Rediscovering Mussoorie

After my marriage in Dec, 06, I visited Mussoorie for the first time in my life. My wife – Priya and I were visiting my in-laws who stay in Mussoorie. I had read and heard a lot about Mussoorie’s beauty. However, on my first trip I was a little disappointed. Mussoorie seemed to be a very commercial place with hotels, shops, and other commercial establishments all along Mall Road – the main road that runs across Mussoorie.

I had arrived in Mussoorie after a relatively long trip to Sikkim which I had found to be one of the most beautiful places that I had ever visited. My trip to Mussoorie was for a couple of days which didn’t give me enough time to explore the area . Both these factors were responsible for my initial disappointment to a large extent.

However, this was something that was going to change on my subsequent trips to Mussoorie in the years to come…
…Sensing my disappointment on my first visit to Mussoorie, Priya decided to take me around her hometown. This is when I realized that there were some nice places too provided you knew where to go.

Being the nature lover’s that we are, we first went for a walk on Camel’s Back road. Camel’s Back road is a long winding road frequented by nature lovers who visit this place for their morning and evening walks. Unlike the Mall road, this was a much better place. It was calm and the views of the Himalayas were breathtaking. As the skies were clear, the snow-capped peaks could be seen clearly. Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri are some of the peaks that are visible from Camel’s Back road.

Walking across Camel’s Back road, I realized how clean and fresh the air was. The smell of pine filled the air.
As we moved forward on Camel’s Back road, I saw a few telescopes lined up on one side of the road. These telescopes had been setup by some shopkeepers so that people could view the rock formation, Camel’s Back, after which this road is named.

I too stopped by for a look. The rock formation did look like a camel.

Along the road, there are a few Victorian bandstands. These provide shelter from the weather which is very unpredictable. One can sit at these places for hours and just gaze and admire the beauty of the mountains. We stopped by at one such bandstand which had a small shop next to it. A telescope is available at this shop for those wanting a closer look of the Himalayan peaks. After having a cup of tea over here, we moved on.

All along the road, we could see monkeys playing. They don’t bother anyone as long as they are left alone.

Soon we reached an old cemetery that dates back to the mid-nineteenth century. As the gate was closed and entry for travellers was not allowed, we could only view the graves and tombstones on the hilly slopes from a distances.

Moving towards the end of Camel’s Back road, we could see a lot of people enjoying horse rides.

Camel’s Back road ends at a point where it joins Mall Road towards Library Chowk. As soon as we moved from Camel’s Back road to Mall road, the atmosphere changed. We were back to the hustle and bustle, traffic, crowded shops and everything else that we wanted to avoid…

…After moving through the crowded Mall road, we reached the base of Gun Hill. Gun Hill is the second highest peak in Mussoorie with an altitude of 7029 feet. A cable car or trolley carries people up and down from Gun Hill. This journey takes about five minutes.

However, we decided to walk up the steep path to Gun Hill. The path was steep but the walk was worth it. Climbing up, we saw beautiful views of the Doon valley and Mussoorie.

We paused now and then to enjoy the beautiful views. It seemed crowded down below but it was so serene and tranquil as we kept moving up. Wherever you go in Mussoorie, you’ll surely find monkeys. Gun Hill was no different.

After walking for around 30 minutes we reached the top of Gun Hill. I was disappointed to see that it was crowded with shops all around. As soon as we reached, one photographer after the other started coming. They wanted us to get our photographs clicked and they promised that they’ll deliver the prints the next day. Then then were several other people who were offering local dresses on rent to get photographs clicked. We somehow managed to avoid all of them and moved forward.

The snow-capped peaks of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath were clearly visible from Gun Hill. Telescopes had been setup by some shopkeepers to provide a good view of these peaks and other places in Mussoorie.

We found a small tea shop where we sat down for some tea and snacks. While the tea was being prepared we enjoyed the views of Mussoorie and the Doon valley.

Soon the tea was ready and I must say that it was one of the best ginger tea that I have ever had. Maybe the atmosphere, the surrounding, the cool breeze and the beautiful view of the setting Sun made it even better. After spending sometime on Gun Hill, we started our walk back to our house. The changing hues of the evening sky were amazing.

It didn’t take us much time to reach Mall road. Next morning, I had to leave Mussoorie for Delhi. But, I knew that there was a lot to be explored in Mussoorie and I would be back for more…