Shimla provided an escape not only from heat but also from the native culture of the plains: its atmosphere was that of an oversized English club. No Indians were allowed on the mall except for some hours at night. The mall became a premier promenading area. Durga Das, a noted journalist and editor in Shimla, observed: "The mall was a special European preserve. No load carrying porter was permitted to use it, nor any ill dressed Indian either - the rule was relaxed at night when middle class Indians strolled along the mall, gazing alarmingly at the show windows of European shops." Again, Annandale, a flat semi-circular amphitheatre emerged as a play and recreation ground for the British population in Shimla. It became the site for countless balls, dinners, picnics, flower shows, hack races and even rickshaw races. By the beginning of the 20th century the ground had been enlarged and it was possible to hold gymkhanas, polo, cricket and football matches here. As exclusive, British elan resorts like Shimla proliferated, the complex relationship between the Indian and British leisure spaces receded into oblivion.
A long journey:
From our British clubs where it was written ‘Dogs and Indians not allowed’ to now the dog and the Indian reaching the ultimate bastion of the British - 10 Downing Street!
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