Wooden craft

        In  British  period every article of the  use  of
European  officers  including  apparels  sweeing  needels
toliateries  linnon  and  furniture   was  imported  from
England and other European countries and there was a firm
styled "Army  and  Navy stores " having its showrooms  in
important  towns  of  the country, they used  to  publish
catalogues  of  latest arrivals and used to circulate  it
among European officers and personnels.

        In  village  Harunagla behind J.R.C Riffle  range
used to live  some carpenters who were famous in the area
as best carpenters  for  making  bullockcarts  and  fancy
Laharu, two of them while returning to their village from
Bareilly  city through the Riffle range found a page of a
catalogue  of  Army  and Navy stores  ,which  might  have
fallen from  the book of some European military  officer.
On this page  was  printed  a photograph  of  an  armless
dining chair,this  was  sometimes in 1860,the  carpenters
discussed  and  commented,   "Yeh   Hai  Sahab  Logen  ke
Baithney  ki chauki" on reaching village it was shown  to
other carpenters and decided to make chair of that design
,so both  of them made one chair each and brought them to
Bara Bazar  and  was purchased by one Khan  sahab  having
book binding shop adjustment to Jagat cinema gate and put
these on the patra for the customers to sit.

        This  was the time after the mutiny of 1857  when
European  soldiers  known  as tommey used  to  gallop  on
horses in  the  civilian area to create terror among  the
Indians so  that nothing like muting should reoccure,they
saw the chairs  and asked if these are for sale ,what was
the price .The price was told as Rs.3/- per chair against
purchase of Rs 1.50 per chair,chairs were sold.  The Khan
Sahab's then  named  Yakoob  Khan and Ayub khan  went  to
Harunagla   met   the  carpenter   and   started   making
furniture,this  was the starting of furniture industry in
bareilly .

        Immense profit was made by them and the purchased
the entire  property  of  the Jagat cinema and  made  the
cinema hall  as  this showroom some times later  the  two
brothers splite and Yakoob Khan got a showroom made in 50
civilians  with  a huge basement as workshop and a  large
Showroom  on  top this was lately converted into  Novelty
cinema in  1946-47  when  Yakoob  Khan  family  left  for
Pakistan  the  other  brother Ayoob Khan rented  a  Khoti
where Bareilly Eye Hospital is situated.

        In  1949  on  the  day  of  Holi  communal  riots
broakout  and then proprietor of Ayub Khan and sons  were
shot dead  by an in sane policeman the Chauraha is  still
known as Ayub Khan Chauraha .

        The next firm was established in 1911 by Lala Ram
Swaroop Sahib after his retirement from forest deptt.  as
Asst.Conservaitor  of forest under the name and style  of
M/s Shyam  Mohan  bros.  named after his son  Mr.   Shyam
Mohan.  The  Showroom was situated in the land opp.  Lala
Kashi Nath  seith  Jewellers Bara Bazar in 1932 the  firm
shifted to 90 civil lines under the able guidance of Lala
Ram swaroop  and hard labour of his son.  The firm earned
fame in the country and supplied furniture in whole north
India.  Including  U.P.,M.P.,Rajasthan and Bihar.The firm
is still  doing well under the name and style of M/s wood
decor in the same premises.

        During  the period of 1870-1950 more and more men
joined the  trade  of carpentry and shifted to  old  city
Bareilly  from  the  neighboring villages and  the  trade
developed  as cottage,industry, at present the only short
coming to  the  trade is excessive inter feriance by  the
forest deptt.   Instead  of conservating the  forest  and
stopping  theft  of  forest produce at  source  they  are
harassing  and  putting ban on saw mills and  other  wood
working machinery  if  this  is   handled  properly   the
industry  can  flourish more and we can competed  in  the
world market  rather  than foreigners bringing  readymade
furniture from outside and selling in India.