Mussoorie, In collaboration with the Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy of Administration, Mussoorie the ‘Been There Doon That Society’ organized a heritage walk and book release of their book, “Walking with Laata.”
Braving the winter morning hundred odd participants from all walks of life, from in and around Dehradun made their way to the IAS Academy, Mussoorie for a one and a half hour event. Director, Sanjeev Chopra, IAS welcomed the keen participants to what used to be the oldest hotel in Mussoorie and was taken over in 1959, for training officers of the All India Services.
Professor Ganesh Saili spoke about Charleville’s Rudyard Kipling connection and how it today trains the Steel Frame of India.
Lokesh Ohri then took the participants for a walk around what used to be the Happy Valley Club. The walk culminated with the launch of “Walking with Laata,” a compilation of essays of walks and trails from the Valley of Doon. The book was launched by Director Sanjeev Chopra, Joint Director Arti Ahuja, Joint Director Manoj Ahuja and Professor Ganesh Saili.
Lokesh Ohri spoke about how ‘Been There Doon That’ (BTDT) was Dehradun’s Heritage Walking Group that was set up 4 years ago and had done over three hundred walks not only in Dehradun but its environs and how, ‘Walking with Laata was the culmination of all these interesting walks.”
The 386 page book traces the history of the Doon from the Gurkha War of (1814-1816) to its becoming the seat of the Forest Research of India, Survey of India, Wildlife Institute of India, Oil and Natural Gas Commission and many other premier institutes.
Interspersed with history, flora and fauna, collection of interesting black and white to recent colour pictures, the book includes maps and instructions for its reader who wants to explore Dehradun afoot and soak in the sight and sounds of the valley, ‘Been There Doon That,’ call home.
