Ruskin Bond: Reflections from the Writer on the Hill
13 March 2024
Words By Ruskin Bond . Illustration by toshi singh
Of course, I’ve written about mountains for the better part of my writing life, and I still do because they have everything there: trees, rivers, forests, birds, animals, little villages, and simple people living in them. I’ve never run out of ideas or people to write about. The mountains have brought me closer to nature, and I think that both, along with all that goes on with them, have had the most influence on my work.
I’ve lived with mountains and on mountains for the better part of my life…my school days in Shimla, and the last fifty years or so up here in Mussoorie. I know the hill stations of India pretty well, too. And once you’ve lived with mountains or lived in the mountains, no matter how often you go away, you will always want to come back. There is something about mountains and about the air; maybe it is the height or just their magnificence and solitude that gets to your heart and traps you in a way. Whenever I’ve gone away, it’s only been for short periods, because I’m always longing to come back.
Not many people – not many writers, have actually written about the mountains. When you look back, so many great writers have written about the sea – Conrad, Stevenson, Melville, and others – but about the mountains and mountain life, very few. Maybe because not so many have lived in them for long periods, that is, and they’re remote, and people who live in these remote areas also don’t have much access to books and writing.
So, the mountains have remained a part of me. But I’d like to feel I’ve become a very small part of them and that I can convey something of their beauty and magnificence to the reader, and I hope to continue doing so.
[This heartwarming note is faithfully drawn from Ruskin’s words in a special video created for “The Mountain Connection” issue, in which he generously shares his love for mountains.]
Reminiscences with Ruskin
by
Siddharth Bond
In the scenic backdrop of Mussoorie, among whispering pines and grand mountains, my family’s legacy thrives, intertwined with a profound love for nature and literature. Transitioning from a Bollywood designer to a motorcycling enthusiast, my journey back to Mussoorie has been a reawakening to my true self and our heritage. As the grandson of Ruskin Bond, my childhood was enveloped in his literary world and the charm of the Himalayas, yet I found my path in the thrill of adventure and the outdoors.
Despite growing up under the influence of my grandfather’s literary acclaim, I sought a distinct direction for myself. The call of the mountains, answered on my motorcycle, guided me back to my roots. Riding through Mussoorie’s winding roads, each twist and turn has been a step towards rediscovering the essence of my family’s legacy and the profound connection to nature instilled by my grandfather.
In this tranquillity, surrounded by the Himalayan panorama, I find solace and a deeper appreciation for life’s simple joys—echoed in the narratives and wisdom of Ruskin Bond. Our shared reverence for the Himalayas and the stories that emanate from them continue to shape our legacy.
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We are grateful to Siddharth Bond, who brought us (facilitated) the inspiring words of love and wisdom from his much loved and illustrious grandfather, Ruskin Bond.
Ruskin Bond
Ruskin Bond is known for his signature simplistic and witty writing style. He is the author of several best-selling short stories, novellas, collections, essays and children's books; and has contributed a number of poems and articles to various anthologies and magazines. At the age of twenty-three, he won the prestigious John Llewellyn Rhys prize for his first novel, the Room on the Roof. He also received the Padma Shri in 1999, Lifetime Achievement Award from the Delhi government in 2012 and the Padma Bhushan in 2014. Born in 1934, Ruskin Bond grew up in Jamnagar, Shimla, New Delhi and Dehradun. Apart from three years in the UK, he has spent all his life in India, and now lives in Landour, Mussoorie, with his adopted family.
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