Celebrated author Ruskin Bond, who turned 90 on Sunday, shared an anecdote about an incident at the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha, where he was mistaken for a foreigner and charged extra for entry. Despite his long-standing identity as an Indian, Bond recounted how he chose to pay the additional fee to avoid a confrontation with the officials.
Born in 1934 in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, to British parents, Bond has spent the majority of his life in India and considers himself an Indian by both birth and choice. However, his appearance has occasionally led to misunderstandings about his nationality. Bond humorously noted that while he was charged extra, a Sikh man with a British passport was not, as he did not look like a foreigner.
Ruskin Bond's extensive literary career includes over 500 short stories, essays, and novels, with 69 books written for children. His work has earned him numerous accolades, such as the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, the Sahitya Akademi Award, the Padma Shri, and the Padma Bhushan. Bond's writing often reflects his deep connection to India and his embrace of the nation's cultural and historical changes before and after Independence.
