SPRING VIEW IN YOUR STEP

People with a taste for butter chicken and dal makhni usually gravitate to Mussoorie town and the hostelries in and around Mall Road. People with good taste look for a place in Landour. Sure, there is the 19th century Savoy, which has been restored to a modern idea of its former glory, and the routine sprawling resorts and expected boutique hotels with bromide experiences. If you are one of those outlier personalities who like to veer off the beaten track but also wish to avoid bedbugs and cold water baths, a quaint little homestay named Spring View Estate could be what the doctor of philosophy ordered. For it could channel your inner philosopher, with sweeping views of the valley that sparkles at night like the bejewelled mantle of a sorceress on a treasure hunt.

Right next to my little cottage is the homestay Spring View Estate. Run by two kickass lawyers, Praneet and Ritagya Singh, ably assisted by their valet Arun and three dogs, the place occupies the entire first floor of an old mansion. Drive up the Landour Bazar Mullingar incline and aim your car bonnet down Tehri Road. Around 100 metres later comes Spring View Estate on the right landmarked by the proclamation St John’s School. This is school territory; Woodstock School and its vast verdant estates are further down the road; from the deck of Spring View you can see its three buildings nestled in the forest. Beyond is the elegant white cluster of St Georges College. In and around are more schools; Wynberg Allen and St Claire’s Convent whose nuns run a café worth going for communion. The hills undulate above the spreading valleys quilted in green wool. On a clear day, you can see the serpentine gleam of the Ganges afar. From the large windows of your floor watch the mist roll up in the mornings, the dreamy breath of the vales and mountains, wrapping everything in soft, dove grey muslin. The mist is made of dreams, and it is as if you can reach out and touch them. Lucky is the one who can touch their dreams under the blue vault of the mountain sky where the rain and the sun play chess. Try it. Anything can happen here.

A winding path from the road takes you to Praneet and Ritagya’s home. The dogs are there to greet you first—Tyler the friendly English pointer, Brutus a black butia who has more of Caesar in him and Sultan, the sheepdog Praneet rescued from the shepherds who live in the Himalayan upper reaches. The door of the homestay opens into a long corridor lined with mirrors where your innate vanity will make you feel at home instantly. The sitting room has a charming period dining table and a massive cushioned seat that can accommodate a gang of picnickers. The iron bukhari has been restored and is as warm as the welcome of the hosts on a rainy night. There are two bedrooms with well-appointed bathrooms with all the modcons at your disposal: being sustainable Millennials, the hosts have ensured solar power keeps you warm and bright twenty four by seven. The fireplaces in both bedrooms actually work unlike in many establishments, to toast both your toes and marshmallows. Wood is not a problem, the resourceful Arun will bring you a forest if you so desire. The chef is a pahadi gent whose village is near Pari Hill I’m told—pari for the uninitiated in the mysteries of Hindustani means ‘fairy’—and therefore makes enchanting food. Unlike Landour Cantt, which can get colder than a witch’s teat even in May, the location has pleasant weather and you can see the curtains of rain weaving and swaying over the valley like a silver sheet. Dulux can borrow colours from the rainbows here—they are so bright. When night falls and the sky is bright with stars having been washed clean by the rain, it is time to enjoy a bonfire, a barbecue and a drink in the plural.

Wake up in the morning, smell the coffee and have your eggs and bacon (aloo parathas if you are in a desi mood) and go strolling down Mullingar and the bazar

at work in their little shops friendly with the comfortable smell of cured leather; the shoes are cheap and great for walking in the hills. There are antique shops that sell mostly original antiques—the Wedgwood blue and pink are sourced from people who inherited things they don't understand. It is always a good idea to bargain, for an antique did not become one without arguing with time. You may want to stop for a croissant at Lottes Bakery—but be careful, your glasses could be whacked when you are not looking and their CCTV's has Alzheimer's. Come back to Spring View, put your feet up and call for a beverage of your choice. My advice, don't leave the place at all because it soothes you with tranquil warmth. But then I am a sucker for tranquil warmth. Plenty of it at Spring View Estate which will put a spring in your step when you are ready and restored to return to the big bad city. Go if you must, I mean.

Tariff: Rs 12000 a night for the entire residence with breakfast. Call Praneet 9650585032

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