Heading To Shimla? You Have To Make A Pit-Stop At This Café Run By Inmates

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If you’re ever travelling to Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, make sure you stop by for a warm cuppa or some books at the super cool Book Café. What’s different? It’s run by prisoners who are currently serving a sentence at the Shimla jail!

Jail-House Rock!

Ram Lal, Jai Chand, Raj Kumar and Yograj are still serving a jail sentence at the prison in Shimla but during the day, they venture out and serve some yummy nibbles with coffee or tea and books you can read while you enjoy the fantastic view and Shimla weather. This really awesome initiative is taken up by the state tourism department in an effort to rehabilitate inmates and give them a chance to be productive in society.

Read, Sip, Eat, Explore

The café serves some delicious pizzas and cookies which are made by the inmates themselves. They have been taught to cook and serve by professional and they do it like a pro too! Apart from baked goods, the café also has a lot of history and travel books on Shimla and they sell some hand woven woolen shawls too. Talk about variety and good deeds!

The café runs from 10am to 9pm {after which the inmates go back to their cells} and it’s located at the beginning of the mall road, on the ridge, overlooking the lush green Shimla mountains! Oh and they have free Wi-Fi.

So We’re Saying…

We believe everyone has a good side to them and these guys are taking it a notch higher {ironically} with their excellent service to humankind through a second chance. More than that we’ve been  assured it’s a safe and secure place, plus you’ll be helping them get back on their feet and make an honest living once they have served their time!

Next time you find yourself in Shimla, go eat some pizzas and have a word or two with these guys for sure.