Pav, flaky jeera butter, crisp khari biscuits, jam rolls and egg puffs.
Apart from these few die hard survivors, other well-loved landmarks have not been as fortunate, or have not been able to innovate or adapt to the changing times. The vintage Adelphi Theatre, was established as far back as the 1940’s by Mr. Dhunjishaw Neterwala, a local Parsi entrepreneur, to provide entertainment and recreation for the British military troops stationed at the Deolali Transit Camp. After Independence it evolved into a public commercial cinema where both residents and army families watched Bollywood classics until it was eventually demolished somewhere in the 1990’s. On the old familiar site opposite the Police Station on Wadner Road there now stands a residential and commercial complex known as Adelphi Arcade.
The changing face of Deolali can be felt as much in the historic Camp area as in the outlying areas. In the 1960s, there were several large, private family-owned plots spread across the Sansari and Bhagur villages bordering Deolali Camp. The pleasant climate and the rich soil of the region was conducive to the cultivation of fruits and flowers and these estates, belonging to wealthy families, were often run as commercially viable fruit orchards and flower gardens.
One of my fondest memories is that of Farzandi Baug, a beautiful fruit orchard and rose garden owned by a Parsi/Irani family. The 4 km tonga ride to Farzandi Baug had been bumpy, involving a long wait at a railway level crossing to allow a main line passenger train to go past. The orchard itself was spread over several acres with groves of various fruit trees bearing papaya, guava, chickoo, orange, lemon and grapefruit.
As we walked through the rows of fruit trees accompanied by a mali[1], we plucked the ripened fruit directly off the trees and collected it all in a basket which was later weighed and priced at the small office located near the entrance. The tour of the neighbouring rose garden was conducted by the owner himself as he fondly explained each rose variety, rolling off exotic sounding names, such as, Florence, Mercedes, Vivaldi, Melody and Darling, pertaining to the different rose species and types.
Today this sprawling 15-acre orchard and rose garden is no more. It has been permanently closed and sold off and, in its place, there exists a modern municipal park and public recreational space. Except for the site name and landmark, little remains of the old rustic charm of the lush fruit trees, the multi-hued roses and their kindly owner.
If you are on a throw-back trip driven by nostalgia and a yearning for the old ambiance, you are bound to be disappointed. Deolali has lost its quaint charm and is no longer that haven of tranquillity that it once was.
[1] Gardener
Saeed Ibrahim’s family saga, Twin Tales from Kutcch, and his book of short stories, The Missing Tile and Other Stories, have had successful runs both in India and overseas. His short stories have appeared in The Blue Lotus Magazine, Borderless Journal, The Hooghly Review, Different Truths, Lothlorien Poetry Journal and elsewhere. He continues to write newspaper articles, travel essays and book reviews for various Indian and international publications.
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