THE RICKETY GATE ... ( Painting & Blog by Neha Bisht )/ LANSDOWNE, INDIA - A Quaint Town in Himalayan Foothills Where Time Stands Still... My home !

THE RICKETY GATE by Neha Bisht / Oil on canvas / Impressionism

There are only two towns named Lansdowne in the world. And both are in UK . 😊

The original and the older Lansdowne is in United Kingdom (UK).

The other Lansdowne is in UttaraKhand (UK) , India.

My bungalow in the Himalayan Foothills is in Lansdowne, India. The painting above is of the old rickety wooden gate of my Bungalow, nestled in the Oak and Pine forest.

Lansdowne in India was established by the Britishers as an Army Cantonment. Today it is the Headquarters of the Garhwal Regiment.

The army has maintained the place beautifully, with all its colonial charm and architecture.
Nature is benevolent. The snow capped Himalayas form a beautiful parallel white line along with the town.

Oak, Pine , Spruce and Fig form the main tree cover of Lansdowne.

I will write about the town in my subsequent posts.

Today I introduce my bungalow and the unique story of the bungalows of Lansdowne, India to you.

My bungalow is a 300 year old British Bungalow, still standing tall. It even has a rose vine growing for past 300 years, planted by the British. And it still flowers :)

Most of the British Bungalows belong to the army now. However, 10 to 12 bungalows are with private owners. This is my uncle’s bungalow. And we lived here for almost 7 odd years. My doggie babies were born here.

But work made us move to Delhi permanently.

In the year 2016 we relocated to Delhi. This bungalow is a beautiful space in my soul and I miss it so much. A lot of my art inspiration comes from here.

We do go their sometimes. But not too frequently now.

The bungalows of Lansdowne, UK, India, have a unique history.

There was absolutely NO conflict in this peaceful hill town, between Britishers and Locals.

The British were very much loved and revered. The British brought amenities and facilities of post and telegraph, roads, education, bakery :) etc to this region. There was much love and respect between the locals and the British.

However, when conflicts in the rest of India began and the British were recalled to England, the British officers from Lansdowne too left for their homeland.

They did not want to go, but had no choice. Hence they handed their bungalows in safekeeping to their local friends and caretakers. Thinking that they will return someday. But they never could.

It is interesting that the bungalows are still known by the name of their original residents.

Our Bungalow is Maxwell Bungalow, named after Colonel Maxwell . Our neighbours were Simkin Bungalow.

And there are many sweet ghost stories in the air, that float in Lansdowne, in the memory of the British residents of these beautiful bungalows.

Colonel Simkin often visits his Simkin Bungalow. Hence a tiny window pane in the dining room of Simkin Bungalow can never be repaired ! 😊

Lady Taylor is sometimes seen at night near the church, outside the Taylor Bungalow asking people, as to when is her gown going to be delivered. She might appear from nowhere and ask you the question if you are around, late at night :)
;) 😊

And then there is the headless ghost, that comes and slaps the sentries who are found sleeping on duty, at night 😎😁

And now some photographs of my home in Lansdowne :)

My Garden that I love...

The Backyard hidden in the Oak and Pine Forest

The home, covered in the first snow...

The 300 year old Rickety Wooden Gate that we never changed. It adds to the charm. And it is very much a part of the Bungalow's history and soul :). I have painted this gate often ... :)

My tribute to the The Rickety Gate ...

THE RICKETY GATE / Oil on Canvas / Impressionism

Ah ! how many cups of coffee I have drunk, looking at this gate.
How many times I saw the sun set behind these Oak trees.
How many time I saw my doggie babies come running down these slopes.
It's memory is a treasure that enriches my soul.

Painting by Neha Bisht @nehab .

I present the greenery of Lansdowne, UttaraKhand, India , for Thursday Green Colorchallenge :)

Thank you for viewing and reading :)
Thank you so much for your appreciation :)