In our sleepy hollow of Barlowganj lies Airfield, one of Mussoorie’s most densely forested estates. But of an airfield there is no sign. The name goes back to Ciaran O’Hara, a compatriot of Captain Young (the founder of Mussoorie) who acquired the Irish estate, naming it after his home in Dublin. That original estate was bought in 1830 by wealthy barrister Thomas Mackey Scully.
Later he sold the place to Trevor Overend and his wife Lily, who had three daughters: Letitia, Naomi and Constance—who passed away in infancy. The mother and her daughters were known for their philanthropic work, their travels, and fondness for classic cars. They blazed a trail around the Irish countryside in their pre-war cars: Letitia preferred a 1927 Rolls-Royce Twenty Tourer; Naomi, a 1936 Austin; and their mother Lily liked a 1923 Peugeot. Wisely, the Irish have preserved these vintage cars.
Coming back to Barlowganj, in 1914, the Gordon family sold Airfield to Nawab Mohamad Hamid Ullah Khan of Bhopal. He sold the place to Urmilla Devi, Maharani Sahiba of Nabha, wife of Maharaja Pratap Singh of Nabha, on August, 20, 1949. Since then, this magnificent property has been home to the Nabha family.
“And Barlowganj, what’s that named after?” you may ask.
Barlowganj is named after Colonel Charles Grant Barlow, who owned Barlow Castle. A stone’s throw away is the twin-turreted Sikander Hall bought by Alice Skinner in 1916 as a home for the less fortunate descendants of Colonel James Skinner, the grand patriarch of the family, who was blessed with a double inheritance, son of a Rajput mother and a Scotsman. Founding Skinner’s Horse in 1803, he chose the yellow tunics or ‘the Clothes of the Dead’ for warriors who had sworn that if they couldn’t win, they’d rather battle and die. In their scarlet turbans, silver-edged girdles, black shields, and bright yellow tunics, his gallant Risalas rode from one victory to the next with the blood-curdling battle cry of Himmat-i-Mardan, Madad-i-Khuda (God helps those who have courage.)
Another question that vexes historians is where did Maharaja Duleep Singh or the Dark Prince stay in Mussoorie? For those coming in late, here’s a quick recap. When the Lion of Punjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh passed away in 1849, his son—a five-year-old child—ascended the throne. Thereafter, the John Company annexed the Punjab and exiled the teenager to Fatehgarh.
“What does Mussoorie have to do with this?” You may well be tempted to ask.
Fact is that, in 1852-53, the Maharaja spent the summer in Castle Hill Estate with John Spencer Logan as his tutor. It was an insidious plot to create a wog—thereby planting the seed of a tragedy—cutting him off from his roots. Instead they taught him the ways of the White man and levelled a space for a playground at Manor House estate (now St. George’s College) to play cricket with the schoolboys of the Mussoorie Seminary.
They bundled him off to Blighty in 1853 from where he was never destined to return. By the time he could see through the plot, it was too late. The British had pillaged his kingdom, diddled him out of the Kohinoor diamond, plundered his wealth and cheated him every step of the way.
What recompense can there ever be for a life lost?
Ganesh Saili
Author, photographer, illustrator
sailiganesh@gmail.com