Information from the author's diaries, letters, conversations between Bond and Khorana, essays and his autobiographical work will be integrated in the various chapters of the research work.

Some of the chapters would be entitled In the lap of the Himalayas, Biographical background, At Home in England, The First Novel, Venturing into Books for Children, In Harmony with Creation: Animal Stories'' and Where God and Mountains Coexist: Nature Poems and Stories.

Most of the biographical details about Bond have been gleaned by his readers from his works, many of which are autobiographical. In his works Rain in the mountains: Notes from the Himalayas (1993) and Scenes from a Writer's Life and The Lamp is Lit: Leaves from a Journal, the popular author has given his admirers awonderful glimpse into the deepest recesses of his heart.

In The Lamp is Lit, Bond tells us that when he came back to Dehradun after a three year stint in London, he had just eight hundred rupees to start a new life. After that day in 1955, Bond has been a magnanimous and benevolent presence in this Himalayan region which is dearest to his heart.

The little flat in the Doon valley's Astley Hall was where the adventure of writing really got under way for Bond. Working away in the light of a kerosene lamp, Bond also found time to gaze ``at college girls walking or cycling past Astley Hall''. All this, we get to know from his nostalgic account of the Doon of the fifties in The Lamp is Lit.

Khorana's research work would also give a bibliography about the complete works of Bond and critical works on him. Stories written by Bond about his near and dear ones have been talked about by Khorana, in a section titled When one has received love: Stories about family and friends.

Bond's lovefor the mountains and walking about in mountain towns is a very important part of his amiable personality. In Rain in the mountains says ``my greatest pleasure lies in taking a path--any old path will do--and following it until it leads me to a forest-glade or village or stream or windy hilltop.''

Winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award and honoured with the Padmashri this year, Ruskin Bond continues his literary journey at his picturesque cottage in this hill resort.