Mussoorie: The Hills, The Hustle, Serenity And A Bond

Mussoorie provided me with memories for a lifetime, stoking further fire to explore this vast and incredible country. On this trip, I personally forged a deeper bond with the hills, as also with the legend Ruskin Bond.

Hill stations have a way of pulling you towards them. I had been to Mussoorie in Uttarakhand near Dehradun for work many years ago, but this time it was for relaxation and exploration. I was looking forward to experiencing two places – The Mall Road, a very hill station thing, and Landour, where the great writer Ruskin Bond lives.

After a quick late evening visit to Rishikesh, with a promise to come back before heading back for Mumbai, we reached Mussoorie the next afternoon after a night stay in Dehradun. The cab dropped us at the Mall Road.

After a while, we trekked all the way to Landour (actually we walked, but it seemed like a trek). Hill Stations in India now present a contrasting picture. The mountains and valleys are incredibly fascinating even now, but the commercialisation is a stark reminder of the price of ‘development’. Yet, the old-world charm and the majestic landscapes keep you hooked in a peculiar peaceful zone within, despite the cacophony of hectic activity serving you a reminder of the intrusion of the modern way of life.

Walking through Mall Road enroute to Landour made me notice the bustling nature of this iconic road. Food stalls, restaurants, rickshaw pullers, boutiques kept appearing with almost every step. The Mall Road at night is a fascinating sight of frenetic human activity.

As we began our walk towards Landour I shot my first video on Mall Road for my YouTube Channel. This afternoon though as we entered Landour Market, we came across the famous Cambridge Bookstore, where Ruskin Bond comes to sign books. In this bookstore, you can find some of his choicest works. It was incredibly fascinating for me to buy some of his books and shoot a small video for my YouTube channel before we left for Mumbai.

On this day though, reaching Landour just outside of Ruskin Bond’s house was a moment to cherish. Mussoorie is as known for hosting Ruskin Bond as it is for its enchantment. That simply explains the legend of the ninety-year-old writer. After shooting one more video outside Ruskin Bond’s home for posterity, we visited a couple of places and headed back to our hotel on Mall Road. We were tired, but highly fulfilled with the escapades for the day.

A highly contrasting place to the frenzied Mall Road is the Sainji Village near Mussoorie. This village, popularly referred to as the corn village, is magnificence personified, with the mountains standing tall like majestic guards to the simple rural folk. The corn village is as remote from the hustle and bustle of city life as you can imagine. The natural serenity is captivating and does not let you off. As willingly we had arrived at Sainji Village, our departure was with much greater reluctance. India is defined by its magnificent spirituality.

The hills and the holy rivers provide you with a natural disposition towards the Gods and metaphysical currents. As we departed from Mussoorie - after also having visited the iconic 150 years plus Mussoorie library on Mall Road, tasted Momos and some local cuisine - our next stop was Rishikesh, mainly to attend the legendary Ganga Aarti at Triveni Ghat. If the hills made us feel uplifting, the Ganga Aarti truly uplifted us. Besides, we soaked in the amazing vibrations at the Buddha Temples in Dehradun and near Mussoorie.

Landing back in Mumbai was a stark reminder of life’s realities and our rootless roots. I believe city life is ruthless because it is rootless. It lacks the grounding of belongingness to a village in the plains or the hills.

Mussoorie however provided us with memories for a lifetime, stoking further fire to explore this vast and incredible country. On this trip, I personally forged a deeper bond with the hills, as also with the legend Ruskin Bond.

(PS: Do check out videos of the visit on my YouTube Channel under the Playlist ‘Mussoorie Diaries’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-voAsyz8qEE&list=PLhrJiffp2rWueAc_fKe8xKS94LSpdP9x-)