Dehradun, Aug. 10 -- Sikander Hall, Barlowganj , Mussoorie courtesy Author's collection

Don't you dare so much as blink! If you do, you will miss out on the minuscule Barlowganj Bazaar. 'Ganjing' is to stroll and meet friends or browse through the bazaar that begins and ends after a handful of shops, but includes a temple, a police outpost and a post office, wrapped with the aroma of freshly baked loaves from a bakery.

Most visitors to Mussoorie miss out on Barlowganj, as it lies along the old bridle path. Our present-day, Instagram-hit hordes have no time; they come via the motor road. This part of our history begins with Col Charles Grant Barlow, whose home, Barlow Castle, stood on a spur around which the bazaar grew. This property ch...