Landour – Roots and Bones

I am a mountain child, born and brought up in the Dehradun, the cravings for Pine and Eucalyptus pollen-ridden air comes naturally to me. This innate yearning for the hills has an involuntary control on me, which has led to some amazing experiences, all of which are here. A recent trip to Landour, one of the densest Deodar forest mountain range closest to my hometown – Dehradun, unfurled the Pandora of memories.

A small town located approximately 35kms from the city of Dehradun. Mussoorie is the queen of hills but its Landour that works its magic on me. Landour draws its name from a little Welsh town – Llanddowror.

It’s a very small cantonment settlement which boasts of Ruskin Bond as one of its most famous inhabitants. Landour comes under the Cantonment Accounts Code 1924, Cantonments Act 2006 and the Byelaws Rules made there under them, which has saved the area from rampant deforestation.

This small hamlet – Landour, stirs a lot of nostalgia – it makes me miss the Life that is left behind

I miss the smell of Pine and Eucalyptus in the air, the smell of fresh rains…

I miss the miles we used to walk up to Circuit house for the one rupee namkeen/biscuits/candies, “Ija” used to offer us as a bribe just so we accompany her on the evening strolls.

I miss the sprawling open plains where we skinned our knees

I miss the sparkling Clearwater streams gushing through the backyard

I miss climbing up to the terrace to watch Mussorie sparkle in the night

I miss lying on open grass fields, trying to stare down the sun, the presence of the towering Pine trees over

I miss walking back home in the presence of the towering Pine trees

I miss buying the new Pilot pens from the nearest Stationary

I miss the smell of new books and wrapping them in the customary brown sheets

I miss not knowing that one day we would uproot the very same trees that bore witness to our long lost innocence, the ones that offered “Ija” a place to put her Charpai and weave the warmest knitwear, and how in those threads, she intertwined the stories of Karna, Eklavya, Shravan…

Landour

Visit the St. Paul’s church in Landour. Adorned by some magnificently painted glasses on the walls and the ceiling.

Most of the homes in Landour bear the colonial architectural style

View the might Garhwal Himalayas from Deodar Woods, a quaint cafe in Landour, now famous as the home of Ajay Devgan’s character in the movie Shivay.

Walk down the cemented lanes lined by Cedrus deodara trees

Corn served hot 

A chill in the fresh as a mint air, soul stirring calmness and a scrumptious boiled corn with chat masala, ahh Life.

Watch your steps, the monkeys in Landour are infamous for ganging up and sneaking in

I have climbed mountains to witness the sun kiss the horizon, Landour certainly ranks amongst the best theatricals displayed by the Sun

Speechless

Mesmerising 

Himalayan range at its awe inspiring best

Do visit this tiny hamlet tucked away in the deodar jungles, after all

All you touch and all you see 
Is all your life will ever be