This
collection of photo-graphics by Arup Chandra, is a unique one, in the sense, that twenty
two Photo-graphics printed in this book cover many characteristic features of this hill
town.
Scenes from nature, showing the foliage of deodar and oak trees, some times overgrown with
ferns are typical of this area.
The old town with its typical buildings with sloping roofs form pleasing geometric
patterns that spread along the hill side. Gandhi Chowk is depicted in unusual yet
representative way in several pictures.
Tourists, ponies for pony rides, shops and the bazar find place in graphic forms.
Porters with their slinging ropes and gunny sacks represent the local hill people who eke
out a living in this town.
Vegetable and fruit sellers with their ware sitting under canopies by the road side are
interesting compositions.
A roadside arcade and a striking composition of an iron bench between two massive tree
trunks gave this collection its distinctive character.
A view St. Francis Church and another one of the belfry of the same church are reminiscent
of British architectural style.
The graphic presentation of roadside embankment covered with wild flowers and a hill road
with wayfarers and pack horses make interesting compositions. There is one graphic
presentation of a view from Banikhet, a town near Dalhousie. The picture of Himalayan
langurs in their own world of trees and foliage that cover a large part of Dalhousie hills
is interesting.
The beauty of the woodlands with the houses peeping in between the oaks and the deodar
pines give Dalhousie its own character .The photographic image of a small waterfall is a
lively one.
Tourists near a restaurant near S. Ajit Singh Memorial is presented from an unusual angle.
The snow peaks from Dalhousie are quite representative.
Even the golgoppawalla has reached this hill town to serve golgoppas to the people in an
easy mood.
St. John’s Church at Gandhi Chowk and St. Andrew’s church near Dalhousie
cantonment are the two other old churches shown in this collection.
“Kalatop” is a place on the way to Khajjiar from Dalhousie. I have never seen a
village like Kalatop any where before. The most of the houses of this settlement are built
with clay covered roofs, some times including huge live deodar trees in the construction.
The picture of Khajjiar was taken from the temple of Khajji Nag at Khajjiar.
This temple is an ancient one and is largely built of wood.
Shops had been allowed to operate in the temple complex and this has greatly damaged the
beauty of the temple complex.
People and administration of Himachal Pradesh must understand that excessive
commercialization will only diminish the beauty of Himachal Pradesh and harm the
traditional setup of old Himachal, that has a beauty and character of its own.
This beauty and traditional character, once lost under commercial pressures, cannot be
regained by any means fully. The people and the administration must understand this and
take the lesson from the overcrowded state of many other hill towns in India.
Prabal Pramanik
 
 
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