Whatever the British rule may have done to India, one of its best bequests, till date, is the revamping of bungalow living. Most government officers resided in bungalows, right from the quaint to the palatial; whether it was the top brass in the railways, the collector, the personnel of the armed forces, or other big guns, they all enjoyed the high-ceilinged abundance, the freedom of space of those houses.
My father was a government official; no, we never stayed in those bungalows. However, the luxury that we did enjoy was during the outstation deputations, on which my father went. If the time matched with my school vacations, I and mom tagged along with him on those tours. Most of the times we were housed in old government guest houses that stood strong, bearing the legacy of the British Colonial rule. The wide balconies, tiled roofs (moss covered with an old forlorn look), huge rooms and high ceilings (from which round-domed fans looked down), all added to the old-world charm. But above all what stole my fancy were the huge bathrooms that included a huge bath tub and were complete with a dresser and changing closet. What openness and opulence! It set the mind free.
A friend’s father retired as the Accountant General of Bihar; while in service, housed in a sprawling bungalow, he would entertain lavishly. Parties under summer skies at night, in winter the scene would shift to the huge living room with logs burning in the fireplace, or under the monsoon showers in the sparkling green abundance of the surrounding lawn, I enjoyed them all. And dreamed them all! However, such stuff had ended with the Raj or so it felt. Where in the world do you get space for that in today’s concrete jungle?
The house was an object of desire. The bow-shaped balcony was draped with green vines, while the front lawn was an inviting green-scape. Standing there, in front of this house, all those memories came flooding. The structures followed the contours of the surrounding landscaped garden and the willowy palms, blending perfectly with the wind-blown periphery. How happy the souls of the people would be, I wondered, nestled in this tranquility. The wide spacious house had a joyous aura that would certainly add charm to life. The shape, size, and the location of your home, neighborhood, and workplace all affect the way you feel. Good living was to be in sync with all of these.
If such an opportunity came by, would you not like to transform your living space and extend the horizons of joy and peace?
No comments:
Post a Comment