By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Nostalgia written all over it, a reprised edition of Notes on Walking Around Shillong, a handy little guide for the colonial community, originally published in 1934, was released at a function at the Shillong Club on Friday.
Written by W. Allsup, an energetic outdoorsman, the book described a series of near and distant walks for the casual adventurer.
While the original book was sparsely written with no illustrations or maps, probably meant as a pocket guide, the new edition, brought out by Deepak Laloo and Glenn Kharkongor, is interspersed with maps and photographs.
The text has been profusely illustrated with miniature rural scenes by Careen Langstieh. A triptych representation painted by Careen was also exhibited at the hall. A few introductory chapters and extra appendices have also been added.
Allsup’s book represented the first effort to mark out a series of walks around Shillong and to recommend these walks to residents and visitors.
Horse riding was then the main conveyance for work or pleasure and these tracks, no doubt, provided convenient paths for walkers. While it is not known as to how successful Allsup’s efforts to promote walking were, but the well-worn horse trails were often the starting points of his hiking trips.
Even though the author’s book of walks is republished after 83 years, many of the locations, landscapes and routes are still easily recognizable.
For those who appreciate the scenic undulating outdoors and the bracing breezes of the Khasi Hills, the book promises to provide the perfect invitation.
A wall-size map of Shillong, enlarged from the 1939-40 original was also unveiled at the function.
The map, surely of interest to nostalgia buffs, shows many of the landmarks, with their original British names, in Allsup’s book.
The programme began with an introduction by DrEvarishaSyiem who spoke on the importance of culture and heritage.