Lansdowne- Quiet Cantonment of the Gallant Garhwal Rifles

How the British marched into a nondescript hamlet which eventually became the base of the brave infantry regiment- the Garhwal Rifles.

Pointer Dial at Garhwali Mess, Lansdowne. Source- Nilesh Korgaokar flickr

Among all the subtraction and addition made by the British to India’s landscape, their well-designed military-civilian townships still stand as a large influence and an inseparable component of the urban fabric of various places across the country. They were so successful that the British went on to establish the same in other colonies. Even today, most of the surviving ‘Cantonments’, as they are known, are located here in India, indicating their tightly woven thread into the fabric of this diverse country they are in. The British left but their cantonments have survived in independent India.

The first cantonments were established in 1765 in Barrackpore and Danapur. By the end of the 19th century, nearly twenty-five percent of the British troops were put up in these vast military stations.

As British rule reached new heights and massive progress, these went beyond being simple bases for British troops. Additionally, they started to house Indian civilians and troops that provided some kind of service or the other to the serving officer or jawan and his family. Thus, military stations started to evolve into complex townships with public facilities, bazaars, bungalows, churches and public spaces.

In 1863, the British administration decided that one-third of their troops should be accommodated in cantonments located in the cool breezy hill stations of north India. This set off the long list of several cantonments across this region and the rest of the country. Among the sixty-two cantonment towns of India, one such hill station cantonment that was established was Lansdowne. Part of the Central Command, this is one of the nine cantonments located in Uttarakhand and also happens to be Delhi’s closest hill station, with its origin dating back to 1887.

With an eye on the fresh recruits of the steadfast Garhwal Regiment, their Recruits Training center was established at Kaludanda, a tiny hamlet in the hills. This vast land of beautiful blue pine and oak forests stretched for six square kilometres. Kalu means black and Danda means hills in the local Garhwali language.

Due to this center, additional British overseeing troops moved in, and the hamlet further grew. On 4th November 1887, Lansdowne was formally founded as a cantonment, when the First Battalion at Almora raised on 5th May 1887, was moved here. It became the only other developed city after Almora, in the 1870s. Thus, Kaludanda, a nondescript hamlet became Lansdowne, a quiet and quaint cantonment. It was named after the then Viceroy of India (1888-1894) Lord Lansdowne, who was responsible for scouting and supervising this location.

One of the most gallant infantry regiments of the Indian Army- the Garhwal Rifles (formerly known as the Royal Garhwal Rifles), was originally part of the Bengal Army. Then inducted into the British Army and finally after India’s independence, they became a part of the Indian Army. Eventually, on 1st October 1921, their Regimental Center was also constructed at Lansdowne and established this hill station as their home. This centre has also been awarded the Best Military Station, in 2007 and the Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar, in 2003.

This regiment not only brought immense pride and honour to the Garhwali people through the courage and sacrifice that they showed in the two World Wars but also contributed significantly to the preservation of Lansdowne’s heritage.

Among various large landmarks of this cantonment, sits a quaint small stone building, holding its own. Completed in 1896, the Saint Mary’s Church is located in the 'Upper Mall' area of this cantonment. This Protestant Church saw numerous Sunday services, special services and a couple of wedding ceremonies too! But, unfortunately, after 1947, this beautiful building with its walls filled with memories, fell into disuse. Seeing the deteriorating condition of this stone building, the Garhwal Regiment swung into action, opened the closed building and restored it. The church now functions as an active museum with Pre-Independence era photographs, memorabilia and also an audio-video presentation for visitors. The altar and other religious symbols are kept intact while the space has a new lease of life.

Like the micro change that came upon the small Saint Mary’s Church, there is now a macro change that has arrived for the larger context of Lansdowne.

As of 2023, the Government has decided to disband all the cantonments and open them up. Some critics see this as a welcome decision since the cantonments had become a heavy burden financially and logistically. Maintaining and managing these large urban spaces was also a task. While others remark that these urban oases will now be destroyed through uncontrolled construction and pollution. The only hope is that they don’t go fall into misuse or disuse, and instead, be adapted and integrated. Now, it remains to see whether this cantonment's quietness will die out against the loud noises of ugly urban sprawl.