How Shimla Scandal Point actually got it’s name

While in Shimla if you choose to believe everything that a guide tells you then he’ll tell you that there’s a spot named “Scandal Point” in Shimla, now this is the place where the Mall road meets the Ridge road, and there’s a board at the very point to help you more.

 

Now no one knows the exact story behind why that spot is named as Scandal Point, except us ;-)

 

But before that allow us to tell you a little about the Maharaja of Patiala

This dude was the biggest Casanova of his time, considering that he had 5 wives and numerous affairs and fathered over 88 children and then dying at a rather early age of 46, he is a clear inspiration for the budding Romeos.

 

Now he is the same guy who was banned by the British for entering Shimla for some unknown reasons. Well imagine what would you do if they ban you to enter Taj Mahal, you’ll probably go back home and surf it’s images on your laptop wherever your friends plans for a trip to Agra.

 

Not this guy, he established his own summer capital 45 kms from Shimla and named it Chail.

 

I am not a good historian but that certainly equalled showing a big middle finger in the face of those whites.

 

Now this is the same guy who build the India’s second monorail in Patiala and world’s highest (in those times) cricket ground in Chail, and that beautiful palace in Chail.

 

 

 

Ok so now you know that was the dude who could have been involved in that scandal happened on Scandal point.

 

But there should also be a girl involved to make it a scandal.

 

So the girl was the daughter of the British Viceroy, ya I know it was really a crazy and brave thing to do in those times, but that’s what Sikhs are known for, right. Doing something which the world says “are you crazy, that’s not possible even in your dreams”. Well that reminds me of one more story about this brave clan, but I’ll tell you that next time.

 

So according to the tour guides, this lady eloped with the Maharaja of Patiala from here.

 

Now here’s the twist in the story, the eloping incident did happen but it happened in 1892. Now I know the first reaction of you would be scrolling up and checking Maharaja’s birth date.

 

YES!! He was 1 year old at that time. Now either I should leave for Patiala right now to light a lamp at his resting place for being such a stud that he wooed a lady much much older than him, now’s that’s interesting.

 

Now the Viceroy of India at that time was someone by the name Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice. He had two daughters, one was born in 1870 and the other was born in 1877. Now since the incident happened 1892, so in any case the one who was born in 1877 couldn’t have been the one, because then it would have called a kidnap. The name of th lady born in 1870 was Evelyn Cavendish.

 

Now if you search for her on Wikipedia then you will notice that she got married in 1892.

Uuuummmmm... coincidence!!

Naah I don’t think so.

 

Now the story says and everyone believes that she eloped with the Maharaja of Patiala, now I have not doubt about the abilities of our Dude, but wasn’t he too small to run away that time, I am sure he would have been captured 100 meters from the spot even after a week of elopement. So let’s just keep our dude out of this affair at least.

 

So who could have been there who also happened to be the Maharaja to Patiala

 

Aaah his dad of course...

 

 

It was Maharaja Sir Rajinder Singh Ji, who happened to be 20 years old, so understandably it was the SENIOR DUDE who did the unthinkable.

 

Look at the irony, the above photo was taken in 1892 ;-)

 

Karva Chauth

Karva Chauth is a one-day festival celebrated mostly in the Northern Part of India. During this day married women fast from sunrise to moonrise for the safety and longevity of their husbands.

Married women typically start preparing for this festival few days in advance with shopping for the special day including dress, make-up, cosmetics, jewellery, Karva lamps and plates.

 

 

Women typically wake up around 4am which is typically before sunrise and eat feni with milk and sugar which helps them abstain from water the whole day.

 

During the day women should not eat or drink anything but the good news is, they don’t have to do any household work, which is passed on to the husbands without their consent of course.

 

During the day time women engaged themselves in getting mehendi (henna paint) done on their hands and as the evening approaches, they gather at someone’s house and sit together praying for their husband’s long life while passing on the gift baskets full of fruits, almonds, pieces of jewellery.

 

No one knows the true reason behind this festival, but a reasonable possibility of the start of this festival is that this festival occurs typically after the reaping season of the summer harvest and just before the sowing season of winter harvest, so this was the best time when military campaigns used to happen in the ancient times, and this was the time when long distance travel usually occurred. So in order to keep her husband safe from harm, married women used to observe this festival.

 

Lastly, although a married man is not expected to observe the fast with her wife, but do remember that she’s waiting for you expecting that diamond ring you promised her 3 years ago.