Landour - Revision history

WikiDwarfBOT: Cleanup:

2023-07-22T01:12:50Z

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← Older revision		Revision as of 06:42, 22 July 2023
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	<!-- See [[~~Bharatpedia~~:WikiProject Indian cities]] for details -->{{Infobox settlement		<!-- See [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Indian cities]] for details -->{{Infobox settlement
	\| name = Landour		\| name = Landour
	\| native_name =		\| native_name =
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	Indeed, the events of 1857 led to a spurt in the European population of Mussoorie-Landour, with many families leaving the 'exposed' towns of the Gangetic Plain. Among the Britons who thus moved to Landour were the parents of [[Jim Corbett]]. Both had lost their spouses, and would meet and remarry in Landour (see below). His mother had moved from Meerut, where her first husband had been killed in action in 1857. Thousands of Europeans, mostly Britons, are buried in the twin towns. The Cantonment has adjacent Protestant and Catholic cemeteries, though due to overcrowding in the former, the latter has of late become non-denominational – they are managed by the same committee. In 1901, the town had a population of 1720, which climbed up to 3700 in the summers, when the heat of the Indian plains became unbearable.<ref name=ency>{{Cite EB1911 \|wstitle=Landour \|volume=16 \|page=162}}</ref>		Indeed, the events of 1857 led to a spurt in the European population of Mussoorie-Landour, with many families leaving the 'exposed' towns of the Gangetic Plain. Among the Britons who thus moved to Landour were the parents of [[Jim Corbett]]. Both had lost their spouses, and would meet and remarry in Landour (see below). His mother had moved from Meerut, where her first husband had been killed in action in 1857. Thousands of Europeans, mostly Britons, are buried in the twin towns. The Cantonment has adjacent Protestant and Catholic cemeteries, though due to overcrowding in the former, the latter has of late become non-denominational – they are managed by the same committee. In 1901, the town had a population of 1720, which climbed up to 3700 in the summers, when the heat of the Indian plains became unbearable.<ref name=ency>{{Cite EB1911 \|wstitle=Landour \|volume=16 \|page=162}}</ref>

	== Civic ~~Administration~~ ==		== Civic administration ==
	Since Landour is a cantonment town, it is administered by the [[cantonment board]] which is under the control of the Ministry of Defence. The Station Commander of the Cantonment is the ex-officio president of the board, and an officer an officer of the IDES or Defence Estates Organisation is the chief executive officer who is also the member-secretary of the board.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.dgde.gov.in/cantonments\|title=DGDE}}</ref> The President of Landour Cantonment Board is Brig. SN Singh while the CEO is Shri Abhishek Rathour, IDES.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.cblandour.org.in/administration/\|title=CBLandour}}</ref> Councillors, or representatives of citizens, are elected from 6 wards in Landour.<ref>{{Cite news\|url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/DoGLuiAOItRGcQysRAf47I/Landour-Uttarakhand--Writer-on-the-hill.html\|title=Landour, Uttarakhand {{!}} Writer on the hill}}</ref>		Since Landour is a cantonment town, it is administered by the [[cantonment board]] which is under the control of the Ministry of Defence. The Station Commander of the Cantonment is the ex-officio president of the board, and an officer an officer of the IDES or Defence Estates Organisation is the chief executive officer who is also the member-secretary of the board.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.dgde.gov.in/cantonments\|title=DGDE}}</ref> The President of Landour Cantonment Board is Brig. SN Singh while the CEO is Shri Abhishek Rathour, IDES.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.cblandour.org.in/administration/\|title=CBLandour}}</ref> Councillors, or representatives of citizens, are elected from 6 wards in Landour.<ref>{{Cite news\|url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/DoGLuiAOItRGcQysRAf47I/Landour-Uttarakhand--Writer-on-the-hill.html\|title=Landour, Uttarakhand {{!}} Writer on the hill}}</ref>

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	== Americana in the Himalaya ==		== Americana in the Himalaya ==
	Aside from the obvious British legacy, Landour has a thick vein of Americana too, with American missionaries having had a strong footing in the town since the 1830s, when the policy changes introduced by the English administrator [[Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay\|Lord Macaulay]] prompted the rapid growth of American missions across India, particularly those of the [[Presbyterian]] and [[Baptist]] churches. Generations of American [[missionary]] children (see [[Third Culture Kid]]s) were educated at Woodstock School and/or born in Landour (see [[John Birch (missionary)\|John Birch]], below). Of late,{{when\|date=May ~~2022~~}} their descendants have been deeming a ''dekko'' worthwhile. Nowadays, many young Americans on gap years or on exchange programs spend time learning Hindi at the popular [[Landour Language School]], which was founded in the late 19th century to teach newly arrived missionaries. Another durable reminder of the American connection is the ubiquitous Landour Community Cookbook (1st ''formal'' edition: 1938; informal stencil copies since c. 1900) though the Landour Community Center—once the locus of Anglo-American community life—is itself moribund. A half-dozen bakers in Landour still offer various breads, cookies/biscuits and cakes from 'The Cookbook', though with the rise of packaged foods and the departure of most missionaries, the bakeries are a pale shadow of their former selves. Landour was also one of the first places in India where an American classic such as [[peanut butter]] was made commercially; Plausibly, a number of houses in Landour have American (rather than British) names, among them ''Aloha, Hollywood'' and ''Roanoke''.		Aside from the obvious British legacy, Landour has a thick vein of Americana too, with American missionaries having had a strong footing in the town since the 1830s, when the policy changes introduced by the English administrator [[Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay\|Lord Macaulay]] prompted the rapid growth of American missions across India, particularly those of the [[Presbyterian]] and [[Baptist]] churches. Generations of American [[missionary]] children (see [[Third Culture Kid]]s) were educated at Woodstock School and/or born in Landour (see [[John Birch (missionary)\|John Birch]], below). Of late,{{when\|date=May 2019}} their descendants have been deeming a ''dekko'' worthwhile. Nowadays, many young Americans on gap years or on exchange programs spend time learning Hindi at the popular [[Landour Language School]], which was founded in the late 19th century to teach newly arrived missionaries. Another durable reminder of the American connection is the ubiquitous Landour Community Cookbook (1st ''formal'' edition: 1938; informal stencil copies since c. 1900) though the Landour Community Center—once the locus of Anglo-American community life—is itself moribund. A half-dozen bakers in Landour still offer various breads, cookies/biscuits and cakes from 'The Cookbook', though with the rise of packaged foods and the departure of most missionaries, the bakeries are a pale shadow of their former selves. Landour was also one of the first places in India where an American classic such as [[peanut butter]] was made commercially; Plausibly, a number of houses in Landour have American (rather than British) names, among them ''Aloha, Hollywood'' and ''Roanoke''.

	== Ecology and environment ==		== Ecology and environment ==
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	== Residents ==		== Residents ==
	[[File:Kellogg Memorial Church, Mussoorie.jpg\|right\|thumb\|Kellogg Memorial Church, Landour, built 1903.]]		[[File:Kellogg Memorial Church, Mussoorie.jpg\|right\|thumb\|Kellogg Memorial Church, Landour, built 1903.]]
	Landour also has an outsized presence on the cultural map of India, its most famous resident being the [[Anglo-Indian]] author [[Ruskin Bond]].<ref>[http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050423/asp/weekend/story_4623293.asp Haven in the hills] [[The Telegraph (Kolkata)\|The Telegraph]], Calcutta, 23 April 2005.</ref> Another thespian [[Tom Alter]], himself Landour-raised and a [[Woodstock School]] graduate, was a part-year resident, spending the remainder of his time in [[Bollywood]]. His cousin Stephen Alter, also a [[Woodstock School\|Woodstock]] alum and an "[[Indo-nostalgic]]" author, is often in town for long stretches . Stephen's father Rev. Bob Alter had been principal of [[Woodstock School\|Woodstock]] in the 1970s and 1980s. The media moguls [[Prannoy Roy]] and [[Radhika Roy]], founders of [[NDTV]], also maintain a second home in Landour. The Hindi film director [[Vishal Bhardwaj]] has a house in Landour and is the next door neighbour to Ruskin Bond. Another famous resident of this quaint town is the Indian actor [[Victor Banerjee]].<ref>{{cite web\|title=Walk the Talk with Vishal Bhardwaj\|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnwbrhJBcuU \|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/AnwbrhJBcuU \|archive-date=2021-12-21 \|url-status=live\|website=You Tube\|publisher=NDTV\|access-date=28 July ~~2022~~}}{{cbignore}}</ref>		Landour also has an outsized presence on the cultural map of India, its most famous resident being the [[Anglo-Indian]] author [[Ruskin Bond]].<ref>[https://archive.today/20120912162038/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050423/asp/weekend/story_4623293.asp Haven in the hills] [[The Telegraph (Kolkata)\|The Telegraph]], Calcutta, 23 April 2005.</ref> Another thespian [[Tom Alter]], himself Landour-raised and a [[Woodstock School]] graduate, was a part-year resident, spending the remainder of his time in [[Bollywood]]. His cousin Stephen Alter, also a [[Woodstock School\|Woodstock]] alum and an "[[Indo-nostalgic]]" author, is often in town for long stretches . Stephen's father Rev. Bob Alter had been principal of [[Woodstock School\|Woodstock]] in the 1970s and 1980s. The media moguls [[Prannoy Roy]] and [[Radhika Roy]], founders of [[NDTV]], also maintain a second home in Landour. The Hindi film director [[Vishal Bhardwaj]] has a house in Landour and is the next door neighbour to Ruskin Bond. Another famous resident of this quaint town is the Indian actor [[Victor Banerjee]].<ref>{{cite web\|title=Walk the Talk with Vishal Bhardwaj\|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnwbrhJBcuU \|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/AnwbrhJBcuU \|archive-date=2021-12-21 \|url-status=live\|website=You Tube\|publisher=NDTV\|access-date=28 July 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

	Landour was home in the 1850s and 1860s to the multi-talented [[John Lang (writer)\|John Lang]], seen as the "first Australian novelist". Lang's 1864 grave was rediscovered by Ruskin Bond in Camel's Back Cemetery in Mussoorie and was restored by the Australian High Commission in Delhi (which also has a bolthole nearby).		Landour was home in the 1850s and 1860s to the multi-talented [[John Lang (writer)\|John Lang]], seen as the "first Australian novelist". Lang's 1864 grave was rediscovered by Ruskin Bond in Camel's Back Cemetery in Mussoorie and was restored by the Australian High Commission in Delhi (which also has a bolthole nearby).
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	== References ==		== References ==
	~~{{commons category}}~~
	{{Reflist}}		{{Reflist}}

2.99.184.196: robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.

2022-10-23T18:30:21Z

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14.102.188.247: /* Early history */

2021-08-19T11:08:32Z

Early history

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:38, 19 August 2021
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	Among distinguished house guests at Mullingar in the early decades were [[Emily Eden]] (see below). Mullingar was expanded, changed hands several times and by the early 20th century had become the Mullingar Estate Hotel. During [[World War II]], Mullingar was leased by the army to house the overflow of convalescing soldiers from the sanatorium, given the huge increase in war-related injuries. The hotel was bursting at the seams, as a number of British civilian evacuees from Burma, the Andamans, Manipur & Nagaland, which were occupied by Japanese forces, were also housed in Mullingar before being shipped out elsewhere. Mullingar finally fell into disuse after 1947 when Britons began to leave India, with the army already having vacated it after the postwar [[demobilization]] of 1945–46. The building soon fell into disrepair, occupied largely if not entirely by squatters (see below). A number of the families now living in Mullingar are [[Tibetan people\|Tibetan]]. Prayer flags flutter in the wind every day, and [[Losar]] celebrations are held in the courtyard every year.		Among distinguished house guests at Mullingar in the early decades were [[Emily Eden]] (see below). Mullingar was expanded, changed hands several times and by the early 20th century had become the Mullingar Estate Hotel. During [[World War II]], Mullingar was leased by the army to house the overflow of convalescing soldiers from the sanatorium, given the huge increase in war-related injuries. The hotel was bursting at the seams, as a number of British civilian evacuees from Burma, the Andamans, Manipur & Nagaland, which were occupied by Japanese forces, were also housed in Mullingar before being shipped out elsewhere. Mullingar finally fell into disuse after 1947 when Britons began to leave India, with the army already having vacated it after the postwar [[demobilization]] of 1945–46. The building soon fell into disrepair, occupied largely if not entirely by squatters (see below). A number of the families now living in Mullingar are [[Tibetan people\|Tibetan]]. Prayer flags flutter in the wind every day, and [[Losar]] celebrations are held in the courtyard every year.

	The legal distinction between Mussoorie and Landour did not arise until the 1860s, when after the historic events of 1857 cantonments were properly surveyed and formalized. In particular, control of the ridge-lines and water sources was crucial, given rising British anxieties over their grip on India. The defensibility of garrisons was critical, especially in hill stations with large European populations. The [[Cantonments Act of 1924]] further clarified the rights of the property owners; new construction of any kind, especially of private homes, was virtually banned. Conservation was also a key goal, given the excesses of the 19th century (see below); the Act clearly states that title to all trees remains with the army, hence there has been no logging in Landour since in over a century, as can be seen. By definition, all non-military and non-governmental buildings built after 1924 are 'illegal'. Therefore, there are few 'modern' homes in Landour, though renovations and reconstruction of pre-existing houses are permitted. Thanks to the 1924 Act, Landour Cantonment is—unlike Landour Bazaar—largely free of the ~~crass~~ commercialization that ~~has scarred~~ much of Mussoorie proper, especially along the 'main drag' of Mall Road where ~~budget~~ tourists throng in the summer~~. (Proximity to [[Delhi]], [[Chandigarh]] and [[Ambala]] is both a blessing and a curse)~~.		The legal distinction between Mussoorie and Landour did not arise until the 1860s, when after the historic events of 1857 cantonments were properly surveyed and formalized. In particular, control of the ridge-lines and water sources was crucial, given rising British anxieties over their grip on India. The defensibility of garrisons was critical, especially in hill stations with large European populations. The [[Cantonments Act of 1924]] further clarified the rights of the property owners; new construction of any kind, especially of private homes, was virtually banned. Conservation was also a key goal, given the excesses of the 19th century (see below); the Act clearly states that title to all trees remains with the army, hence there has been no logging in Landour since in over a century, as can be seen. By definition, all non-military and non-governmental buildings built after 1924 are 'illegal'. Therefore, there are few 'modern' homes in Landour, though renovations and reconstruction of pre-existing houses are permitted. Thanks to the 1924 Act, Landour Cantonment is—unlike Landour Bazaar—largely free of the commercialization that can be seen in much of Mussoorie proper, especially along the 'main drag' of Mall Road where tourists throng in the summer.

	Racially, Landour was distinctly more European than Mussoorie. It was no accident. First, the army presence (albeit non-regimental) offered an excuse to 'keep out' Indians. Second, [[Maharaja]]s were encouraged to build grand summer homes, but were directed towards Mussoorie. Among them were the ruling families of Kapurthala, Nabha, Alwar, Jind, Baroda, Kasmanda, Katesar, Kuchesar and other [[princely states]]. And this despite Maharajas being hand-in-glove with the Raj in terms of ruling the Indian masses; the former, who remained nominally 'autonomous', legitimized the rule of the latter. Tellingly, ''not a single'' princely residence was ''ever'' built in Landour. (The only 'exception' was The Castle, see below, but it was built by the British as a quasi-prison). Even the ruling family of [[Tehri-Garhwal]] (from whom the region was seized by the British) had no residence in Landour, though the family later did acquire some properties from Britons who sold out. These racial barriers, while quite real were more informal than formal; they began to weaken after World War I as the Indian freedom movement gained steam. The author [[Emily Eden]], sister of the [[Governor-General]] [[Lord Auckland]], wrote incisively about the biting racism of Britons towards all Indians (except Maharajas, whose over-the-top hospitality they craved), after spending much time in Landour, Shimla and Ooty in the late 1830s. Many [[Anglo-Indian]] families also put down roots in Landour, and in Barlowganj just below Mussoorie, in the 19th century. They were attracted in part by the schools, and by the sense of 'otherness' versus quotidian India. A handful remain, most having emigrated after 1947, but the few who remain (most are in their golden years) are treasure troves of local lore.		Racially, Landour was distinctly more European than Mussoorie. It was no accident. First, the army presence (albeit non-regimental) offered an excuse to 'keep out' Indians. Second, [[Maharaja]]s were encouraged to build grand summer homes, but were directed towards Mussoorie. Among them were the ruling families of Kapurthala, Nabha, Alwar, Jind, Baroda, Kasmanda, Katesar, Kuchesar and other [[princely states]]. And this despite Maharajas being hand-in-glove with the Raj in terms of ruling the Indian masses; the former, who remained nominally 'autonomous', legitimized the rule of the latter. Tellingly, ''not a single'' princely residence was ''ever'' built in Landour. (The only 'exception' was The Castle, see below, but it was built by the British as a quasi-prison). Even the ruling family of [[Tehri-Garhwal]] (from whom the region was seized by the British) had no residence in Landour, though the family later did acquire some properties from Britons who sold out. These racial barriers, while quite real were more informal than formal; they began to weaken after World War I as the Indian freedom movement gained steam. The author [[Emily Eden]], sister of the [[Governor-General]] [[Lord Auckland]], wrote incisively about the biting racism of Britons towards all Indians (except Maharajas, whose over-the-top hospitality they craved), after spending much time in Landour, Shimla and Ooty in the late 1830s. Many [[Anglo-Indian]] families also put down roots in Landour, and in Barlowganj just below Mussoorie, in the 19th century. They were attracted in part by the schools, and by the sense of 'otherness' versus quotidian India. A handful remain, most having emigrated after 1947, but the few who remain (most are in their golden years) are treasure troves of local lore.

>XXOzzyOsbourneXx: Fixed typo

2021-05-19T14:27:08Z

Fixed typo

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