As the peak summer tourist season begins in this hill station, the need for documenting and highlighting the glorious history of this nearly 200 years old town comes to the fore with greater force.
It is really a pity that for so many decades, millions of tourists have come and stayed here, looking at Mussoorie as a hill station where they can enjoy a salubrious climate during the summers and can get away from the routine of their city life.
Very few of them can ever get an idea of the many historic events and personalities that are associated with Mussoorie.
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, lt 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.
lt Young then suggested to his superiors in the army and civil establishment to build a convalescent home for the tired and sick army personnel in the salubrious environment of these hills. 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 161 years ago, in the month of May, an event happened in Mussoorie which is deeply connected with the country’s history. 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 none other that Maharaja Duleep Singh, son of the great Maharaja Ranjeet Singh. His is a tragic tale which has been handed down from one generation to the next by the people of Mussoorie who are proud of the hill town’s relationship with the life of the last kind of Punjab. The Maharaja reached Mussoorie in May 1852 after an incognito visit to Haridwar and a short stay in the Doon Valley. After the two Anglo-Sikh wars, the Punjab 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 to 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 should be highlighted and displayed conspicuously at a museum in the town.