Trifter

Have you ever visited Mussouri? No! You have surely missed something. This happens to be the first reaction of the questioner if he/she finds the respondent naïve of Mussouri. What makes people go crazy of this hill station situated a few kilometers from Dehradun, the capital of Uttaranchal (now Uttarakhand) in Northern India? Well, it’s just the exquisiteness of Mussouri that has been appealing travelers across the globe for decades. Do you want to follow footsteps of others and enter the city? Go through the following info then.

Mussouri  or Mussoorie  is a city and a municipal board, located about 34 km from Dehradun and in Dehradun district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The hill station is situated at the foothills of the Himalaya ranges and is known as the Queen of the Hills. The adjoining town of Landour includes a military cantonment and is considered part of ‘greater Mussoorie’, as are the townships of Barlowganj and Jharipani. What is the average altitude of the city? Well, it is of 2,000 meters (6,600 ft) but with green hills and varied flora and fauna, Mussouri is regarded as the embodiment of a fascinating hill resort.

Just imagine this. Once the windowpanes of your holiday resort’s room are opened, you can have snow ranges to the north-east, glittering views of the Doon Valley and Shiwalik ranges in the south. Isn’t this enthralling? Truly it is and at times (if you are indeed fortunate) you can perceive Lal Tibba with a height of over 7000ft, the highest point.

It should be stated that the credit goes to the British Raj for discerning the city’ essence, charm and turning it into a wonderful tourist destination. It was in 1825 when Captain Young, an adventurous British military officer, with a Mr. Shore, the resident Superintendent of Revenues at Dehradun explored the present site and jointly constructed a shooting lodge. However the situation changed from tip to toe when in 1827 a sanitarium was built at Landour, it later became a large cantonment. Colonel Everest built a home here in 1832, and by 1901 its population was 6461, rising to 15,000 in the summer season. It was also the British government that in 1900 linked up railway to Dehradun.

The present day Mussouri is certainly different from that time even though traces of British influence can still be found. Due to its strategic position (located at the foothills of Himalayas) the city enjoys a very cold weather during winter (coming to below 0 C) along with snowfall.  During this time Mussouri looks covered in the blanket of shining snow and hence, the best time to visit is from mid-March to mid-November. Well, one may get heavy downpours in the monsoon months of July to September but it enables the hill station to attain a new height of glory.

What are the other attractions of Mussouri? The city boasts of an assortment of tourist points consisting of beautiful valleys, great Himalayas, waterfalls and Indo-China border which is also visible. The foremost of them include Lake Mist, Municipal garden, Mussoorie Lake, Childer’s lodge, Kempty falls (majestic picnic spot), Company Garden (during winter has beautiful collection of flowers and plants), Happy Valley (small and first Tibetan temple in India, constructed in 1960 by the Tibetan refugees), Lal Tibba, Dhanaulti (about 24 kilometers from Mussouri). The city also possesses India’s largest roller skating rink.

You can also roam in the Mall that has several shops offering the local handicrafts items along with the popular walking sticks (best for traversing rugged terrain).

Transport of Mussouri is good and the government is taking initiatives increasingly to make it a better destination of tourism. All these endeavors have made the city’s communication with Delhi and major cities convenient. It is called the “Gateway” to Yamunotri and Gangotri Shrines of Northern India. The closest rail station is Dehradun and taxis along with cycle rickshaws, auto rickshaws, buses are easily available.

Lots of hotels including five star deluxe and budget are there in the city. These are Hotel Jaypee Residency Manor, Hotel Honeymoon Inn, Hotel Shiva Continental, Hotel Claridges Nabha, Surbee Resorts, Ashiyana Continental and others. The peak season of Mussouri is during winter months of December to February. So be careful.