
Mussorie :
Mussorie is popularly
known as the "Queen of the Hills".
This beautiful hill station is just
34 km from Dehradun and is located
at an altitude of 2003 meters above
sea level. One of the most beautiful
hill stations of India, Mussoorie is
a favorite of most of the North
Indians. Just a few hours away from
Delhi, Mussorie is also preferred as
a weekend getaway during the summer
months. For people who like to mix
pleasure with business, Mussoorie is
an ideal destination. Mussoorie is
also close to the major pilgrimage
sites of Uttaranchal like Kedarnath,
Badrinath, Gangotri, Yamunotri,
Haridwar and Rishikesh.
The place
remained undiscovered until 1820
when Captain Young of the British
army was influenced by the natural
beauty of the place and made it his
home. Mussoorie gets its name from
the plants of 'Mussoorie' that are
found in abundance here. After its
discovery, this hill station
gradually developed as a center of
education, tourism and business.
Mussoorie
has many places of interest like the
Kempty Falls, Gun Hill, Nag Devta
Temple, Mussoorie Lake, Camel's back
road, Tibetan Refugee Center and Lal
Tibba View Point. Besides these
places, one can also visit the
Dhanaulti meadows and pine forests,
Sarkunda Devi temples, Golf Course
at Dehradun and go for river rafting
at Rishikesh.
Nainital :
Nainital is the land of green hills
and lakes. Perhaps one of the most
popular hill stations in North
India, Nainital is also known for
its many legends and stories. There
are hundreds of ancient temples and
peaks with outstanding views of the
mountains in the background that add
to Nainital's evergreen charm.
The center point
of
Nainital is the Naini Lake after
which this town is named. Some
believe that Nainital owes its name
to the temple of Naini Devi that was
destroyed in a landslide in 1880.
There are
many places in Nainital that are
worth visiting. The China Peak is
the highest peak of Nainital and is
a challenge to many trekkers. Snow
View is located about 3 km from the
town and is accessible only through
a cable car. This point offers a
breathtaking view of the 350 km long
Himalayan range. Hanuman Garhi is a
famous temple of Lord Hanumanji and
is just three km from Nainital. View
Point at a majestic height of 2300
meters is just five km from the main
town is a tourist spot offering
glimpses of the Himalayan ranges and
the lower forested ridges. An ideal
place to spend a quiet moment. There
are many tourist places around
Nainital that can be visited while
in Nainital. Bhimtal, 23 km from
Nainital is a little town with oak
tree forests that have their own
wildlife species. The Lake at
Bhimtal is excellent for boating
expeditions.
Sat Tal, 21
km from Nainital is a haven for
people who love fishing. Originally
a cluster of seven lakes, Sat Tal
today has only five since two lakes
have dried up. A large part of Sat
Tal is really the estate of the
Methodist Church, South Asia branch.
An ashram founded by the late Rev.
Stanley Jones, evangelist, holds
camp for young people every year.
Almora :
The
cultural capital of Kumaon, Almora
is one of the three hill districts
of Kumaon. The other two districts
are Nainital and Pithoragarh. Almora
owing to its natural splendor is
referred to as the unspoilt child of
nature. Almora is situated on a
three-mile long horse-shoe shaped
ridge and is surrounded by four hill
ranges - Banari Devi, Shayahi Devi,
Kasar Devi and Katarnal. The first
three peaks have temples of Godesses
while Katarnal has an ancient Sun
Temple. Almora has a museum
that is a storehouse of information
about the cultural heritage of
Kumaon. There is a deer park on the
outskirts of the city. The Nanda
Devi temple in the heart of the city
is a must for visitors. There are
many tourist places near Almora that
can be visited while staying in
Almora. Bajinath situated on the
banks of the Gomti (a local river)
in Garur Valley, is an idyllic
place. It is famous for its 13th
century temples. Jageshwar has a
group of Shiva temples and is on the
Almora-Pithoragarh road and is
situated in a densely wooded
beautiful narrow valley. The temples
were constructed in the 13th
century. They are a marvel to see
for their artistic beauty and
craftsmanship. Jageshwar is among
the 12-jyotir lingas in the country.
Bageshwar
and Sitalakhet are other places of
interest. Bageshwar is one of the
main camping sites for the journey
to Pindari Glacier, which is
situated at a height of 3,820
meters. Kafni Glacier is also close
by (3,860 meters) and Sitalakhet is
an upcoming tourist resort on the
Shayahi Devi hill.
Dehradun :
Dehradun is one of the oldest cities
of India and the Provisional Capital
of Uttaranchal. Located at a height
of 2,200 feet above sea level and
nestled in the
Himalayas, the beautiful Doon Valley
is known as the "Abode of Drona".
Dehradun is a popular tourist
destination owing to its natural
beauty and numerous religious and
historical places. The
city has the Himalayas to its north,
the Shivalik range to its south, the
sacred Ganges to its east and the
Yamuna to its west. Dehradun is the
part of Garhwal Himalayan region,
which was earlier known as Kedar
Khand. The idyllic location of
Dehradun endows it with a pleasant
climate that makes the city a
popular getaway in the summers. The
places of interest in Dehradun
include Robber's Cave, Tapkeshwar
Temple, Tapovan, Malsi Deer Park,
Kalinga edicts built by Emperor
Ashoka, Buddhist Monastries and
Forest Research Institute. The
Central Braille Press or Rashtriya
Drishtibaditarth Sansthan Bharat is
the largest producer of Braille
texts in India. As a Hill Station in
India, Dehradun is also home to the
famed schools of the order of Doon
School and Welhams as elite centers
of learning in India. Apart from
being a much sought after Hill
Station in India, they qualify Doon
valley to be a star class
educational center.
Mukteshwar
:
Mukteshwar in the Kumaon region of
Uttaranchal is located at a height
of 2286 meters above sea level.
Mukteshwar is located at a distance
of 42 km from Haldwani and 51 km
from Nainital. Much like
other hill stations in Uttaranchal,
Mukteshwar
offers
a panoramic view of the Himalayas
and leisurely walks through the
winding paths of the hills. The
center of attraction in Mukteshwar
is the Mukteshwar Temple. The temple
is at a height of 2315 meters and
can be approached by stone stairs
only. The Mukteshwar Temple is
dedicated to Lord Shiva and consists
of a Lingam made of white marble.
The idols of Brahma, Vishnu, Parvati,
Ganesh, Nandi and Hanuman surround
the lingam. Adjacent to the temple
is the Chauli Jail. It is a belief
amongst locals that barren women are
blessed with a child if they touch
this jail. Indian Veterinary
Research Institute was established
in 1898. The campus of the institute
has various departments for
Research, Animal Nutrition, Genetics
and Bacteriology along with a
library and a museum. Special
permission is required to enter the
campus of the institute.
Ranikhet :
Ranikhet is a quaint
little hill station tucked in the
hills of Uttaranchal. Conceived by
the British, Ranikhet has an old
army cantonment from the British
era. Ranikhet is a little town with
unspoilt natural beauty.
Located at a height of 1829 meters,
Ranikhet is the
apex
of a triangle, which includes
Nainital and Almora. Ranikhet
Uttaranchal offers an excellent view
of the great Himalayan peak of Nanda
Devi (7816 m). Travelers can take a
walk around the town and its sylvan
surroundings. The Jhula Devi temple
and the Chaubatia orchards are
within walking distance, south of
the main Mall Road. Bhaludham, 3 km
away, is an artificial lake. Upat
Kalika, 4 km north of Ranikhet and
on the main road to Almora, offers
panoramic view of the Himalayan
ranges and has a nine-hole golf
course.
There are a
number of places to visit near
Ranikhet. The famous tourist center
of Nainital is 59 km from Ranikhet.
Nainital is famous for its Naini
Lake and a number of picnic spots in
and around it. Almora is 50 km from
Ranikhet, is famous for its health
resorts and panoramic views of the
Himalayan ranges. Dwarahat, 38 km
away, was once the principal seat of
the Katyuri Rajas. It is full of
ancient sculptures. Sitalakhet (35
km), Tarikhet (8 km) and Khairna (22
km) are some of the places that one
can visit from Ranikhet. |