Nedous Hotel was the only premier hotel in the city during the reign of the Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh.
On a cold hazy January day, as Srinagar streets were set in snow following the previous day바카라s Congress leader Rahul Gandhi바카라s 바카라Bharat Jodo Yatra바카라 culmination keeping penmen and lensmen on tenterhooks, news-chasers had to chase another lead in heart of the city.
This time focus of shutterbugs was on a man donning a 바카라karakul바카라 (traditional Kashmiri cap) and a pheran (long Kashmiri cloak) holding papers in front of bulldozers. In 바카라times of demolition바카라 a man from an affluent and high-end political family, Muzaffar Shah, had chosen to stand against the government바카라s move. Shah had taken a stand for his relatives바카라The Nedous clan, when former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah seemed to be in trance with Rahul Gandhi바카라s 바카라mohabaat ki dukaan in bazaar of nafrat바카라 (love shop in the market of hatred).
Shah is the nephew of Farooq Abdullah and a cousin of Omar Abdullah. In fact, this time Farooq Abdullah바카라s maternal uncle바카라Nedouses were 바카라targeted바카라. It seemed a part of a program of administration led by Lieutenant General Manoj Sinha, who has announced that 바카라big sharks바카라 will be targeted while poor people will remain unaffected in the demolition drive. Many including former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, however, view it as a 바카라class war바카라 launched by the administration. She claims that the move is to 바카라disempower and dislodge바카라 people from their land in Jammu and Kashmir.
For her, it is a policy of 바카라divide and rule바카라, wherein she believes Hindus have been pitied against Muslims, Shia against Sunni and now rich against poor.
On that day, the administration said it retrieved a five-acre plot from the Nedous바카라, however, they later claimed that the plot was under their 바카라lawful possession바카라 which still has got a 70-year lease period.
In the present 바카라demolition times바카라 in Kashmir, the Nedous clan has faced the brunt. In fact, Nedous' are pioneers of the hospitality sector not only in Kashmir but the entire of India. The association of Nedous바카라 hospitality chain with Kashmir is centuries old and the clan has its name engraved on Kashmiri바카라s political map.
The Nedous clan has its lineage from Dubrovnik in Croatia.
It was Michael Adam Nedou from Ragusa, a Croatian heritage walled city on the Adriatic sea, who built the Nedous Hotel in Srinagar in the 19th century.
In those times, Nedous Hotel was the only premier hotel in the city during the reign of the Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh.
Prior to it, Michael Adam Nedou had a small property in Lahore. In 1880, Michael Adam Nedou while travelling from Murree hill station, which is now on another side of the Line of Control (LOC) to Gulmarg was left mesmerized by Kashmir바카라s environs.
The 바카라Valley of Flowers바카라바카라Gulmarg had left the Croatian Michael Adam Nedou bewitched. He decided to build a property at Gulmarg, which came to be known as the 바카라Nedous Hotel바카라. He later built another property in Srinagar posh area바카라MA Road.
Michael Adam Nedou was left charmed by Kashmir truly. He along with his wife Jessie Maria decided to extend his hotel chain to Kashmir.
Later, the couple바카라s son Michael Henry Nedou aka Harry during his stay at their Gulmarg property fell in love with a local girl바카라Mir Jan.
Harry바카라s fascination for Mir Jan was converted into an eternal romance, but like most love stories, there was an impediment. Mir Jan's father agreed to give his daughter's hand to Harry provided he converted to Islam.
Smitten by Mir Jan바카라s beauty, Harry immediately agreed. Harry converted to Islam and was named Sheikh Ahmed Hussain. Years later, the couple had a daughter named Akbar Jahan바카라who came to be known as 바카라Madr-e-Meharban바카라(kindness and compassion).
It was during those times of resistance in Kashmir when all about rebellion against Dogra Monarch Hari Singh had broken out. It was during those times when Kashmiris decided to break the shackles of slavery and penury in their own land. It was during those times when Kashmir바카라s Sher-i-Kashmir(Lion of Kashmir) was roaring in full swing in the streets of Kashmir. It was during those times that he was highlighting Kashmir바카라s pathetic plight of injustice. It was when Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah was leading the Kashmir resistance.
The echelons of power in Kashmir during those times were shaken by the rebellion led by a 바카라rebel바카라 from Srinagar바카라s Soura. Sheikh Ahmed Hussain aka Harry Nedou was also fascinated by 바카라tall rebel바카라 S M Abdullah. He decided to marry his daughter Akbar Jehan to the rebellious Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah of that time.
Many accounts claim that Akbar Jehan was married to an Arab, Karam Shah in 1928, who later disappeared after there were reports that he was actually T.E. Lawrence, a British Intelligence Officer. Akbar Jehan and her first husband had separated in 1929. It was before she married SM Abdullah in 1933.
Nedous바카라 Hotel also assumes significance considering it hosted some of the towering personalities of yesteryears. It바카라s guest list includes the Last viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten and his wife Edwina and Maharajas of various Indian princely states, including Gwalior and Kolhapur.
The Nedous' have also hosted a top-level USSR delegation in 1955. The delegation was led by Nikolai Bulganin and Nikita Khrushchev, both of whom later became USSR premiers.
Late Congress leader Ahmed Patel was also in relation with Nedous. His son Faisal Patel was married to the daughter of the Nedou clan. Faisal바카라s wife from Kashmir later died.
During 바카라90s when the majority of Kashmiris felt 바카라betrayal바카라 at the hands of SM Abdullah, Nedous바카라 Srinagar hotel too faced the brunt of times. The heritage property housed CRPF barracks, while its Gulmarg hotel continued to remain operational.
Last year, the property was leased out to ITC Group, which had redesigned it for its grandiose launch again.