Mussoorie Hill Station

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)

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.

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.

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 (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