Updated On: 04 June, 2010 06:53 AM IST | | Fiona fernandez
What better time than now to escape the muggy predicament of our metros. We suggest you head Northward Mussorie to be exact. Author Ganesh Saili's nostalgic travelogue will make you fall in love with this quaint, colourful hill station
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What better time than now to escape the muggy predicament of our metros. We suggest you head Northward Mussorie to be exact. Author Ganesh Saili's nostalgic travelogue will make you fall in love with this quaint, colourful hill station
Travelogue
For a town named after the Mansur shrub (Coroiana nepalensis) that grows in these areas, Mussorie has come a long way. Mussorie enjoys the advantage of being on an outside spur of the lesser Himalayas, from where it looks down upon the plains, as one would upon an expansive map.
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| The Savoy Hotel |
With its town square, theatres, schools, spires and bungalows, Mussorie is the perfect colonial legacy that Ganesh Saili has effortlessly pieced together, sourcing tidbits and chronicles that created this town (along with its symbiotic twin, Landour).
The book showcases the colour, vibe and character from its heyday in the 19th and 20th century to its later years of decline.
Rich with Raj nostalgia, we would've been happier with sharper, vibrant photographs. But that shouldn't deter you from exploring interesting vignettes, gup and gossip, and experiences of an era gone by.
Mussorie's famous sons
Sir George Everest (1790-1866): India's first Surveyor General conducted the Survey of India. The world's highest peak, Mount Everest, is named after him. His biggest achievement remains the measurement of the meridional arc of India from Cape Comorin to the Himalayas.
Frederick E Wilson (1816-83): This English freebooter and entrepreneur was largely responsible for transforming the economy of the area. He is regarded as one of Mussorie's founding fathers. Shunned by his own countrymen for marrying an Indian, he was adored by the mountain folk and soon acquired the imperial title of Raja Pahari Wilson, when he minted his own coins!
General Frederick Young (1786-1874): Landour's founder came to the area as a 15 year-old cadet and was in service, without a break for 44 years. He left as the General. Apart, from his many contributions, he was instrumental in introducing potato farming in and around Mullingar, from Ireland.
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