Corbett146;s home plans b146;day bash

A fishing rod, a piano, an African drum and a vintage embroidered chair add to the charm of this cottage room.

A fishing rod, a piano, an African drum and a vintage embroidered chair add to the charm of this cottage room. But it8217;s only the animal trophies mounted on the walls that give away the fact that Gurney House on Ayarpatta Hill, Nainital, was once the home of Jim Corbett, arguably the world8217;s best-known hunter-conservationist and author. And on Friday, for the first time since Corbett left India in 1947, his birthday will be celebrated with tales about man-eating tigers in his erstwhile living room .

The event is the brainchild of Nilanjana Dalmia, wife of V N Dalmia of the Dalmia Group, who grew up in Gurney House and later used it as a summer retreat. When as a child she ate on Corbett8217;s dining table, listening to the rain on the old-fashioned tin roof, she made up her mind that the cottage would always remain a 8216;home8217;.

8220;This is a place of memory and nostalgia. For precisely that reason, I would never change or commercialise it,8221; she says. But she does want to honour its most illustrious resident. This year, after extensive restoration work on the home was completed, she decided to celebrate Corbett8217;s birthday for the first time at Gurney House and formally throw it open for visitors, where they can listen to actor Tom Alter read aloud from Jim Corbett8217;s classics such as The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag and Man-Eaters of Kumaon.

While the birthday celebrations will now be an annual affair, other cultural activities will also be planned in the future. The Dalmia family is now on the lookout for Corbett memorabilia, which they hope to add to the house.

The 131-year-old building, which has been awarded Heritage Building status by the state Government, has changed little over the past 60 years that it has been with Nilanjana8217;s family. However, she had to make some tough decisions over the past two years. 8220;We had to erect a boundary wall around the property as security situations have changed so much,8221; she says, recalling how there was once a burglary attempt at the house for a famed ivory horn that belonged to Corbett. However, some surprising treasures also turned up. 8220;In the process of restoration, we discovered Corbett8217;s fishing rod. It looks like two bamboo poles to an untrained eye but we believe that we have the responsibility of restoring his things and presenting them within their proper context. They lived a very simple, elegant life, and we want to maintain that atmosphere,8221; she says, adding that Corbett8217;s boat and a chair that his sister Maggie embroidered for him are some of her favourites.

The Dalmia family has also written to the Jim Corbett Museum for the display rights to some unexhibited letters that the conservationist wrote about the sale of his property. One of the letters is addressed to Jagat Singh, his then caretaker, asking him to 8220;persuade Varma8221; to buy his Kaladungi property. 8220;Corbett sold the house to my grandmother, Kalavati Varma because he felt she would take care of it, even though others had made higher offers. The letter shows he wanted to sell his Kaladungi property now the Jim Corbett Museum to her as well,8221; she says. Nilanjana also plans to add benches to the lawns near the outhouses so people can 8220;sip masala chai and experience the house8221;. But more than anything, she wants people to feel welcome. 8220;This is going to be open for all those who are interested. We want people to walk into Corbett8217;s home,8221; she says.