Pia-Basanti

Wednesday, August 9, 2006, Chandigarh, India Tribune, Himachal Plus Pia-Basanti Queen Roshni Johar Uma Singha How Uma Singha became Kotgarh’s queen, is indeed a filmi story. Her daughter-in-law Shabnam who lived in Kotgarh, had invited her film-maker friend Pradeep Sarkar there. He was looking for a suitable locale for his new music video Pia Basanti. [...]

Read Full Post »

“Beth” in the Simla Hills

Work of Aniket Alam http://aniketalam.wordpress.com/ “Beth” in the Simla Hills Introduction Unfree labour was central to agricultural production in pre-colonial India. Under colonial impact, these forms of unfree labour, while retaining their outward form, were radically changed in content. In medieval times, the subjects of the king were never `free’ as in the modern sense [...]

Read Full Post »

Samuel Evans Stokes of India

Samuel Evans Stokes of India Samuel Evans Stokes of India was active in the Indian National Movement and an associate of Mahatma Gandhi. For details see “Samuel Evans Stokes, Mahatma Gandhi, and Indian Nationalism” by Kenton J. Clymer, Pacific Historical Review, Volume LIX, February, 1990, #1. For some reason the Genealogy of the Stokes Family [...]

Read Full Post »

A winter’s tale – Tani Jubbar Lake

Hindustan Times Mumbai, December 26, 2009 First Published: 06:00 IST(27/12/2009) A winter’s tale Himalayan circuits Luck has been quite the lady with me as far as finding winter is concerned. Often, over the last few years, I’ve had the pleasure of throwing open the curtains of a cozy inn to find a land whitewashed by [...]

Read Full Post »

What’s killing my apple tree?

Manoj J , shimla: May 19 2008 [from Insta Blogs] As a child it was a joy to visit my apple orchard. Planted by my grand father it grew and flourished under the tender care of my father. Today maintaining it has been an uphill task. New trees simply don’t survive and older ones are [...]

Read Full Post »

Starry Starry Night

Most people rarely stop to gaze up, to see the wonder of the night sky, except maybe to wish upon a star, every once in a while. The myth goes, that when bodies die, they die; but the souls and spirits live on, perhaps turning into stars. “For my part, I know nothing with any [...]

Read Full Post »

Apple Growing Stages

It is fascinating to watch the growth of an apple from bud to mature fruit. Buds Dormant apple buds begin to swell in the early spring. The buds show a silver, fuzzy tissue then a green tip develops. This is the beginning of leaves; the leaves start growing, and as they fold back, they are [...]

Read Full Post »

A full day drive to Thanedar

FROM WILDERNESS IN HIMALAYAS.BLOGSPOT – by barunroy on December 28, 2008 Hidden away in the Shimla hills, Kotgarh is famous for its apple orchards but very few knows about the inspiring feature that makes an excellent spring-summer destination. Close to Narkanda, the hill range known as Kotgarh is just 16 kilometers from National highway that [...]

Read Full Post »