Mussoorie’s Cambridge Book Depot is the second home to Ruskin Bond. Drop by and say hello to the famed writer who celebrates his birthday on May 19.

Mussoorie, the queen of hill stations, is known for its spectacular beauty and it’s clean, twisting paths that lure thousands of tourists from around the globe.

For fans of Mr. Bond they’ve been given a platform to meet and interact with him. They promote local authors.

Take a walk along Mall Road, and beyond the Gun Hill ropeway starting point and the many garment and antique vendors is a spot that no avid reader should miss — the Cambridge Book Depot run by the Arora brothers, Surender and Sunil. This vintage depot was started in 1952 by Laxman Das Arora and boasts books written by over a thousand authors. Over the years, the book depot has itself become a tourist attraction for Bond lovers — not of James, but author Ruskin.

Come Saturday evening, and there are serpentine queues waiting to meet dear old Rusty, who is still young at heart. Bond arrives punctually at 3.30 pm, and sits in his armchair inside the shop to interact with fans, autograph their books and take pictures. Later, we moved the interaction to Saturdays because of larger footfall. Students from schools and colleges across the country also come in huge numbers.”