Mahatma Gandhi's Mussoorie connection, he was fond of Queen of Hill Stations

The Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, had played an important role in liberating the country. Many memories are also attached to Gandhiji with Mussoorie. Gandhiji used to chalk out plans for independence by meeting with the big leaders of the country in Mussoorie. He had also addressed a public meeting here, in which he had sought cooperation from everyone to liberate the country while teaching non-violence to the people.

Mussoorie: The birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, is being celebrated all over the country on Sunday. To mark his birth anniversary, ETV Bharat recalls the memories of Gandhiji's related to Mussoorie. Before independence, Mahatma Gandhi had visited Mussoorie twice. He took part in the prayer meeting in Mussoorie for 10 days.

According to historian Gopal Bhardwaj, in the year 1929, Mahatma Gandhi had come to Dehradun to attend a programme. During this time he also paid a visit to Mussoorie for two days. For the second time in 1946, Gandhiji came again to Mussoorie and stayed for 10 days at Happy Valley Birla House located in the Academy area.

Gopal Bhardwaj tells that Mahatma Gandhi used to chalk out plans for independence by meeting with other big leaders of the country with the help of Pushkar Nath Tankha, who was one of the top Congress leaders of Mussoorie at that time. His father RGR Bhardwaj was a world-famous astrologer. When Gandhiji was staying in Mussoorie Birla House in 1946, he had sent two rickshaws to pick up Pushkar Nath's father.

Historian Bhardwaj said that Mahatma Gandhi came to Mussoorie on October 16, 1929, and addressed a district political convention of the Congress in Dehradun under the leadership of Babu Purushottam Das Tandon. After this, he came to Mussoorie, the Queen of Hill Stations. At the same time, on October 18, 1929, he again reached Mussoorie and addressed the European Municipal Councillors. He stayed at Birla House near Happy Valley till October 24 and held many important meetings. Gandhiji again visited Mussoorie on May 28, 1946, on the advice of doctors. Here he addressed a huge public meeting at Silverton ground for independence.

Gandhi used to say about Mussoorie that seeing the beautiful hills here, I forget all my sorrows and pains. It has also been mentioned in Gandhiji's article on the front page of the Mussoorie and Doon guidebook, Bhardwaj recalled. Surbhi Aggarwal of Mussoorie Heritage Centre said that Mahatma Gandhi was also concerned about the plight of the porters, who used to take the rulers on foot to this hill station. Surbhi said that Gandhiji visited Mussoorie for the second time in June 1946, when he had a weeklong prayer meeting at Silverton Ground.