A Marriage is Arranged continues....


At Dalhousie we lunched at Rai Bahadur Sohan Lal’s (The Chamba Vakil at Dalhousie), if my memory serves me right, it was an enormous meal, some two dozen courses following, one another. From Dalhousie we returned home via Pathankot.

The second trip was to Simla. We stayed there at the palatial bungalow of R. B. Jailal, a leading advocate and scion of the Sood
community that owned more than half of Simla. He was legal adviser to the Simla Hill princes and himself lived like a prince. He had great influence with the local officials and the Government of India. His father was then alive and was staying with him. Jailal was a vegetarian but his father was fond of sport and hunting. I have seldom seen a more virile old man. I enjoyed the monkey feast at Jakhu and the trip to Prospect Hill. I saw the Viceregal
Lodge and tramped up and down the Mall during the earlier hours of the day. Indians could not walk on the Mall in the evenings when it was full of Europeans.

The third trip I took was to Bombay. We stayed at Kalbadevi road in Rai Banke Mal’s house. He was a millowner of Ferozepur and was doing cotton business in Bombay. We spent ten days
here visiting various places of interest including a trip to Elephanta caves. We soon discovered that Bombay climate did not suit us. It affected us so badly that we could hardly walk about without some pain and discomfort. After 15 days in the city we returned home.

My first marriage was performed in 1910 after I had passed my B.A. Father had been approached on behalf of some highly connected girls for his boy. Of course the would be bridegroom had no say in the matter. He was not consulted, much less allowed to see the face of the girl he was expected to make his life-partner. The selection of the bride was entirely in the hands of the parents.


to be continued....

(this account is handled by Har Anand Publication)