MUSSOORIE, Feb. 4 -- A wave of grief has swept through Mussoorie following the death of renowned English travel writer, environmentalist, and Padma Shri awardee Hugh Gantzer. He breathed his last at the age of 94 at his residence, Oak Brook, on Kincraig Library Road. With his passing, not only Mussoorie, but the world of literature and travel journalism in India and abroad has lost a personality who gave global recognition to India's cultural heritage.

Hugh Gantzer, who served as a Commander in the Navy, made Mussoorie his permanent home after retirement. From here, he and his wife, Colleen Gantzer, gave a new dimension to travel writing. For the past five decades, this couple was dedicated to bringing India's unexplored tourist destinat...