Business community, locals say move threatens Shimla’s heritage identity
Shimla, October 24, 2025:
The Shimla Municipal Corporation and district administration are facing growing public outrage over its move to rename the iconic Lower Bazaar as Lower Mall.
Critics have called the move “mindless” and “insensitive,” arguing that it undermines the city’s cultural and historical legacy.
The Mall Business Association, Shimla (MBA) has formally lodged its objection to the renaming, describing Lower Bazaar as a household name — not only in Shimla but across Himachal Pradesh.
In a letter addressed to the Municipal Commissioner, Association President Varinder Singh (Varinder Rishi) and General Secretary Ashish Malhotra said the decision has caused deep concern among traders and residents alike.
“This alteration risks causing confusion among visitors and, more importantly, diminishes the historical and cultural identity associated with the area,” the association stated.
The Association further demanded that proper directional signage be installed at key points — particularly near Sher-e-Punjab — to guide tourists and visitors towards The Mall, Ridge, and the Lower Bazaar.
The MBA said that such signage is essential for both heritage preservation and visitor convenience.
The letter, signed by the Association’s executive members and office bearers, also notes that the renaming has triggered widespread public debate on social media, with many residents questioning the rationale behind altering such a historic name.
The Lower Bazaar, one of Shimla’s oldest and busiest commercial hubs, has long been regarded as the heart of the city’s traditional marketplace.
Locals fear that replacing its name with “Lower Mall” would erase an essential part of Shimla’s colonial-era heritage and local identity.
The Association has urged the Municipal Corporation to immediately reconsider the decision and preserve the legacy of Lower Bazaar — a name that, they say, “embodies the very spirit of old Shimla.”
MC Take: No official notification has been issued so far. There is no such move so far, commented Bhuvan Sharma, joint commissioner, SMC.
#SaveLowerBazaar #ShimlaHeritage #ProtectOurHistory #VoiceOfShimla
