Shelters Across Time

A quiet morning in a modest hotel room opens into a wider meditation on the history of human rest—from ancient Sarais and village inns to today’s hospitality structures. This piece reflects on how shelters, in every age, reveal civilisation’s growth, human ingenuity, and our universal need for safety, comfort, and thoughtful design.

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Morning sunlight filters softly through the north-facing window’s frosted glass.
From the bed, one open shutter reveals a peaceful, narrowing slit of sky.

The room is small—about nine feet square—with an attached toilet-bath neatly inside.
A cushioned double bed, ceiling-high cupboard, false ceiling, and split AC make it cosy.
Lights, a fan, two side tables, two chairs, and a mirror complete the compact space.
Its flush door opens quietly into a narrow corridor of this likely G+4 building.

This hotel stands on Railway Road or General Hospital Road in Mahendergarh town.
Below, the ground floor hosts a bank, an ATM, and a first-floor restaurant.
Upper floors contain narrow rooms leading gradually toward nearby residential areas.
Mahendergarh is quiet, filled mostly with two–three storied, low-rise family homes.

D.N. Katewa, EE of CU Rajasthan, stayed here during several official visits earlier.
M.L. Jain, AE, mentioned staying in this same Room 206 a few weeks ago.
The interiors are tiled up to the ceiling—narrow, yet arranged with elegant precision.
Design within tight limits reflects the thoughtful care of capable designers.

Sitting in this small room makes me think about shelters across time.
Architects and designers create marvels when space is limited, but vision remains clear.
Good utilisation brings comfort, and aesthetic interiors naturally satisfy travelling guests.
Hotels offer richer specifications, matching conveniences with visitors’ paying capacities.

Every hotel carries its own identity through façade, layout, and interior movement.
Entrances, receptions, galleries, and toilets appear grand to encourage repeat stays.
Courteous staff and timely service shape how warmly travellers recall the place.
Food and cuisine remain central, since many step out mainly seeking taste.

Thinking of this room takes my mind to older resting places of India.
Earlier, such stops were called taverns or Sarai, essential during long journeys.
Travellers found rest, safety for belongings, and relief after exhausting travel.
They paid for boarding, meals, and small recreations arranged thoughtfully by innkeepers.

The “Bhatiyari”—the woman managing such inns—remains alive in old folklore.
Rest houses became famous for countless reasons, remembered in stories and tales.
Dharamshalas and Piyaus were built by kings or Seths to help weary travellers.
Some offered free shelter, sometimes giving meals along with resting places.

Ashoka planted trees and dug wells along major routes for public comfort.
Kings’ men guarded the roads so travellers could move safely through regions.
Journeys were mostly on foot, by animals, or by slow-moving wooden chariots.
Even royalty travelled with difficulty compared to today’s swift convenience.

Ancient paths were kutcha, passing through thick jungles where fields yet awaited clearing.
Agriculture was limited, as cutting dense forests demanded immense effort.
Wild animals and dacoits made night travel unsafe, so early halts were planned.
Kings travelled with troops, stopping at secure and suitable places for rest.

Deep-jungle taverns were rare; most stood near villages where help was available.
Food, water, and supplies could be quickly reached from nearby settlements and helpers.
Travellers rested, soothed their bodies, and sometimes obtained medicines if needed.
Distances were long, and reliable water or food remained uncertain always.

With a sparse population, travellers often lost direction along unfamiliar jungle routes.
There were no signboards, and rough paths turned dangerous and confusing easily.
Even slight delays could mislead travellers completely into unknown areas.
Many suffered illness, injuries, or attacks—long journeys demanded courage.

Civilisation grew slowly, and knowing this deepens respect for those early movements.
Strong communities cleared forests, opening land for early agricultural development.
Houses were modest, though landlords lived comfortably in nature-rich surroundings.
Superstitions prevailed, yet human interaction continued among scattered settlements.

Such resting stations across ages helped shape civilisation’s expanding pattern.
Today, with increased movement, these facilities grow even more essential.
Roadsides now hold restaurants, motels, and hotels in various sizes and forms.
Each tries to meet customer needs, providing clean and reliable accommodation.

I have visited many such facilities, though coming from a modest background.
For work or necessity, I have stayed in Delhi and several other places.
CPWD has created guest houses in many Indian cities for government visitors.
They include rooms, dining areas, and courtyards for departmental travellers.

The government builds Holiday Homes for officials travelling officially or casually.
Private accommodation remains costly and beyond reach for average families.
Publicised facilities help travellers plan journeys confidently and economically.
Major cities, historical towns, and picnic places host more of these options.

Departments maintain guest houses for their visiting officers requiring a short stay.
Affordability, easy approach, and time-saving remain their primary objectives.
Staying with colleagues brings a warm “we-feeling” and natural comfort.
Inter-department interactions occur, but among our own, we feel more at home.

Meanwhile, the hospitality sector produces many hotel management graduates yearly.
Diploma and degree holders join hotels as chefs, managers, or service staff.
Room service, housekeeping, and cleaning form essential layers of functioning.
Water, electricity, lifts, and sanitation ensure smooth building operations daily.

Hotels receive 5-star, 4-star, or 3-star grades based on the conveniences provided.
Even small hotels maintain modest standards to attract returning customers.
Roadside dhabas serve hearty, simple meals to travellers seeking economy.
Footpath vendors also offer food, used by people according to their means.

Sometimes I feel drawn to understanding such subjects more deeply and contextually.
Every facility carries unique features, and knowing them widens my inner horizons.
As a civil engineer building houses, offices, and various structures, I observe.
Good concepts must be adopted wherever useful; thoughtful seeing opens new fields.

 

Pawan Kumar,

19th November, 2025, Wednesday, 9.31 A.M., Brahmpur (Odisha) 

15 October 2016, Saturday, 7:17 AM, Sakshi Hotel, Room No. 206, Mahendergarh (Haryana)

 

About the Writer

The writer is a reflective observer of everyday life, deeply attentive to history, human effort, and the quiet workings of civilisation. His writing blends clarity with depth, connecting present experiences to larger cultural and historical patterns. With a civil engineer’s eye and a humanist’s heart, he explores how ordinary spaces reveal the stories, journeys, and toils that shape our world.