8/9/2019 The Hindu _ Arts _ History & Culture _ Fraser's Romantic Baoli

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Fraser's romantic baoli

R. V. Smith

Illustration: Tony Smith

 Among those who have left their mark on the early 19th century life of Delhi, the names of William Fraser, Col Skinnand the Metcalfes occupy a prominent place, along with those of Col. Ochterlony and Begum Sumroo, whose husban

 Walter Reinhardt la Sonbre made his impact felt in the 18th Century Gardi-Ka-Waqt or Twilight of the Moguls.

If Metcalfe's Folly is in Mehrauli, then Fraser's is at the other end of Delhi. Fraser was a bosom pal of Skinner buthated the Metcalfe and (Sir Charles, Sir Thomas) whom he found too pompous. The Metcalfe in turn looked downupon Fraser for his bohemian lifestyle that led to his affairs with several countryside women in the area now known Haryana. Among them the most well-known was Ambiban, who bore him many children, but there were others also

 who did so far Fraser Sahib, with the result that there were quite a few villages with blue-eyed children fathered by 

him.The Matcalfes were examples of Victorian prudery, but Ochterlony had a dozen odd concubines whom he paraded inKashmere Gate when he went out on his elephant on pleasant evenings. That earned him the nickname of “Luni

 Akhtar” or crazy star, though some are convinced that he came to be known as such in local parlance because mostnatives couldn't pronounce his name, which was more of a tongue-twister for them. Be that as it may, Ochterlony spent his summers in the ambience of Bibi Akbarabadi's Shalimar Bagh on the Grand Trank Road with hismistresses, housed in different tents set up near the big one reserved for him. Bibi Akbarabadi, incidentally was one

Shah Jahan's wives who hailed form Agra.

Fraser was eventually murdered in a conspiracy hatched by the nawab of Ferozepore, Shamsuddin Khan, who

suspected the British Resident of dalliance with his pretty sister. But this is a matter open to conjecture becauseFraser treated both the girl and her brother as his prestige, going to the extent of being over-protective at times.

However local ‘gup' had given him a bad name and the otherwise scholarly lover of Indian life and manners had to pathe extreme penalty for it while riding to his mansion from Kashmere Gate to the Ridge. The mansion or whatever isleft of it is now known as Hindu Rao Hospital. It was bought after his death by Hindu Rao, brother-in-law of Maharaja Daulatrao Scindia of Gwalior, another ladies' man.

The mansion had actually been built by Sir Edward Colebrook from whom Fraser had acquired it after the owner fellinto digress. Going round the old building one comes across an intriguing baoli or step-well into which one can stilldescend with some difficulty because it is in a ruinous state.

It is here that Fraser is believed to have enjoyed his moonlight frolics with women friends. Whether Skinner waspresent at them is not known, though some other companions who shared his interest in Persian and Urdu literature

 were there. Ghalib was alive at that time but there was not much contact between him and Fraser, though the latterhad helped him when the poet had visited Calcutta in connection with his pension dispute. At that time Fraser was

8/9/2019 The Hindu _ Arts _ History & Culture _ Fraser's Romantic Baoli

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17/12 The Hindu : Arts / History & Culture : Fraser's romantic baoli

ww.thehindu.com/arts/history-and-culture/article613864.ece

attached to the Governor-General's office there. His baoli is still a curious place and deserves preservation, afterproper renovation for possible inclusion in the list of tourist attractions on the Ridge.

Keywords: William Fraser

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