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MUSSOORIE
(Introduction)
Mussoorie,
Popularly known as the Queen of Hills, this charming hill station,
34 kms from Dehradun is situated at an altitude of 2003 mts in the
Garhwal hills. above sea-level. Mussoorie is one the beautiful hill
stations in India and the most frequently visited. It provides excellent
respite to people who want relief from the hot sultry conditions
of the plains, especially since it is close enough to the capital
to make just weekend trip. Also, major Hindu pilgrimage sites like
Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Haridwar, Rishikesh are
not far from this place.
In
1820, Captain Young of the British army was influenced by the beauty
of this place and made it his residence. The name, Mussoorie is
derived from plants of 'Mussoorie' which were found in abundance
here. After its discovery, this hill station gradually developed
as a centre of education, business, tourism and beauty.
MUSSOORIE(Places
to See)
Gun Hill
Enjoy
a Ropeway ride to the second highest peak of Mussoorie. It can also
be negotiated by bridles path which forks-off from Mall Road near
Kutchery and to reach takes about twenty minutes. The Ropeway distance
is only 400 mtrs. And the sheer thrill of the ride is memorable.
Gun
Hill offers a beautiful panoramic view of the Himalayan ranges namely
Bunderpunch, Srikantha, Pithwara and Gangotri group etc. and a bird's
eye view of Mussoorie town and Doon Valley. During pre-independence
days a gun mounted on this top used to be fired heralding mid-day
to enable people to adjust their watches and hence this name.
Municipal
Garden:
A picnic
spot having a beautiful garden and an artificial mini lake with
boating facilities. It is located at a distance of 4kms by cycle
rickshaw, pony or by car and only 2 kms on foot via Waverly Convent
Road.
Childer's
Lodge:
Highest
Peak of Mussoorie near Lal Tibba. It is about 5 kms from the Tourist
Office and one can go on horse back or on foot. Snow view from this
spot is exhilarating.
Camel's
Back Road:
It starts
from Kulri Bazar near Rink Hall and ends at Library Bazar covering
a total distance of about 3 kms. The main charm of this froad is
horse riding and wlking. Sunset view of the Himalayas is superb.
Camel's Rock with a life like resemblace can be seen from the spot
near Mussoorie Public school.
Jharipani
Fall:
8.5 kms from Mussoorie on Mussoorie- Jharipani Road.
Visitors can go by bus or by car upto 7 kms to Jharipani from where
the fall is 1.5 kms, on foot.
Bhatta
Fall:
7 kms from Mussoorie on Mussoorie-Dehradun road. Access
by car or bus upto Balta village from where the fall is 3kms by
car or foot. An ideal spot for bathing anf picnics.
Kempty
Fall:
15 kms from Mussoorie on the Yamunotri Road having an
altitude of 4500 ft. It has the distinction of being the biggest
and prettiest waterfall located in a beautiful valley and is surrounded
by high mountains. Bath at the foot of the falls is refresshing
and enjoyabled for children and adults alike.
Nag
Devta Temple:
An
ancient temple situated on Cart Mackenjie Road and is about 6 kms
from Mussoorie. Vehicles can go right upto the spot. It Provies
a charming view of Doon Valley as well as of Mussoorie.
Mussoorie
Lake:
A newly
developed picnic spot, situated on Mussoorie- Dehradun road and
is about 6 kms from Mussoorie. It is a delightful spot. Pedal boats
are availble. It commands an enchanting view of Doon Valley and
nearby villages.
Van
Chetna Kendra:
At
a distance of about 2 kms on Tehri bye pass road, this place is
developed as a picnic spot and has a park surrounded with pine forest
and flowering shrubs, and is approachable by foot or taxi/car. The
main attraction is the wildilife of the park like Ghurar, Kanankar,
Himalayan Peacock, Monal etc.
Sir
George Everest House:
6 kms The Park Estate of sir George Everest, First
Surveyor General of India, Who had his offce and residence here,
is approachable by road. The highest peak in the world, Mount Everest,
is named after him.
Jwalaji
Temple (Benog Hill):
9 kms 6to the west of Mussoorie and at an altitude of
2104 mtrs. Is the Jwalaji Temple. It is situated on the top of the
Benog Hill and has an idol of Mata Durga in it. The temple is surrounded
by thick forests and offers a panoramic view of the Himalayan peaks,
Doon valley and Yamuna valley.
Clous
End:
The
bungalow built in 1838 by a British Major was one of the First Four
buildings of Mussoorie. The bungalow has since then been converted
into a hotel called Clouds End, and is situated at the extreme west
of Mussoorie Hill, 8 kms from Library. The resort is surrounded
by thick forest, offers a wide variety of flora and fauna besides
a panoramic view of snow clad Himalayas, and Yamuna river. The most
ideally suited resort for fireigners and honeymoon couples.
MUSSOORIE (Institution)
Rich
in history and beauty, Mussoorie has given birth to many institutions
that are known virtually all over the country. Since 1959, the Lal
Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration has been training
and molding batch after batch of raw probationers into the country's
finest bureaucrats, foreign service officers, and police officers.
Today,
the Academy, situated at Charleville, continues to train officers
for the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service.
A fire broke out in the Academy some years ago and destroyed, among
other buildings and papers, its precious library rated amongst the
best in the country. While many of the books destroyed in the fire
are difficult to replace, a new beginning has already been made
by acquiring a fine collection of books.
While
the Academy belongs to the post-Independence period, most of Mussoorie's
institutions date back more than a century. The Waverley Convent,
a school for girls, was established in 1845 and has commemorated
150 years of distinguished existence. While some of its buildings
were destroyed in an earthquake in the early years of this century,
then by a fire, and then again in the recent earthquake, Waverley
still retains much of the old-world architectural charm.
Wynberg
Allen School was founded in 1888. Saint George's, Woodstock, Hampton
Court - all these schools have traditions hallowed by time. They
belong to a different genre, of course, but the creeper festooned
Savoy Hotel, Hakman's Grand Hotel with its wood flooring, and Mullingar
Hotel - the oldest only extant building built in 1829, have become
institutions by themselves over the years.
The
Indo-Tibetan Border Police Academy is of relatively recent vintage,
but of strategic importance, as is the Defense Institute of Work
Studies.
Season,
the cable cars swing between the Hall and Gun Hill more than 100
times a day.
MUSSOORIE
(Excursion)
Naga Tibba
About
55km, an ideal spot for trekking. Naga Tibba is the highest peak
around Mussoorie at 10,000 feet and is covered by thick forests.
Dhanolti
On
Mussoorie-Tehri Road 25km away, it has deodhar forests and mountainscapes.
Surkhanda
Devi
Surkhanda
Devi Temple at 10,000 feet, 35 km down the Mussoorie - Tehri road.
Perched on a peak, the temple demands a stiff two-km climb form
devotees. The temple, goes the legend, was built on the site where
the head of Shiva's consort (Shiva is the destroyer in the Hindu
trinity) fell after it was chopped off to stop Shiva's terrifying
dance of death that was shaking the universe to its very core.
Lakha
Mandal
80 km away on the Mussoorie-Yamunotri Road. Linked
with the Mahabharata with idols of archaeological importance.
MUSSOORIE
(When to visit )
Mussoorie
is a hill station which has pleasant climate around the year. It
is a very cool place with greenery at its full bloom during September
to November. The best seasons to visit Mussoorie is between April
to June and again during September to November. When the plains
of North India experience heat waves, Mussoorie provides a welcome
break. September - November is spring time here. During this season
Himalayas are clearly visible. It is better to avoid monsoons as
the roads to Mussoorie are in bad shape. Same thing applies for
the winter when roads are blocked due to snowfallMUSSOORIE (Travel
Information)
There
are regular flights from Delhi to Doon Valley (Jolly Grant). From
the Jolly Grant airport, taxis and buses ply to Dehradun, from where
they go up to Mussoorie (2¼ hours, 60 km).
The
overnight Mussoorie Express links Delhi to Dehradun, the railhead
for Mussoorie.
Delhi
to Mussoorie is 290 km by road. Dehradun to Mussoorie is 35 km.
There are direct buses from Delhi to Mussoorie, along with private
taxis. Buses ply every half hour from Dehradun to Mussoorie. Private
taxis and shared taxis are favored by a majority of visitors.
MUSSOORIE
- LOCAL TRANSPORT
Hand
pulled rickshaws, taxis and cars are not allowed on the Mall, but
can move in other motorable parts of Mussoorie.
MUSSOORIE
(Accommodation)
Mussoorie
has more than a hundred hotels to choose.
MUSSOORIE(What
to Wear)
In
summer, light woolens are advisable while heavy woolens are a necessity
during winter.
The
summer season extends from April to June. The winter season is from
September to December.
Area
: 65 sq km
Altitude : 2005.5
m
Temperature in Summer :
31.2°C(max);7.2°C(min)
Temperature in Winter :
7.2°C(max);1.1°C(min)
Languages : Hindi
and English
Best Time to Visit :
April-June and September-October
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