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The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page - St. Augustine
Life does give a second chance and this Shimla Book Cafe run by convicted criminals in picturesque Shimla confirms that.
For starters, I grew up in Shimla and have romanced the hills till I stepped out for my Masters. I have sweet memories of the capital of Himachal and always swore by the unassuming local population of my city. Beat this, the first murder that rocked the city was as recent as 1990’s. In fact, the larger population was unaware that we harbored a jail within the city in Kaithu. So little wonder then that this by and the large peaceful city has collectively given a second chance to its convicted prisoners.
Yes, an initiative by the Himachal government and tourism department has led to the new tourist attraction in Shimla - The Shimla Book Cafe run by the prisoners, right above the iconic Ridge. And this Monday we needed no more motivation than this.
The prisoners who have been trained by the city’s best hotel serve coffee and snacks to the visitors. The cafe also boasts of a beautiful collection of books to keep people engaged and coming back for more.
The cafe that opened in 2017, initially had some reluctant visitors but has soon become a hit with students and tourists. It has become a rage on the social media because not every day does a person serving life sentence get a chance to step out of the prison, interact with the public and serve the society.
Yes, a second chance might seem impossible under certain circumstances but as Oprah Winfrey once said - “If you are still breathing, you have a second chance.” So make sure when you visit Shimla, India you give a hot cup of coffee at the Shimla Book Cafe a second chance too.
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Comments (16)
Aditi Chib Posted on Jul 26, 2018
Wow,, nice cafe. Admire the work done by prisoners. Nice place for book lovers.
Jiya Posted on Jul 25, 2018
Such places inspire you. It is a nice initiative to give someone life back. I remember such one place where a cafe is run by acid attack victimes.
Humaira Posted on Jul 25, 2018
Amazing and beautiful post. Shimla is a best place to visit and enjoy. Shimla book Cafe is best for recreation activities. Great thoughts.
Ishieta Posted on Jul 25, 2018
What a lovely initiative. Indeed, everyone deserves a second chance and kudos to the hp government for doing this
Snigdha Prusti Posted on Jul 24, 2018
It is really a great initiative to bring positivity in prisioner\'s life..
Papri Ganguly Posted on Jul 24, 2018
This place seems like a heaven for book lovers.
Rakhi Parsai Posted on Jul 24, 2018
This is such a noble thing being done for the prisoners. It\'s a wonderful way of giving them an opportunity to lead a normal life. I would love to visit this place when I visit Shimla in the future. Wish I had known about this place when I had gone there a few years back.
Varsh Posted on Jul 24, 2018
Wonderful to know about this place. Getting prisoners back on their feet and with such a respectable job is appreciable. Good initiative!
Jhilmil D Saha Posted on Jul 24, 2018
Thats a very thoughtful idea to give the prisoners a new life and lead a respectable and honest life.
Mrinal Kiran Posted on Jul 24, 2018
I personally believe that punishment is just given so that a person changes! But our society doesn\'t accept them making them travel the same paths again! This is indeed a great initiative!
Jhilmil Bhansali Posted on Jul 24, 2018
Sounds a great initiative, this actually calls for a reform for these prisoners who can lead an honorable life. Having books in cafe is another wonderful initiative. Jhilmil (www.mommyinme.com)
Khadija Posted on Jul 24, 2018
Wow this sounds nonetheless than a movie story. I watched something similar in a movie where the criminals feel guilty and start over again. I would love to visit this place
Ruchi Verma Posted on Jul 24, 2018
This looks so cool ...must be a great place to relax
Rashmi - Ajisthsmomstyle Posted on Jul 24, 2018
Wow they are doing really good job. Need to visit Shimla book cafe. Thanks for info.
Prerna Sinha Posted on Jul 24, 2018
Shimla is such a nice place to visit. When I visit Shimla, I will definitely visit the cafe too!
Priyanka Patwari Posted on Jul 24, 2018
This cafe has given us the chance to connect to the world. The concept of reforming jail inmates might be less heard of in India but a book cafe in Shimla has taken a great initiative