Himachal Pradesh: Salman Rushdie’s British-era bungalow lying in shambles | Chandigarh News
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CHANDIGARH: Author Salman Rushdie, who is on ventilator following an attack on him in New York, may have left the country a long time ago, but one of the last testaments of his Indian roots is in Himachal and in complete ruins.
Once a heritage attraction, Anees Villathe two-storeyed British-era bungalow in Solan townwhich once Rushdie wanted to convert into a ‘writers’ home’, today figures in many online lists of ‘top haunted houses of Himachal’.
Built on around 3 bigha landthe bungalow has been lying in shambles for at least two decades now. The roof is leaky, paint has peeled off, windows are broken and the main gate is nearly off the hinges. According to local residents, even the overgrown grass and bushes are hardly ever cut or removed.
Anees villa had shot into prominence some three decades back in 1992 when Salman Rushdie had moved courts over its ownership rights.
Built in colonial architectural style in 1927, this villa was purchased by Rushdie’s grandfather Mohammad Uldin and after it was abandoned in 1947 at the time of Partition, the local administration took over it.
The property was used by various government offices and the villa also served as the residence of the officials of the local administration. In 1969, the villa was gifted to Rushdie by his father Anees Ahmed, but it remained under the control of local administration till the author moved the court in 1992 through his attorney Vijay T Shankardass.
After around five years of filing the case, Rushdie won the court battle and the villa and land were transferred in his name in 1997.
Following the court orders, the local administration stopped paying any attention to one of the most famous colonial bungalows of the country, treating it as a private property. “The local administration completely withdrew itself from Anees villa after its ownership was shifted to Rushdie. It’s a private property and there is not much administration can do now,” said Solan sub-divisional magistrate Vivek Sharma.
Even Rushdie visited his villa only once. In April, 2000, Rushdie had spent few hours at the villa, but did not stay for the night. Rushdie, Mumbai-born author who faced Islamist death threats for years after writing ‘The Satanic Verses’ underwent hours of surgery after a man stabbed his neck with a knife at a literary event recently.
Once a heritage attraction, Anees Villathe two-storeyed British-era bungalow in Solan townwhich once Rushdie wanted to convert into a ‘writers’ home’, today figures in many online lists of ‘top haunted houses of Himachal’.
Built on around 3 bigha landthe bungalow has been lying in shambles for at least two decades now. The roof is leaky, paint has peeled off, windows are broken and the main gate is nearly off the hinges. According to local residents, even the overgrown grass and bushes are hardly ever cut or removed.
Anees villa had shot into prominence some three decades back in 1992 when Salman Rushdie had moved courts over its ownership rights.
Built in colonial architectural style in 1927, this villa was purchased by Rushdie’s grandfather Mohammad Uldin and after it was abandoned in 1947 at the time of Partition, the local administration took over it.
The property was used by various government offices and the villa also served as the residence of the officials of the local administration. In 1969, the villa was gifted to Rushdie by his father Anees Ahmed, but it remained under the control of local administration till the author moved the court in 1992 through his attorney Vijay T Shankardass.
After around five years of filing the case, Rushdie won the court battle and the villa and land were transferred in his name in 1997.
Following the court orders, the local administration stopped paying any attention to one of the most famous colonial bungalows of the country, treating it as a private property. “The local administration completely withdrew itself from Anees villa after its ownership was shifted to Rushdie. It’s a private property and there is not much administration can do now,” said Solan sub-divisional magistrate Vivek Sharma.
Even Rushdie visited his villa only once. In April, 2000, Rushdie had spent few hours at the villa, but did not stay for the night. Rushdie, Mumbai-born author who faced Islamist death threats for years after writing ‘The Satanic Verses’ underwent hours of surgery after a man stabbed his neck with a knife at a literary event recently.
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