High Tea from Hackmans

Shri Nathji was very courteous and highly cultured when entertaining special guests at His residence at Savitri Niwas. He would engage the services of the Hackmens Hotel for offering “high tea” to his guests. He would lay out the dining table in the dining room very carefully on these occasion calling for tea and pastries from the Hackman’s Hotel for his guests and even arranging a waiter from the hotel to serve the tea. He would arrange these beautiful tea parties for his English guest like the Mr. and Mrs. Biggs or for his rich and cultured Indian guests like the Maharaja Tokaji Rao Holker of Indore. Hackmans Hotel was a very good hotel conveniently located near Shri Nathji’s residence. Thus it was most suited to source High Tea to entertainment of His guests.

Two popular hotels at that time in Mussorie were the Savoy and Hackman’s. Hackmans was famous for it’s clubbing and entertainment. There was the ‘Froth Drinkers’ Club’ at Hackman’s Hotel. The gentlemen gathered to drink beer at 11 a.m., each day, and blow the froth. The one who blew it furthest was declared the champion for the day and got a free beer. Hakmans use to have its own Hackmans Queen in the month of summer and october during Autumn festival. It was the perfect location for the Army officers and British women and was a playground of the Nawabs, Talukdars, Maharajas and other Indian Princes. Hackman’s Hotel was famous for its cabaret performance by lovely artists from Delhi and Bombay. Hackman’s had a huge Ball Room, which could accommodate 50 couples at one time. The dances used to carry on till late in the night.

Even till 25 years ago, Hackmans Hotel and Mussoorie in general retained its fashionable trends of live bands, beauty contests and X’mas carnivals. An extremely cheerful atmosphere prevailed in summer and tourists stayed for longer periods and struck lifelong friendships with other visitors to the hill station. Today, Mussoorie has become a destination mostly for the ‘chhola bhatura’ day visitors. Gone are the days when Mussoorie was alive with night life, with several kinds of entertainment available such as live bands, shows, ball room dancing and cabarets. Thus with the Changing time Hackmans Hotel has lot its charm.. Now it is just as al other hotels in Mussorie, acting as a boarding and lodging junction for uncultured crowds.