mussoorie - Uttar Pradesh

Located at an altitude of 2000 m above sea level, mussoorie, is sprawled over a horse - shoe shaped ridge. Easily accessible from Delhi, mussoorie is one of the prime hill resorts of the country. It offers some breathtaking views of the snowclad Himalayan peaks of western Garhwal, as well as of the Dehradun valley below. It was in the 1820s, that the area was 'discovered' by Captain Young. It grew in popularity amongst the British officials, who craved for some respite from the heat and grime of the plains. By the mid - 19th century, mussoorie became a flourishing resort, with its famous Mall, a long promenade, that was the hub of the town's activity.

What to See

The Mall, the nerve - centre of mussoorie, faces Dehradun, and distant snowclad peaks can be spotted from the summit of Gun Hill, 2142 m above sea level. A 400 m ' Ropeway' cable - car ride links Gun Hill with the Mall. Another tourist attraction is the Childers Lodge, the highest vantage point in the vicinity, 5 km east of the Mall. Lal Tibba, is the highest point in mussoorie at 2,438 m, five km from the centre of the town. 15 kms from mussoorie, along the Chakrata road are the famous Kempty Falls, which are a popular tourist site. The stretch of land from the Falls to the Yamuna gorge, which houses gorals (mountain goats), a few leopards, and a teeming avianfauna population, is being called a sanctuary.

The Mossey Falls, (6 kms), and the Bhatta Falls (12 kms) are the other places worth seeing around mussoorie. 24 kms away from the resort, on the Tehri road, is Dhanoulti, a picturesque spot, beyond which is the Sukhanda Devi temple, perched at an altitude of 3021 m, the highest point in the outlying area. 45 km away from mussoorie, the shrine is reached, after a dramatic 3 km climb to the summit, which offers a fantastic panoramic view of neverending stretches of pristine snow.

How to Get There

By air: The nearest airport is at Bhuntar (50 km).

Rail: The nearest railhead is at Dehradun, which has trains plying to and from Delhi, Mumbai and Calcutta.

Road: UP Roadways operates regular bus - trips from Simla, Haridwar and Delhi to Dehradun; from Dehradun to mussoorie.