Prospect Lodge - STS life in the queen of hills

It was warm evening, with a nip in the air. We had just come back from a long walk from Char Dukaan  Bazaar (four shops marketplace). Sitting on the rocks, sipping hot chocolate, we were waiting for the moment. The clouds swift past us, caressing our warm cheeks. The evening started to turn misty and moist. We started to get a little fidgety, it was soon to be dinner time. With a sudden gush, the clouds blew past, in a rush, to unveil the mystical twinkles, the Dehradun Lights.

Dehradun lights, from Prospect Lodge, Landour!! 

Evenings like the above, are common during the summers at Prospect Lodge. It is St Thomas' property, which is less of a lodge, and almost like a home. In fact I would suggest it to be renamed as Prospect Home. Every summer, STS organizes trips to Mussorrie, in the hills of Himalayas. Prospect Lodge in in the Landour Cantt area, which has its own history (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landour). It is around 2 hours walk uphill from the Mall Road in Mussorrie.

Half way through, there is the small stop, with a few shops, and a public telephone booth. That was the only way we could contact our family, there were no mobile phones in 1994/ 1995/ 1996. A bowl of hot maggi, a hot cup of sweet tea, and a phone call to mum. Bliss was that afternoon, when I first saw the Dehradun lights from the garden of Prospect Lodge.

The lodge, in its new avatar.. 

Landour is famous for its bakeries. Prakash Stores, a English bakery, just a few meters from Prospect Lodge, had all sorts of cakes, pastries, buns. You name it, and they have it.

Talking about the lodge. It had a huge kitchen, a big dining room, a very beautifully set living room and activity area, and 4 bedrooms - blue room, green room, red room and the pink room. The pink room has 3 beds - one each for the prime minister, and two deputy prime ministers. The bunker beds could be the most comfortable beds I have ever slept in my life. Or did we sleep at all? 

A few clicks from Prospect Lodge, with my super seniors. :) 

I have lived in Prospect for three consecutive summers, 7 days each, for the cabinet leadership camps. I have some beautiful memories to treasure. 

Thanks for all the fun STS!! 

Showcasing Janaki Nagaraj, who blogs at Memoirs of A Homemaker, and is participating in the AtoZ challenge with full vigor.  Visit her, to get inspired, and read her posts. 

Photographs courtesy: Seniors, super seniors, super duper seniors, loving juniors, and the school website: www.stthomasgirlsschool.com

This post is dedicated to the A-to-Z blogging challenge - the largest Blog Challenge in the history of Blogkind. My selected theme is "memories of St. Thomas' "- my Alma mater. This is the sixteenth post of the challenge, and is linked to the letter P: P for Prospect Lodge of STS.. 

Linking this post to UBC too.