The Raj on the Move

by Rajika Bhandari

Established in the 1840s by the peripatetic British, dak bungalows forever changed the way officers of the Empire and their families travelled across the subcontinent and got to know the real India. With most of the British Raj perpetually on the move, whether on tour or during the summer migration to the hills, dak bungalow travel inspired a brotherhood of sorts for generations of British and Indian officers, who could recount tales of horrid dak bungalow food, a crazed khansama, and the time their only companion at the bungalow was a tiger on the loose. Today, too, PWD-run circuit houses and dak bungalows continue to occupy an important place in the lives and imagination of Indias civil servants.

In The Raj on the Move: Story of the Dak Bungalow, Rajika Bhandari weaves together history, architecture, and travel to take us on a fascinating journey of Indias British-era dak bungalows and circuit houses, following, quite literally, in the footsteps of travellers who stayed in these bungalows over the past two centuries. Her search takes her from the early-19th century memoirs and travelogues of British memsahibs, to travelling from the original colonial outpost of Madras in the south to the deep interiors of Madhya Pradesh, the heart of British India. Evoking the stories of Rudyard Kipling and Ruskin Bond, and filled with fascinating tidbits and amusing anecdotes, the book unearths local folklore about these remote and mysterious buildings, from the crotchety khansamas and their delectable chicken dishes to the resident ghosts that still walk the halls at night.

Genres: India, History

132 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Rajika Bhandari is the author of the forthcoming memoir, America Calling: A Foreign Student in a Country of Possibility, a previous nonfiction book--The Raj on the Move: Story of the Dak Bungalow--and five academic books. A former international student from India to the US and an Indian American immigrant, Rajika is an international higher education expert, and writes and speaks on issues at the intersection of education, crossing borders, immigration, and educational and cultural diplomacy. She is quoted frequently in the global press, and her writing has appeared in the Guardian, the Chronicle of Higher Education, HuffPost, University World News, Times Higher Education, and the Diplomatic Courier, among others. She lives outside New York City.

Reviews

[Girl from Mumbai]

I have always been in love with books written on British/Indian history. They make a fascinating read of the life and times of the strangers who came to our country and made it their own and left a huge mark on who we are today. One of the most amazing legacies of that time is the Indian railways and the architecture surrounding the routes, like the train stations and Circuit houses are full of amazing stories. So when I found a book that covered these topics I knew I had to read it. “The Raj on the Move” by Rajika Bhandari is an amazingly well researched account of the “Dak Bungalows/Circuit Houses” from the Pre-Independence era. Built by the British in the 1840’s as an endeavor to have a centralized resting place for the weary British civil servants & their families traveling the length and breadth of the vast country to do their jobs. These Dak Bungalows had a lot of tales surrounding them, and Rajika retraces the steps of these travelers and their families by reviving old memories with the stories of a distant past. She covers the beautiful architecture unique to these houses, conducive to the location & the climate. Talks about the resident ghosts of the “Damoh Circuit Home” and also mentions the legend of the mad Khansama (cook) “Bernard the Terrible” who served cold food and leathery chapattis to “Babu Jagjivan Ram” as a punishment for being late. She also discusses the famed Anglo-Indian cooking style of Dak Bungalows which included the legendary ‘Country Captain Chicken, Chicken Cutlets and Railway Mutton Curry, which are still quite popular in coffee houses and restaurants in some parts of the country. The memoirs left behind by the Memsahibs and Burra Sahibs; the entries in the visitors log books and the stories associated with these forgotten places have been woven together into this lucidly written book. It is an absolute must for Raj history buffs like me who want to learn more about the lives and travels of the sahibs.

[Omprasad Mahapatra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good read about a very niche topic.

In short, loved the book. Very informative about the way the entire network of dak bungalows and state guest houses came to be. Usually this topic is part of a narrative, or a part of someone's memoirs. Poring through 100s of guest logs, memoirs of administrators present and past, and managing to put together a book that's objectively descriptive, as well as firing one's own imagination about the romance and adventure experienced in travel is a feat that's hard to accomplish. Yet, this book does just that. Gonna repeat, I loved this book.

[Jyoti Kerkar · Rating 4 out of 5]

are you interested in history , then this is the book for you. It is about the old dak bungalows built all over India by the British Raj. It is shrouded in mystery and intrigues the mind. . Numerous Britishers with their family have stayed and written about it in books still maintained by the Dak Bungalows. Isn't that exciting . Its not a Fiction read , so unless you are interested in history and the details do not pickup the book

[Anshul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is more like a doorway to many many books, journals and stories about these hauntingly beautiful dak bungalows. Kudos to the author for keeping it simple and clean and overall making it a very easy read.
my personal favorite part was the mention of one particular Dak at Doopgarh, Madhya Pradesh. In all my childhood travels Panchmarhi and a day trip to Doopgarh is very close to my heart. Thank you for reminding of that place.

[Mukul Bhatnagar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in sometime in 2014. The author has researched a lot and it shows in the book. It's interesting and informative and presents the whole spectrum of information and knowledge on circuit houses, Dak Bungalows and PWD inspection houses right from recipes of their cooks, interesting anecdotes to a separate section on haunted dak bungalows as well.

The only turn off I found was when the writer starts writing about herself.

[Lakshmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting book. Rajika Bhandari has written about British India from a different angle. We get to know how people specially the Btitish travelled in those days and all about Dak Bungalows and circuit houses in different parts of the country.