PARADISE REVISITED

The most beautiful cities have a tendency to figure on your go to list again and again. The same was the case with Mussourie, which appears as a magnet to my travel psyche.

                                                 The Triangle hill, en-route Mussourie

The flora here turns lush heavenly green after the rainy monsoon season. There are just two major colors around,  forest green and sky blue. It makes for an amazing combination, sparkling in the lavish sunshine.

                                                       Green as far as the eye can see

As soon as we reached, a thick blanket of clouds started engulfing the area. It seemed as though it was timed precisely to our arrival. Very odd.

                                                          Sunny turns Foggy

                                     The tree on the right seems alien

Cricket is India’s favorite game, so no wonders as soon as we got off the car, the gentleman’s game was already on.

                                                India’s favorite pastime – Cricket

Just like every hill station in India, Mussourie has a public walkway known as ‘The Mall road’. It covers the whole town and is home to the best hotels, eating joints, shopping stores and other local shops. It is even more beautiful after dark, thanks to the LED lights installed throughout the mall.

                                                         Eastern end of the Mall road

                                                    Coffee+Pizza = Great combo

Late evening brought the ‘cloud’ on the Mall road, visibility dropped but the setting became divine. It seemed as though you were walking on clouds, where every step revealed something new.

                                            The cloud starts its descent

                                               Reaching the Western end of the Mall

                                                        The Ascending walk

                                               The local flea market

As the fog kept growing, everything started vanishing in the distance, it was white all around.

                                                       Black & WHITE

                                                        The Rope-way

                                                       A house in the distance

Soon afterwards the clouds disappeared, and out came the fire ball, and everyone was dancing in front of me!

                                                       A local Mural

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MUSSOURIE – The Queen of Hills

Mussourie, Popularly known as the Queen of Hills, is located about 35 km from the state capital of Dehradun and 290 km north from the national capital of New Delhi. This hill station, is situated in the foothills of the Garhwal Himalayan ranges, at an altitude of 2003 mts.

                                              The serpentine route to Mussourie

Mussourie, with its green hills and varied flora and fauna, is a fascinating hill resort. Commanding snow ranges to the north-east, and glittering views of the Doon Valley and Shiwalik ranges in the south. The highest point is Lal Tibba with a height of over 2,290 metres (7,510 ft)

                                                     Mussourie covered in mist

In 1820, Captain Young of the British army was influenced by the beauty of this place and made it his residence. The name, Mussourie is derived from plants of ‘Mussourie’ which were found in abundance here. After its discovery, this hill station gradually developed as a centre of education, business, tourism and beauty.

                                                      Snowfall in Mussourie

During the 1959 Tibetan Rebellion, the Central Tibetan Administration of the 14th Dalai Lama was at first established in Mussourie before being moved to its present location in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh. The first Tibetan school was established in Mussourie in 1960. Tibetans settled mainly in Happy Valley in Mussourie. Today, some 5,000 Tibetans live in Mussourie.

                                                   The Buddha temple, Mussourie

Today Mussourie is a thriving hill town, balancing its modern architecture with its old world charm.

                                                             The Rope-way, Mussourie

Mussourie also has many historical institutions, these schools include Convent of Jesus and Mary (1845), St. George’s College (1853), Woodstock School (1854), Oak Grove School (1888), Wynberg-Allen (1888), Guru Nanak Fifth Centenary (1969).

                                               St. Georges college, Mussourie

Mussourie also has the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, the premier training institute for officers of the Indian Administrative Service and other civil services.

                                    The Indian administrative service academy, Mussourie

Mussourie also has some breathtaking waterfalls. These include Kempty fall, Bhatta fall, Jharipani fall and Mossy fall. These falls attract loads of tourist throughout the year.

                                                        The Kempty falls, Mussourie

Mussourie has its fair share of ancient religious structures. These include the Nag devta temple (dedicated to lord Shiva), the Jwalaji temple (dedicated to goddess Durga), the Surkanda Devi temple (dedicated to goddess Parvati ), St. Mary’s church (oldest church in town) and the Lakha Mandal (linked with archaeology & Mahabharata).

                                     The Lakha Mandal archaeological site

Mussourie is also famous for its rhododendron forests, divine sunsets and crystal clear night skies. So, come and experience the Queen of hills.

                                                                 Vibrant sunset

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looking down on dehradun from mussourie

The setting Sun behind the lower Himalayas, sending out light rays of vibrant color in all directions . Jharipani is the best place to admire the sunset as it provides the best uncluttered view from the top.

Late evening at jharipani : time to prepare the tents and set up the bonfire. We are 6000 feet above sea level and enjoying every moment of it .
Looking down from the hill in jharipani. The floating clouds are a wonderful sight, adding mystique to the beautiful area. The evening sun setting in the wilderness adds color to the whole sky , making it like a collage of the suns moods through colors.
stunning view once you move up the mountains and look down upon doon valley. A trek leads us from dehradun valley to the hill station of mussourie . its a moderate trek at the highest u are at 6000 feet and talking to clouds .

 

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DEHRADUN – Past meets Future

Nestled in the mountain ranges of the Great Himalayas, Dehradun is one of the oldest cities of India. According to the skanda purana , an ancient religious text, dehradun formed part of the region called kedar khand. It was later included in the kingdom of emperor ashoka by the end of the 3rd century B.C.

It is revealed by history that for centuries Dehradun came under the Garhwal empire. Then the Gorkhas came and ruled for a few decades, and were eventually ousted by the British empire in 1815.

After the Indian independence in 1947, dehradun was part of the state of Uttar Pradesh till 2000, when the movement of a separate hill state intensified. A new state ‘Uttarakhand’ was carved out in November of 2000 and Dehradun was made its its capital.

The headquarters of many National Institutes and Organizations like ONGC, Survey Of India, Forest Research Institute, Indian Institute of Petroleum etc are located in the city. Some of the premier educational and Training Institutes like Indian Miltary Academy, RIMC(Rashtriya Indian Military College), Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy(IGNFA), Lal Bahadur Shahstri National Academy of Administration(LBSNAA) etc are also there in Dehradun. It is a favoured tourist destination as it attracts tourists, pilgrims and enthusiasts from various walks of life to its serene environs. Add to this the abundance of special Basmati rice, tea and leechi gardens which contribute in turning the city into a paradise.

Dehradun is a valley surrounded by the shivalik range(lower Himalayas) from all sides, and bordered by the river Ganges on the left and Yamuna on the right. It has tremendous scenic beauty.                                               The Buddha temple, Dehradun

                                      The Indian military academy, Dehradun

                                                   The forest research institute of India, Dehradun

                                                 The Clock Tower, Dehradun

                                                                     The Malsi Deer Park, Dehradun

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