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Andretta in Himachal-Punjabi by nature
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By: Khushwant Singh
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Andretta (HP)- Nestled on the foothills of the snow-capped Dhauldhar range, village Andretta 13 kilometers from
Palampur in Himachal Pradesh ,is one of its kind village- where art, drama, writing and pottery confluence. The
other thing being its Punjabi nature. Not because Andretta has more chicken shops than daily provision stores but
simply for its literary genre. Remember late Sobha Singh who with his artistic strokes brought to life Punjab's
legendary lover couples -Sohni-Mahiwal and Heer -Ranjha. And how many of us can deny that the paintings of Sikh
gurus adorned in our houses are not images created by Sobha Singh who was decorated with a Padma Shree in 1983.
An accomplished draftsman in the preindependence Indian Army, Sobha Singh shifted to Andretta in 1947 to settle
permanently. He used oil and canvas as medium to paint. His family today runs a single room art gallery displaying
his paintings and is thronged by visitors from all over the world.
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Turn right from the gallery and a graveled road leads you to the late Norah Richard's Woodland estate now under the
command of the Punjabi university, Patiala. Of Irish origin, Norah charmed by the environs of Andretta permanently
settled in the village around 1924 and opened a school of drama that became a flourishing hub for cultural and theatrical
activities. She also wrote newspaper articles, children stories and painted in water-colours.No wonder the village
got a new name- Mem da pind.
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Every March, Norah organized a week long theatre festival where students enacted her plays in Punjabi at the open
theatre that exists till date. Presently, drama students from the Punjabi University Patiala come in March and
October on her birthday and perform plays."She used drama as media to effect social reforms" says eighty one year old
Malti Chandok who was like a daughter to Norah. Norah's play 'Suhaag' based child marriage of a girl became
instrumental in educating people, adds Malti. The late Prithviraj Kapoor was a regular artist at Andretta, she
claims and points out a property that still belonged to the Kapoor family. The Punjabi University has also preserved
Norah's mud-house. Post the 1905 earth quake in Kangra, Norah became a strong advocate of mud houses. Nobody could
dare build a concrete house, during her life time, says, ManSimran Singh alias Minni.
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Son of famed potter- Padam Shri Gurcharan Singh, pioneer of Delhi blue art pottery, ManSimran lends a unique Punjabi
character to the village with his flowing beard and open tresses. As head of Andretaa Pottery and crafts society;
about 300 yards ahead from Norah's home; Britain educated Mansimran and his employees consisting of the local
artisans wheel a unique genre of glazed pottery called 'slip wear' technique which is dispatched to a leading ethnic
store. The society also runs a training institute that attracts pottery students from all over the world. "The trick
is not to turn out one pot of a particular shape but to turn out several more that have the same character and shape",
says Mansimran. Punjabi perhaps!
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