Mussoorie, the “Queen of the Hills,” is one of India’s most popular hill stations. Perched in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand 6,600 feet above sea level, this town is also synonymous with Ruskin Bond.
Located 35 kilometres from Dehradun, this picturesque hill town offers a unique blend of scenic beauty and old colonial-era charm. Cool weather, rolling green hills, and serene landscapes have made it an ideal destination for nature lovers.
Mussoorie got its name from the local shrubs called “Mansoor.” After the British took control of the town in the first quarter of the nineteenth century, the town developed rapidly and it soon became a major settlement of the homesick British people, away from the heat and dust of the plains. They gradually built the town based on their requirements.
Many colonial buildings — from churches to offices and private residences — still stand today in the town, which has a distinct aura with a thriving club life reminiscent of the days of the British Raj.
Mussoorie also has a long history of brewing. India’s first brewery, “The Old Brewery,” was established by Sir Henry Bohle here in 1832.
While it was never the official summer capital of the British like Shimla, Mussoorie’s unique charm and tradition of romance have surely made it the honeymoon capital of India!
While the town attracts a large number of tourists for its many pretty sights, it has numerous deep connections with literature that attract a different type of visitors.
Agatha Christie wrote her first novel based on an incident that took place in Mussourie. A real-life murder of an Englishwoman at the Savoy Hotel Mussoorie in 1911 inspired “The Mysterious Affair at Styles,” Christie’s first novel, which introduced the iconic detective Hercule Poirot.
The deeper, and certainly more popular, literary aspect of this town is its most famous current resident, Ruskin Bond.
Ruskin Bond, best known from his writings for children, was born in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh in 1934 and grew up in Jamnagar, Dehradun, New Delhi and Shimla. In 1963, he moved to Mussoorie and eventually made it his permanent home. He lives in the quiet hills of Landour, a small cantonment town above Mussoorie. The Ivy Cottage, where Bond stays with his adopted family, has become a landmark in Landour as people often go there hoping to meet their favourite author.
Bond is known for his simple and heartwarming stories and Mussoorie has served as the setting for many of his works. The hills, nature, and the local people of Mussoorie have been a constant source of inspiration for him.
Many of his characters are based on the real-life people he meets in Mussoorie — shopkeepers, postmen, schoolchildren, and now and then, even a ghost! His connection with the town runs deep, and it shows in his work.
In his autobiographical work “Rain in the Mountains,” Bond reflects on his life in Mussoorie, describing it as a place where “the air is pure, the people friendly, and the pace of life relaxed.”
Bond’s connection to Mussoorie, however, goes beyond his books. He is a cultural icon and the town’s most recognized face, especially in Landour. Bond has given Mussoorie a unique literary identity — as a place of stories, nostalgia, and quiet reflection. His version of Mussoorie is filled with misty mornings, local characters, and old-world charm, that has always inspired and influenced locals and tourists alike.
He likes to visit the Cambridge Book Depot, a quaint bookshop on Mall Road, where he occasionally shows up for book signings. The bookstore, which usually stocks autographed books of his, is popular with fans.
Bond’s deep affection for Mussoorie has turned the place into more than just a backdrop — it has become a living, breathing character in his work.
“It is always the same with mountains. Once you have lived with them for any length of time, you belong to them. There is no escape,” he says. Mussoorie has become a part of him, just as he is now a part of it — in heart, in home, and in every story he tells.
[Mussoorie picture from Pixabay]
