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Mossoorie,
located some 250 miles north of Delhi, capital
of India, is among the most popular hill
stations of India, and is called the Queen among
the hill stations. It overlooks the sprawling
Doon valley and the city of Dehradun, the
gateway to Mossoorie and infact to the entire
Garhwal.
Mossoorie, a hill resort at a height of around
7000 ft above the sea level, straddles a ridge
in the Garhwal Himalayas - a region which is
developing into a major tourism destination. The
holy and mighty river Ganga is visible from one
end of the ridge and another famous river Jamuna
from the other, a stretch of around twelve miles
in all, from Cloud's end in the west to
Jabarkhet in the east.
Although Mossoorie, as a hill station was
established only as back as in 1823, it has
quite an intriguing past.
Mossoorie was never an official summer capital
unlike Simla - a hill station in the state of
Himachal Pradesh which was the summer capital of
the British Indian government and even unlike
Nainital - the summer capital of the united
provinces government in British India. Mossoorie
always remained unofficial - for the affairs of
heart. It has always been a gossipy place - with
an air of informality and a tradition of romance
- The Honeymoon capital of India.
Fact File
Location :30 Km from Dehradun, Garhwal
Himalayas, State of Uttararanchal, India
Area : 64 - 24 Sq. Km.
Altitude : 2005.5 mts.
Best Season : The town is
accessible all year round. For those who wish to
avoid the cold, the best season is between April
and June and again between September and
November. Summer months will require light
woollen clothing and winter- heavy woollen.
Tourist Attractions
Gun
Hill : This is a pleasant 20-minute walk by
a bridle path that forks of from Mall Road near
Kutchery. A ropeway ride is also available to
this second highest peak of Mossoorie. The
distance by ropeway is only 400 meters. Gun hill
offers a beautiful panoramic view of the
Himalayan ranges namely Bunderpunch, Shrikanta,
Pithwara and Gangotri group and a bird's eye
view of Mossoorie town and the Doon valley.
Prior to Indian independence (1947), a gun
mounted on this hill used to be fired at mid-day
to enable the people to adjust their watches;
hence its name.
Kempty Falls : Buses or taxis can be
taken to the waterfall, 15 km from Mossoorie on
the Yamnotri Road at an altitude of 4500 feet.
It has the distinction of being the largest and
prettiest waterfall in the valley and is
surrounded by high mountains. The stream flowing
through a valley falls over a precipice and
achieves its full intensity during the monsoons.
Municipal Garden : This picnic spot has a
beautiful garden and an artificial mini lake
with boating facilities. It is located at a
distance of 4 km if you take the main road and
is only 2 km on foot via the Convent road.
Camel's Back Road : The lovely promenade
starts from Kulri Bazar near Rink Hall and ends
at Library Bazaar making for a total distance of
3 kms. It is a popular road for walking or
riding and is a grand spot from which to view
the sunset. When viewed from near the Mossoorie
Public School the spot resembles a camel's back.
Nag Devta Temple : An ancient temple
situated about 6 kms from Mossoorie. It provides
a charming view of Doon Valley and Mossoorie. |