Farwell My Friend Bill Aitken

Bill Aitken, the Scottish born writer, traveller and mountaineer who fell in love with India and became an Indian citizen, lived in Mussoorie until he passed away at age of 90 on the 18th of April 2025. Last year, a few of us had gathered to celebrate his 90th birthday. He energetically came down the stairs of our hotel, and even after drinking his favourite whisky, climbed back up with the same energy. He remained fit and agile till his death. He attributed to the pure Himalayan air and walking in the hills. I knew him for decades, invited him to my home in Mumbai and enjoyed his company and his life partner the Maharani of Jind. We shared the Himalayan trail on several trips or around his home at Mussoorie. He participated in many events organized by different organizations and was always in demand a speaker with his bold views, wit and humour.

Everyone found his company delightful and he always had a story to narrate from his vast experience. He had once trekked to the Nanda Devi Sanctuary and became an ardent devotee of the goddess. His style of trekking was simple and most of the time he stayed with locals or shepherds. He spoke fluent Hindi and had a keen sense of observation. I joined him for few treks in the Himalaya and thoroughly enjoyed his stories and his company. On a trek to Budha Pinath, near Kausani, he was in his elements and was at his best.

Bill Aitken and Harish Kapadia	Bill Aitken and Harish Kapadia
Bill Aitken- the author, speaker and rancounter	Bill in his garden
Bill Aitken releasing my l book on Arunachal Pradesh on 5 September 2024 at Mussoorie	Bill Aitken At Mussoorie Festival-from left, Bill Aitken, Harish and Stephen Alter

The best conversations we enjoyed were while sipping beer together at a pub near his home at the Friends Colony in New Delhi. Once Courtney Ambrose, the West Indian fast bowler, ran through the entire British Test team before we finished. As a Scotsman he had many things to say about it!

Amongst the many fine books that he wrote, one was on the history of the Indian railways and one on his travels on the Meter Guage railways in India. As an author of a large number of books, he leaves behind a large collection of works. I had the privilege of recording his life as an Oral History for the Alpine Club. This truly was a rewarding experience. (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEwjjxoxYbI on YouTube).

Unassuming and friendly he met many trekkers and mountaineers, travelling to Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi (where lived for many years). Two great Indian organizations, “The Indian Mountaineering Foundation” and “the Himalayan Club were proud to call him as their Honorary Member. His multifaceted life contains remarkable experiences and insights and are bound to fill volumes.

His mountain books are famous and referred to as classic reference. Some books he wrote on other subjects are leser known. My favorite amongst these is “Seven Sacred Rivers” about the seven river quoted them at a Hindu marriage when it is solemnized. He also wrote about his motor cycle journeys is “Riding he Ranges’. It covered remote areas like the Northeast states of India. Along with motor cycle stops he mentions about peoples he encountered on the journey. In his book, “Literary Trails” he followed the places visited by great English and Scottish authors, both in their country, which was the land of his birth, and some in India. He also produced small paperbacks titled “Mountain Delight” and “Touching Upon The Himalaya”.

His most well known for his best selling book “The Nanda Devi Affair”. It covered his trek to the Sanctuary as well as the controversies about the expeditions to set up a nuclear device on the head of the Goddess he worshipped.

Bill had much spiritual incline. He initially stayed at the Mirtola ashram near Almora in the Kumaun. He met Prithwi, Maharani of the State of Jind, there and they remained companions till Prithwi passed away. Swami Krishna Prem, observing his interest in worldly matters, specially writing, suggested that he should move out to serve the world. That brought Bill to New Delhi where he stayed for many years. After Prithwi passed away, last few years of his life he lived in Mussoorie alone in a modest house where his companions, a family of his attendant, looked after him, till he passed away after a fall.

Later in life with Prithwi he became devotee Shri Satya Saibaba and produced a best selling book on him for the devotees.

Once I visited him at Mussoorie. We roamed many places in the bazar searching for the Tibetan dish of momos which we both loved. On return to his residence, he warned me for a shouting by Prithwi. “You writers are insensitive and do not care”, she mentioned for both of us. She was angry that I had come unannounced particularly as her small puppy was sick. Bill pointed out a small dog under the bed. But as always, soon she settled down and we were made to sip whisky in the afternoon.

When I asked Bill, when we met next, how is the dog. “The dog died soon after you left, and we both were blamed for it. I am not taking you home today!”

He was fearless speaker. At a gathering of mountaineers in Delhi, in an after dinner speech he bravely mentioned. “Everest is climbed so many times that now only record that remains is to walk backwards to the summit. Only a fool will love a woman simply because she is tall! Looking at the rush for Everest, it is evident that we have many persons of that genre around.”

In his modest dwelling in Mussoorie he had put up a poster. “Oh Lord do not take away thy servant before he has finished his last bottle of Glenfiddich”. Having savored life’s final dram, Bill was probably content and happy to depart as happily as he had lived.

Harish Kapadia
At Dubai,
19th April 2025