Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
Generations of trust,
built since 1873.
Gaindamull Hemraj is a family business group rooted in Shimla, with interests in retail, real estate and hospitality.
About the group
One of Shimla's oldest
continuously run businesses.
What began as a single shop on the Mall has grown, generation by generation, into a group with three distinct arms. The thread running through all of it has never changed.
Our roots reach back to Nalagarh in 1795. In 1873 the family established Gainda Mull Hem Raj in Shimla, trading in provisions, confectionery and travelling goods. Retail remains the foundation. Real estate followed from knowing this land and how to build on it, and hospitality followed from a century and a half of looking after the people who come here.
We have never treated these as separate companies. Each grew out of a capability the previous generation had already built, and each is held to the same standard of reliability that put our name above a door in the first place.
Read our full story
Our businesses
Three businesses,
one group.
A focused portfolio built over a century and a half, spanning retail, property and hospitality across Shimla and Mashobra.
01
Retail
The original foundation of the family business and a continuing part of its identity.
Know more02
Real Estate
Property and development in a landscape the family has known and worked in for well over a century.
Know more03
Hospitality & Food
Hotels and cafes in Shimla and Mashobra, including Marigold Sarovar Portico and Cafe 1873.
Know moreRetail
Bringing the world
to Shimla.
Over generations we have continuously expanded the range of products and brands available to customers in Shimla. That has meant longstanding relationships with some of the largest businesses in the country, and equally, bringing imported goods and new brands to a market that had no other route to them.
We operate from the historic store on the Mall and from BCs in New Shimla.
Explore our retail presenceBrands we represent
Alongside many other national, international and emerging brands.
Hospitality
Creating places,
making memories.
A natural evolution of the family's relationship with Shimla and its visitors, now spanning a hotel in Mashobra and two cafes in the city.
Est. 2008
Marigold Sarovar Portico
Mashobra. Where our hospitality journey began, as Marigold Holiday Cottages.
Know moreEst. 2021
Cafe 1873, The Mall
A century and a half of heritage brought into a contemporary cafe on the Mall.
Know moreEst. 2025
Cafe 1873, The Ridge
Our second cafe, at one of Shimla's most recognisable landmarks.
Know moreLegacy
What we stand for.
Our legacy is not measured by the number of years we have been in business. It is reflected in the relationships we have built, the brands we have represented, the businesses we have created, and the trust passed from one generation to the next.
Our legacyLegacy is not something we inherit. It is something we continue to build.
Gaindamull Hemraj, since 1873Work with us
Business enquiries, brand associations, partnerships and careers. Write to us and the right person from the group will respond.