Celebrated writer Ruskin Bond celebrates his 87 th Bday in Mussourie with his adopted family
To the world's best DAA inscribed over Blue T Shirt presented to illustrious author Ruskin Bond by his adopted grand children
Grand daughter feeding him with a piece of cake
A celebrated eminent writer rather a living legend having authored several books in addition to fifty books on children and recipient of prestigious Padma Shree and Padma Vibhushan awards apart from many other national and international recognitions, a Landour, Mussourie resident since 1963 alongwith his adopted family Ruskin Bond has celebrated his 87 th birthday on Wednesday in a simple way amid happiness and cheers with his adopted family looking quite jubilant wishing the writing stalwart good health and long life. Looking extremely jubilant hale and hearty at the age of 87 Ruskin Bond is quite active in social media as well being in regular touch with his ardent fans posting pictures of his daily routine n events, enjoying interactions.
VR it he has posted several pictures about his birthday celebrations with his adopted family cutting the cake and praying for healthy long life. The lush blue T Shirt presented to Ruskin Bond by his grand children read : To THE WORLD’S BEST DAA.
Ruskin Bond was born in 1934 in Kasauli, then in Punjab a prominent hill station now in Himachal Pradesh. His father and mother were of British origin with his mother divorcing when Ruskin was merely 8 years old in Dehradun n marrying to a Punjabi guy.
Ruskin was quite close to his father. His father taught English to the Jamnagar Princess in Kasauli and later joined Indian Airforce at the age of 39. Till six both brother n sisters live with the Princess.
But afterwords Ruskin,his mother n sister Allen were shifted to Dehradun. Ruskin was shifted to a boarding school Mussourie when he was 8 years old. His mother had then divorced n married a Punjabi guy. Subsequently Ruskin was shifted to Delhi. Morever being in Air Force, his father was also posted there. He later on studied at Bishop Cotton School in Simla, living in boarding. By the time his father expired due to Malaria. This was the greatest tragedy for Ruskin who was then raised by his mother and Punjabi Hindu step father. Emotional and having lost his most affectionate father Ruskin wrote his first ever short stories at the age of merely 16 in 1951 being a studious.
He won two awards as well at such a tender age namely Irvine Divinity Prize and Hailey Literature Prize.
Thereafter he went to UK Channels island in 1951 and pursued his higher education staying in London for two years. Brilliant student having due interest in writing he wrote a book titled ‘House on the Roof”,. It was about his own life, rather, a semi autobiographical book of the boy called Rusty. The book was so interesting and well read that in 1957 Ruskin at merely 19 years of age won the Llewellyn Rhys prize earning name n fame.
Thereafter he worked in a London studio n got his book published using the money he earned for his passage to Bombay n thereafter settled at Dehradun. He continued writing stories n poems in Delhi and Dehradun for magazines n earning money as a free lancer.
In his drawing room at Landour, Mussourie
He continued doing freelancing for newspapers and magazines at the age of twenty and in 1963 went to Mussourie which he loved the most. He edited a magazine for four years in Mussourie but his crest for writing stories never ended n when the publishing house Penguin was set up in Delhi, India, he requested them to give him an opportunity to write for them.
After getting the nod his first writing was in the form of a book titled “Vigrants in the Valley” in the year 1956 followed by his old work the, “Room on the “Roof”, published by PENGUIN in two volumes in 1993 winning him accolades all around.
Ruskin Bond with his jubilant adopted family
The Penguin publication was so impressed by Ruskin’s writings that it pleasingly published his best collection of stories titled “The best of Ruskin Bond”. His further supernatural fiction Such as Ghost stories “From the Raj n a Face in the Dark” and other hauntings were also published.
Thereafter he wrote more than five hundred stories including the popular blue Umbrella and entertaining fifty funny story books for children etc. His own autobiography was also read by his million of lovers and fans. His “Lamp is lit” and “Lone Fox dancing,” were also super hit novels.
A thorough gentleman n down to earth human being despite such a popular and respected writer Ruskin Bond wrote several column in established national dailies the one being Times of India. Some movies and TV shows on his scripted novels exhibited were : 7 khoon MAAF, The Blue Umbrella, The Black Cat, Junoon etc. Wishing the living legend a long life on his 87 th birthday
