I have already publicly confessed to being wild about the
written word. Reading opens up new experiences and emotions, helps me understand the
world and my fellow humans better, and also inspires me to travel!
Books that tempt, coax, and induce me to visit the place they describe are what I like to think of as 'winged words'. For these words fly me to diverse destinations by building a desire so strong that only my physical presence in the place of choice will satisfy my yearning to explore it. Getting to know these places via the internet or books will not suffice, not any more! Every once in a while I hope to share my experience of new places in a travel-themed series of posts titled Winged Words which will be listed on Traveling Tales and dedicated to books that made me take steps into the world beyond my city.
Books that tempt, coax, and induce me to visit the place they describe are what I like to think of as 'winged words'. For these words fly me to diverse destinations by building a desire so strong that only my physical presence in the place of choice will satisfy my yearning to explore it. Getting to know these places via the internet or books will not suffice, not any more! Every once in a while I hope to share my experience of new places in a travel-themed series of posts titled Winged Words which will be listed on Traveling Tales and dedicated to books that made me take steps into the world beyond my city.
My first post in Winged Words takes us to my favorite home
in the hills, Landour.
I first came to know of Landour through Ruskin Bond’s
writing. Among his many books that share his love of mountains, is a slim volume ‘Landour Days’ which talks very fondly of this yet unspoilt sanctuary
for souls seeking solitude. A friend who had already been to Landour was in such raptures over the trip that the decision to explore this immune-to-time destination was sealed with purpose the very day we talked. It was time to see Landour!
Why should you go there?
Landour retains an old-world charm quite unlike Mussoorie
which is just a stone’s throw away in distance but eons away in offering
solitary splendour. Shielded from the madness of this crowded world, inspite of being a part of it, Landour lies sleeping under a spell that protects it from the assault of time. The long winding paths here are veiled in mist, protected by their seclusion, and if you truly wish they can take you to yesterday.
Named after a Welsh village ‘Llanddowror’ in southwest Wales, it is a charming cantonment town in Uttarakhand, India, at an altitude of 7000 ft. While many refrain from visiting Landour because there is nothing to ‘do’ there as they say, for those who just want to ‘be’, the peace and tranquility that embraces you while inhaling the crisp, cool, pine-scented air can gift you the memory of a lifetime.
Home to majestic deodars, many pine groves, and more famously the writing wizard Ruskin Bond, Landour has a quaint presence which leaves you longing for the past. Colonial-era churches, a 19th-century cemetery, and pretty brick and stone cottages peeping at you from under ivy enchant you with their shy magic such that once you spend time here, no other place will quite do.
Named after a Welsh village ‘Llanddowror’ in southwest Wales, it is a charming cantonment town in Uttarakhand, India, at an altitude of 7000 ft. While many refrain from visiting Landour because there is nothing to ‘do’ there as they say, for those who just want to ‘be’, the peace and tranquility that embraces you while inhaling the crisp, cool, pine-scented air can gift you the memory of a lifetime.
Home to majestic deodars, many pine groves, and more famously the writing wizard Ruskin Bond, Landour has a quaint presence which leaves you longing for the past. Colonial-era churches, a 19th-century cemetery, and pretty brick and stone cottages peeping at you from under ivy enchant you with their shy magic such that once you spend time here, no other place will quite do.
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| In the days of the Raj, Landour was a convalescent depot for the British troops. |
How will you get there?
- Take a train or flight to Dehradun. From Dehradun, hire a cab to Mussoorie (takes about 2 hours) or Landour depending on where you are staying for the trip. Buses also leave from Dehradun for Mussoorie every hour.
- Drive to Mussoorie from Delhi (takes about 7 hours). Landour is barely 5 kms away from Mussoorie.
What can you do there?
Must-do Things in Landour:
1. Eat your breakfast at Char Dukaan, a tiny cluster of shops, choosing between waffles, pancakes or even plain Maggi noodles if
that is what tempts you most.
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| Anil’s café has been around for more than 60 years and is known for its ginger-lemon-honey tea. |
2. Step inside the St. Paul’s church, consecrated in 1840. This is
where wild life conservationist Jim Corbett’s parents got married! It is just
adjacent to Char Dukaan.
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| St. Paul’s Church was originally the Landour Cantonment Post Office. |
3. Visit the 100 year old Landour Language School
where Hindi and Sanskrit are taught to people from across the world.
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| The Kellog’s Church premises accommodate the Landour Language School. |
4. Walk the Chakkar- a path that goes around the entire
mountain ridge in a loop. Starting from Char Dukan, it runs for about 2 km and
there are plenty of interesting sights on the way such as the Christian
cemetery, Lal Tibba, Kellog’s church, beautiful old estates, Sisters' bazaar and
more. Pristine paths pair with trees on one end and a sheer drop on the
other.
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| About 350 species of birds can be seen over the course of the year in Landour at various elevations. |
5. Ponder on the lives of those who once walked the same paths
and are now resting in the cemetery.
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| The graves go back to as early as 1830s. |
6. Buy delicious home-made jams and preserves from Prakash
Stores which has been tempting people with apple-mint, blueberry, apricot, and
other distinctly flavoured relishes since 1910.
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| To Sisters' Bazaar. India's first prime minister enjoyed jam and cheese sold by Prakash Stores. |
7. Eat your lunch at Doma’s inn, seated under vibrantly colored
Tibetan craft that hangs overhead and also finds a place on the walls.
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| Ruskin Bond’s residence Ivy Cottage is a part of the same building where Doma’s Inn is located. |
Books set in/about Landour
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| “May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.” ~Edward Abbey |
Do you hear the mountains calling?
Oh wow!This is my absolute favourite post among all the posts in your blog! I loved it! You words transported me back to the pristine environment of Landour again, on those winding mountain roads, below those tall pines, surrounded by those old, colonial cottages. I love the idea of travel tales titled "Winged Words" - amazingly it ties to your theme of words too! I really like how you have interspersed your post with actual photographs taken at the location by you; this brings the post alive in the readers' eyes. My eyes are now thirsting for more such travel tales from you!:)
ReplyDeleteOh, I miss Landour! And I thought this was one way to visit it often till I go there again:) A Toast to more interesting travel trips! Let's hope we get to do many more and see some really beautiful places.
DeleteI think this ties in first spot for my favourite post, along with your post on soulmates :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! I think I feel the same, I really liked writing both of the posts you have mentioned. But then again, reincarnation and Landour are both favorite topics and when I was writing on them, I was thinking from the heart:)
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