Swept away, ‘Sher-e-Punjab’ was once residential premises that took a beating in 1995 flash floods
Then, during the flash-floods of 2023, too, the overflowing Beas had hit the rear boundary wall of the structure, but didn't cause any harm.
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The restaurant opened in 2021 in the two-storey building, which was a
residential structure. (Express Photo)A strong water current from the swollen Beas river swept away the iconic ‘Sher-e-Punjab’, a two-storey restaurant on Rohtang Road near Manali, leaving only the front wall bearing its name as a testament to its presence. The washed-away restaurant was an extension of the renowned ‘Sher-e-Punjab’ on the Mall Road in Manali, which had been in operation for over three decades.
The two-storey building, where the restaurant opened in 2021, was a residential structure and had faced calamities earlier, too. In 1995, when floods hit the Manali valley, the building took a beating from the raging Beas. Then, during the flash-floods of 2023, too, the overflowing Beas had hit the rear boundary wall of the structure, but didn’t cause any harm.
The Sher-e-Punjab’s building had a basement, a ground floor, and an upper floor with six rooms, and had the capacity to serve food to as many as 125 people at a time.
Videos and photos of the standing lone restaurant wall went viral on social media.
Saravjeet Singh Gulati, 58, who runs Sher-e-Punjab in Manali, had hired the two-storey building on Rohtang road for the restaurant.
Gulati, the third generation of a family which migrated from Peshawar in Pakistan to Mandi, then undivided Punjab, in 1947, said, “I opened a branch on Rohtang road in 2021 after hiring the property from Sukhbir Mehta in 2020. My daughter Sehaj was managing the branch.
“Usually, staff close the restaurant by 10 pm, but on Monday, they shut it around 8.30 pm. The last customers were a senior administrative officer and his driver, who were on a routine patrol. Luckily, no one was inside when the building collapsed in the early hours of Tuesday.”
Gulati said in 2023, the Beas had hit the rear boundary wall of the building, but no damage was done. “The landowner informed us that the property was severely damaged by the flash floods in 1995.”
Gulati, who used to pay an annual rent of Rs 3.5 lakh, claimed that he suffered a loss of around Rs 1 crore in the tragedy.
Along with Sher-ePunjab, two more shops — a snow-dress rental outlet and a daily-needs store —were also swept away by the river. The two adjoining stores were makeshift structures, but ‘Sher-e-Punjab’ was a concrete building.
Gulati said, “My grandfather migrated from Peshawar (Pakistan) to Mandi (undivided Punjab) in 1947. My father Amar Singh Gulati started selling various things, including shoes, umbrellas, slipper, etc. Later, we also moved to Manali, and I established myself here.”
Gulati said, “The telecommunication connectivity in Manali was hit severely. I am talking to you over the phone because I am in Mumbai with my relatives. I am unable to contact my children and staff since Tuesday evening.”
A senior district administration officer from Kullu told The Indian Express, “The two adjoining shops were temporary structures. All three were located on the Rohtang road in Bahang village of Manali sub-division, which is part of the National Highway. We will determine whether these swept-away structures were within the permissible limits after our revenue teams submit their report. For now, our priority is to restore connectivity. Indeed, the restaurant building was severely damaged by the Beas in 1995, and compensation was provided.”
In September 1995, flash floods claimed 65 lives and caused severe damage across Himachal Pradesh, especially in Kullu and Manali and Mandi.
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