Sunday, 17 May 2026

A Birthday Letter to Ruskin Bond: Gratitude from a Reader in Chennai

 





 

Dear Ruskin Bond Sir,

Before writing this virtual letter, I had already written to you recently after reading Looking Out of My Window. In one of the chapters, I came across a line that stayed with me and made me gather the courage to write to you.

In Another Day in Landour, you wrote:

“I receive many letters from school children. I can’t reply to all of them, but if there’s a particularly nice one, I send the writer one of my paperbacks with an encouraging message.”

After reading that, I immediately wrote a letter and posted it with the address I could find:

Ruskin Bond, Ivy Cottage, Landour, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand.

I am keeping my fingers crossed, hoping that Srishti, Siddharth, or Gautam might help my letter find its way to you—a letter travelling from Chennai with admiration and affection.

Now, through Blogchatter, I get another opportunity to write to you on your birthday, 19th May, when you turn 92 this year. It feels like a privilege to write to someone whose words have quietly made the world a better place.

What I admire most about your writing is that you never preach. Yet every story leaves behind a gentle lesson, a little warmth, and a reminder about what truly matters. Through your books, readers learn to notice small things—the rustle of leaves, the joy of rain, friendships, birds on windowsills, old memories, and the comfort of books. You make us realize that nature and books are among our truest friends; they stay with us if only we learn to pay attention.

I came to your books rather late in life, but perhaps good things arrive at the right time. Your stories reached me exactly when they were meant to.

Sir, you have inspired generations and continue to inspire young readers even today. That is a contribution that will live forever in literature and in human lives, as long as books and stories continue to exist.

A very happy birthday to you, Sir.

You are always giving us gifts through your stories, your thoughts, and your words. We simply receive and cherish them. We may never be able to give you anything equal in return except our love, gratitude, and good wishes.

Take care, Sir.

With warm regards and affection,

A reader from Chennai







(This blogpost is a part of Blogchatter's BlogHop. Details here : https://www.theblogchatter.com/blogchatter-blog-hop-a-new-way-to-write-collectively)

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A Birthday Letter to Ruskin Bond: Gratitude from a Reader in Chennai

    Dear Ruskin Bond Sir, Before writing this virtual letter, I had already written to you recently after reading Looking Out of My Window. ...