Mussoorie : A Beautiful Hill Town with a Fascinating History

Everyone loves to visit this picturesque hill station in northern India. Some people make it a point to come here every summer to enjoy its lovely weather during the months of May and June. It is about that time of the year again and people will soon begin arriving here in large numbers.

Ever since the hill station began attracting people in the late nineteenth century, millions of visitors have walked these roads and streets , gone around these little bazaars and been enraptured by the breathtaking views of the Himalayas, especially from Camel’s Back Road.

However, it is a matter of regret that most of the visitors come here and go away without knowing anything about this hill station’s glorious history. As the peak summer tourist season is now around the corner, the need for documenting and highlighting the glorious history of this nearly 200 years old hill town comes to the fore with greater force.

Even the fascinating story of the origin of the town is little known. A short hunting trip for an Irish Army Officer became a giant leap for history.In the early 19th century, lieutenant Young came to these hills for the sole purpose of bagging some game, peculiar to the hills. He was so enamoured of the surroundings that he decided to build a hunting lodge (shooting box) for his convenience.

The shooting box had been set up in 1823  by Young and FJ Shore, who was the Joint Magistrate of Doon, on the Camel's Back Road. This can be called the first construction in Mussoorie. In 1827 , the Company's Government established a convalescent depot for British soldiers at Landour.

After that, Young built his residence in Landour and named it “Mullingar” after the city of this name in his native Ireland. It still exists. Building after building, roads joining other roads, one civic facility following the other came to be installed in what must just be a couple of villages initially, but later on came to be called by the name of Mussoorie .

During the two centuries of its existence, Mussoorie has played host to millions of people from India and abroad. They all come, admire its beauty, enjoy its climate and go away, without sparing a thought for the lieutenant (later a General) who began building the town.

Young was one of those multi faceted personalities that East India Company kept producing from time to time. He combined a successful army career with excellence as  a civil administrator .

It is surprising that Mussoorie has not raised any special monument to Young's memory .The government has paid no attention to preserving the history of Mussoorie in the form of a city archive .Almost 166 years ago, in the month of May, an iconic figure-the last Maharaja of Punjab-first set foot in this hill station, which was then in a fledgeling stage and spent some days at the Castle Hill Estate in Landour.

The child-king was Maharaja Duleep Singh, son of the great Maharaja Ranjeet Singh.  The Maharaja reached Mussoorie in May 1852 after an incognito visit to Hardwar and a short stay in the Doon Valley. After the two Anglo-Sikh wars, thePunjab was ready for annexation by the British. Duleep Singh had to sign away his kingdom and wealth, including the famous Koh-i-noor diamond, to the Governor General of India, Lord Dalhousie. His mother was sent into exile and Duleep Singh was taken in hand by Dr John Login, a Presbyterian Army surgeon. Before he left for England, the Maharaja reached Mussoorie. He was kept at the Castle Hill Estate near Landour Bazaar in Mussoorie. He also came to Mussoorie in 1854 .His  days in Mussoorie came to an end on April 19, 1854 when he was deported to England where he lived in exile for the rest of his life.

There has been a longstanding demand that the government should make a Maharaja Duleep Singh Museum at Castle Hill which is now with the Survey of India . Visitors have no idea about  Mussoorie’s connection with this important chapter of  Indian history.

Mussoorie became the first home of the Dalai Lama in India in  the summer of 1959 .It was here that Nehru ji held several meetings with the Tibetan spiritual leader .It was here that Nehru ji ,as a young man, spent summer vacations with his father. There are several other important events that took place here. These need to  be highlighted and displayed conspicuously at a museum in the town.

Hopefully, the  creators of the museum at the new Landour Clock Tower will keep in mind these historic events and personalities.