Mary Girard's Blog
  • Preserving our Heritage Blog
  • Writer's Journey Blog
  • BLOG: HERITAGE TRIP 2016
  • INDIA 2013

My Trip to India Oct 10-Nov 7 2013

Those who know me well know how long it has been that I've dreamed of returning to India.  I grew up there arriving in 1959 and leaving in 1976 (with about 5 years int the States).  Most of the time I spent going toWoodstock  School in the foot hill of the Hymalyas in a town called Mussoorie.  

While I was somewhat curious to head "home" to see my old stomping grounds, my main purpose was to begin a journey of understanding my ancestral connections to India and to discover what India has become.  

Yes, I found there are a lot of changes in India, but in truth the most remarkable thing was how "familiar" it was to me.

Button Text

Shatabdi Express Dehra Dun To Delhi Oct 31

10/31/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Dehra Dun Station
Picture
I did pity the poor coolie who had to carry my suitcase!
Picture
Picture
chai garam
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
The Chai just isn't the same without the clay cups. But these packaged yogurt were the genuine article!
Picture
0 Comments

Clement Town

10/31/2013

0 Comments

 
Clement Town is a town of Dehradun district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It borders Rajaji National Park and is away from the crowded regions of DehradunA large Tibetan settlement and the World's Largest Stupa, of the re-established Mindroling Monastery from Tibet, is situated in Clement Town, which was inaugurated on 28 October 2002 and is surrounded by a 2-acre (8,100 m2) garden. There is also a 103 feet (31 m) high statue of Buddha is dedicated to the Dalai Lama.

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Drive Down The Mountain Oct 31

10/31/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
pakora stop
Picture
Picture
the lone hill no longer has the lone tree
Picture
Picture
namaskar Rahul ji
0 Comments

Many Thanks To Domas Inn For Two Great Weeks

10/31/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Final Scenes Oct 31

10/31/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
this alley shows up in my dreams as a path that i never went on before now. Now that I think of it these two men look very familiar ...I must have known their father
Picture
Picture
Picture
plumbing in the hills
0 Comments

Duchaan Tour Part 4

10/30/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
kumar vinod antiques also known as top shop
Picture
making tops still
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Cemetary In Sesrch Of My Great Great Grandfather's Grave

10/29/2013

2 Comments

 
My great great grandfather, Ferdinand Hahn died May 3 1910 and is buried in Camels Back Cemetery.
Picture
his grave in 1910
Picture
i was unable to find the grave but discovered a beautiful view from where the grave site might be
From the journal of his widow Doris:
"The funeral was set for 5 pm. Mr. Gass had told me earlier that only the English clergy was allowed to officiate in the cemetery; no out-of-towner. But Mr. Stoll gave a little meditation in English at the casket, on the porch where the mission Brothers and Sisters Stoll, Gass and Wiens had joined us mourners. Then began the heavy, heavy walk to the cemetery – through the city, past walkers, market people, dandies, etc. – without singing, without bells ringing – only with a heart filled with pain, on the same path which the dear Papa had so often loved to walk. Oh, I could hardly walk, and it was good that someone offered me a dandy which brought me the rest of the way. At the entrance of the cemetery, Chaplain Law, a slender man, stepped in front of the casket and guided the small procession down several slopes, reading Psalms, down to the lowest terrace of the picturesquely arranged cemetery of Mussourie. There, the four gentlemen let the casket down into the tomb, and there, our dear, dear father is now resting until the great resurrection day; resting from all his struggles, worries and works of this poor life, and sees the One in whom he has believed here and whom he has loved above all. But we mourn after him and will never, never forget him."
Picture
Picture
Picture
Prem Singh, the watchman assures me he will keep looking. my allergies flared up so i had to call it quits
Picture
most graves are covered in moss or have lost all markings. i worked with the watchman to uncover about 12 graves to no avail.
Picture
possible path they took to the cemetary
Picture
lovely view in the way to cemetary
Picture
where they stayed at Himalaya Hotel
Picture
Picture
then
Picture
now
Picture
Picture
Picture
plot 7: i was told that was the number before i saw this map so Prem Singh promised to keep looking
2 Comments

October Day! Oct 29th

10/29/2013

0 Comments

 
The first day that I felt was really like an October day that I remember
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Landour Oct 31 Dhukhan Tour Part 3

10/29/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
ready for Divali
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
and local brew
0 Comments

Landour Dukhan Tour Part 2

10/28/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Chullo lets go
Picture
school teaching dance
Picture
sweets
Picture
mechanic shop
Picture
Picture
dhood walla : milk man
Picture
watch repair
0 Comments

More Walking Oct 28

10/28/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
perfect day to air out the clothes
Picture
Picture
Picture
cricket in the middle of the road
Picture
Picture
#1 no no....i gave these kids some money to take their picture. One should then be prepared to give them each the same amount. One didn't like that he got only 1 rupee and another didn't know what to do with 2 Euros! The older one hopefully will know how to divide the 10 rupees among them.
0 Comments

Dukhan Tour Part 1

10/28/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Mutton Shop
Picture
with all essentials to cook meat
Picture
mochi and boy playing with magnifying glass
Picture
monkey hanging out with the mochi
Picture
ready made shoes
Picture
sabbzhi walla
0 Comments

Oct 27th Walkabout

10/27/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
same visitation window at the hospital where my brothers snuck peanuts to my sister when she had mumps
Picture
shale wall
Picture
Picture
kyah hai?
Picture
Picture
we like to take the path less traveled
Picture
arey! rasta kaha hai?
Picture
Picture
Picture
the mighty oak!
Picture
this spot made me dizzy
Picture
zig zag path is well kept up to WS property marker then its more like how it use to be
Picture
moss on the stone
Picture
Zig Zag house
Picture
one of the hillside's bhotias
0 Comments

Dore And Lebele Hahn

10/26/2013

0 Comments

 
In 1906 two sisters (15 and 16 respectively) were so excited to be heading back to India with their parents. They'd been away for 11 years studying in Germany. It was their father who worried the most about if they would find sufficient finishing an education for them in what they called Der Reich (British Raj) that would equip them for the
mission work ahead.
Picture
Bye and bye arrangements were made to send the two young ladies, Dora and Libele, to Mussoorie to attend the newly formed Teacher Training College at Woodstock School.
Picture
Dorchien (Dora according to school records) struggled and just barely passed the Fine Arts program in December 1911. Libchein (recorded as Elizabeth at the school) passed with excellence in the Missionary Training Program in the same year.
They each worked at various posts and then joined forces teaching in Ranchi until all German citizens were required to leave India in 1915 due to World War 1.
Link to article I wrote about my research:
http://woodstockschool.in/blog/guest-author-woodstock-teacher-training-two-programs-100-years-apart/?utm_source=Woodstock+School&utm_campaign=9f30eb1257-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6ceb236e0b-9f30eb1257-50854517
0 Comments

Chukkar Oct 26

10/26/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
snows covered in clouds...this was a regular view for most of my life
Picture
where my home use to be
Picture
the very same old hollow tree we use to play in as a child
Picture
Curious if anyone remembers this Muslim shrine that surrounds this old tree near Kellogg (next to old jail)? I remember the electric wires.
Picture
language school
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Monkey Spa

10/26/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Complete with bathing pool upon which one can adore ones own reflection while receiving a massage and delousing
Picture
endless entertainment for us but we wonder about the water supply to the people living in that house
0 Comments

Eye Brow Oct 24

10/25/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
the Eye Brow are two paths that go out from above the school in two directions, relatively flat but winding along the mountain. And very narrow. The railing is new
Picture
Edgehill
Picture
Council Rock where we stayed for 3 months while my father was the Doctor at Landour Community Hospital. The stone walls have been whitewashed
Picture
there use to be a steep foot path going down the hill near CR that is completely over grown
Picture
Community Center. Aunt Dorothy use to have a community library in the right door and we use to have dances in the upstairs
Picture
use to be Singh's and Skillman' houses
Picture
Picture
my right toe started hurting from all this down hill walking, do since this path was well paved i walked a bit without my shoe
Picture
Picture
cutting weeds
Picture
monsoon always creates landslides
0 Comments

OK Tata

10/25/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
oh yes and the sun came out a little this afternoon
0 Comments

Game Of India: Parcheezi

10/25/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
hotel staff taking a break
0 Comments

Another Reflection From Doris Hahn's Journal 1910

10/23/2013

2 Comments

 
"Doris" Voss went to India at age 18 from Germany. After a few years there she married Ferdinand Hahn. In 1906 Ferdinand, my great great grandfather, became ill. In 1910 they went up to Mussoorie so he  would recover. She writes in her journal: " The weather was wonderfully warm and friendly, and he recovered rapidly, so that we were able to take daily long walks and enjoy thoroughly the glorious views up the mountains and down the slopes. He liked especially to walk to the cemetery where he could rest on a bench by the gate."
Picture
She continues (Maria is a fellow worker who also went to Mussoorie to recover):  "When Sister Marie once said to him out of a feeling of personal weakness and in view of the many graves: “I do not know what the Lord is planning for us, whether we will find here our final resting place”, he looked at her with big eyes and said: “May the Lord prevent this, no! We are hoping to get well here in Mussourie, to be sure, and to return to our work in Purulia strengthened.” For as much as he used to talk about dying and going home, now he wanted to live and work! And no thought came to me that his end would be so near. How often did he suffer, and God had always given him new strength and health. "
Picture
Picture
found this old picture, likely late 1800, from Mussoorie Medley, still looks much the same
2 Comments
<<Previous

    Travel backwards:
    by scrolling down

    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013

    Or pick a Post

    All
    Clement Town Oct 31
    Dehra Dun Oct 14
    Diwali
    Down The Mountain Oct 31
    Duchaan Tour 1
    Duchaan Tour 2
    Duchaan Tour 3
    Duchaan Tour 4
    FRIENDS IN DELHI
    Lanavola Nov 4
    Landaur 2
    Landaur 3
    Mlumbai Oct 10
    Mumbai Nov 3-6
    Musoorie Oct 15
    Mussoorie Halfway
    Mussoorie Here
    Mussoorie Ladies
    Mussoorie Map
    Mussoorie Monkeys
    Mussoorie Oct 17
    Mussoorie Oct 19
    Mussoorie Oct 22
    Mussoorie Oct 24
    Mussoorie Oct 26
    Mussoorie Oct 27
    Mussoorie Oct 28
    Mussoorie Oct 31
    Mussoorie Woodstock
    OCTOBER DAY!
    Paris
    Rag Pickers
    Research Ancestors: Cemetary
    Research Ancestors: Journal
    Research Ancestory: Teacher Training
    Shatabdi Express Oct 31
    Thanks To Domas Inn
    Trees And Flowers

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly