Shimla Days - Softcover

Shimla Days is a collection of Sumit’s observations. Once again this Master storey-teller has come up with a bunch of some real tales from his hometown. The book talks about the characters of some of his days in Shimla that he spent during his childhood. He, once, as a child had got lost at the Mall Road. And now he writes, ‘That was nearly forty years ago and now when I walk through this busy street, still meant only for the pedestrians, twice or thrice a day and every time I get lost’. Shimla has been famous for some of its interesting but eerie figures – the Ghosts. Sumit has a different opinion about them, ‘I never heard them harming anyone except one or two. They either asked for a help or extend some help to those who were in trouble. Those who asked for help actually made people nervous with their sudden appearance and finally they had to melt away’. Shimla has always attracted various writers, painters and artists. Many of them moved out of it and reached the starry heights. But, ‘There have been some people in Shimla with an unusual spirit. They were famous for their different character; funny, miraculous, artistic, strange or mysterious. But surprisingly no one ever mentioned about the characters of modern era. Those were simple, and some of them even belonged to the labour class or the lower class of the society but they earned great fame among the residents of Shimla that they simply can’t be ignored’. How could he forget the wandering leopards of Shimla hills. So a chapter is dedicated to their interesting incidents. ‘Although Kaana Biraagh had never attacked any human but, was a terror in that region. Well that was his forest and we were the intruders, so we had to be careful. A chapter is dedicated to the tales about the Mall Road and at the end Sumit awaits for your response on his book. So he does not forget to tell you how to send him a word of thanks.

About the Author Sumit better known as Summit was born at Shimla in 1967. His father, a railway engineer by profession and also a well known Urdu poet under the pen name of Talat Irfani, was never interested in leaving Shimla. But because of his official transfers had to move first to Rohtak and then to Delhi. Summit’s phase of academic education was spread over these three towns. Despite being a nature lover and a writer on nature based themes he could not acquire the culture of large towns. Shimla has always been his first love. After doing his Post Graduate Diploma in Tourism Summit jumped into the field of Tourism and returned to the town he yearned for in 2000 Here he tells stories, conducts educational camps for school children, writes books on his travels, works as a Heritage Guide and a Tour Leader to lead trips to the hidden valleys of Indian Western Himalaya. He also helps those British who return to Shimla looking for their family history. In his own words, ‘It is impossible for me to live away from the mountains as they travel like blood in my veins and when I inhale; they enter my mind and body’. · Sumit was the first one to introduce Heritage Walk in Shimla and in time his walks have become famous. · Sumit is the first one to start Cemetery Tourism in Himachal Pradesh. He highlighted the Cemeteries in Shimla through his blogs and online articles. · Has a website as www.shimlawalks.com · Appeared in many Travel Shows on Star News and Fox History. The best appearance is in the program called 'It Happens Only in India’ on Fox History Channel, telling the story of Barog tunnel. The program was on air in February 2010. · In 2011, Sumit was selected to Support Robin Bousted by Mr. Maninder Kohli - son of Captain M. S. Kohli, the first Indian to climb Everest. Robin was on his way to cross the entire length of Indian Western Himalayas from Nepal till Ladakh. The entire trek was completed in 3 months.