First the name Simla (Shimla) has evolved from the former Shyamala, or Shamla Devi, another name for the goddess KALI (in Sanskrit, ‘black’). It was settled as a hill station by the British in 1817 and served as the summer capital of British India between 1864 and 1939. It is now called Shimla.
Shimlain *Ragtime *came out in 1913 and Ragtime in Simla in 2002. In the former Doz mixed his keen sense of observation with humour and offered delectable stories about the Shimla society of those days.
Thae story begins at Kalka where, by chance, Feodor met Joseph or Joe Sandilands, a Scotland Yard detective, and both travelled together in a car specially sent to pick up Joe. People, then, used to come to Simla either by train or in tongas. Feodor accompanied Joe because of the dejected-looking tonga horses and the fear of spoiling the romance of reaching Simla by train-full of summer migrants, nor was he “Fifteen-year old Kim to walk the fifty miles! We could pass the long journey happily boring each other with quotations from Kipling, ” Joe had said. Surely, Kipling’s works have opened Shimla for the English-speaking world.
Well this is the main story line But I must also add the DOZ’S book (an illustrated guide book) is a very different book and it will be a treat to those who has visited Shimla or are from Shimla.
In the book you will find – Area And Population , The Tragedy Of The Mall(simla) etc.
One can find out where was MOUNT PLEASANT where was bank of London on the mall, Where was Lovers Walke. I must recommend you to read it your self and enjoy the old world special(Simla in ragtime by Doz 1913) The author Barbara Cleverly was born in the north of England and is a graduate of Durham University. During the season, Simla lives in ragtime: and if it were told that the end of the world would come a week hence…the ADC would get up a special revue entitled - All of a sudden Doomsday. — Doz