Celebrated writer Ruskin Bond, who turned 90 today, related an event in which he was told he was a “foreigner” and had to pay extra to visit the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha.
- Ruskin Bond turned 90 on Sunday
- He paid extra at Odisha’s Konark Sun Temple to avoid arguing he wasn’t a foreigner
- Ruskin Bond identifies himself as an Indian despite being born to British parents
Celebrated author Ruskin Bond on Sunday turned 90 and recalled an incident where he had to pay extra to visit the renowned Konark Sun Temple in Odisha as people told him he was a “foreigner”. He said he was compelled to pay the amount to avoid an argument with the officials.\
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Born in 1934 to British parents in Himachal Pradesh’s Kasauli, Bond has always identified himself as an Indian and has lived in India for several years. Despite his strong connection to India and his identification as an Indian, Bond has faced instances where people perceive him as a foreigner living in the country.
“They charge extra from foreigners for entering Konark (Sun Temple in Odisha). I said, ‘I am not a foreigner, I am an Indian’. But then to avoid an argument I paid extra,” he told news agency PTI.
There was a Sardar Ji behind me. Despite his British passport, they let him entry. He laughed, “He wasn’t charged more because he didn’t look like a foreigner.
According to Bond’s previous statements, he is an Indian not only by birth but also by choice, and he has acknowledged and experienced the changes India has undergone both before and after independence.
He has authored more than 500 novels, essays, and short stories, as well as 69 children’s books. He has also won numerous honours, including the Padma Bhushan, the Sahitya Akademi, the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, and the Padma Shri.
