Dehradun: Tourists come to visit Mussoorie, the queen of hills, in every season. There are many tourist places here, which were developed during the British rule. There is a place in Mussoorie, which is named after a village in Britain. The name of this place is Landour, which you might have heard mentioned in Ruskin Bond’s story. This is also the house of Ruskin Bond. It was named after Landorer, a village in Great Britain.
Mussoorie, always the ‘Queen of Hills’, is a dream destination in itself, but if you go a little above Mussoorie, there is a corner away from the noise, where the pace of time slows down and the fragrance of cedar trees mingles in the air. The place is not only known for its picturesque beauty, but it was named after Llandovery, a remote village in Great Britain, giving it a unique colonial heritage.
How did this village get its name?
Professor Anju of the History Department of DAV PG College, Dehradun, says that the history of Landour is related to the military cantonment of the British government. He told that in the 1820s, this place was developed as a sanatorium (for treatment) for the soldiers and officers of the British Indian Army, as the initial residents here were soldiers of Welsh origin. Showing love for his birthplace, he named this place after Landorr, a village situated in Wales, which later became ‘Landhor’ in the local pronunciation.
restrictions on movement
Even today, Landour remains untouched by the commercial glamor of Mussoorie due to its Cantonment Board. Although tourists visit many of its famous places like Char Dukan, Lal Tibba etc., there is still a restriction on movement in the Cantt area. The slow pace, old wooden cottages and Gothic-style churches here will take you straight to 19th century British India.
The permanent residence of the famous English language writer Ruskin Bond is in Landour, which he calls this place in Mussoorie as “his home on the mountain”. Landour is not just his address, but is also the source of inspiration for many of his stories and novels. People who read his books are fond of roaming on the roads and valleys here to see those stories alive.
Captain Young was the first to build the building
In the year 1825, Captain Young, the commandant of the British Gurkha battalion who developed Mussoorie, built the first building here. Today no one can build a house there, because new construction would be considered illegal. This is the reason why an outsider can only roam here, not live. Landour, the serene hill station of Mussoorie, is not just a tourist spot, but it is a place that gives a pleasant experience, where nature, history and literature come together to create a captivating canvas. If you are coming to Mussoorie, the queen of hills, then do not forget to see this British-Indian story hidden among the narrow streets and cedar trees of Landour.
