Mussoorie magic
By James B. Masih

MUSSOORIE, the Queen of Hills, is situated 6000 feet above the sea level and is 32 km from Dehra Dun. This town with a population of about 30,000 has an interesting history. The place was discovered in 1825, by F.J. Shore, Superintendent of Dehra Dun, and his hunting partner Captain Young, who belonged to Sirmaur Rifles. They both went together for hunting to the hills beyond the cantonment area. One day they reached a hill spot covered with a wild grass called mansoor. They called this hill spot ‘Mansoorie’, which later changed into 'Mussoorie'. Captain Young constructed his bungalow at Mallinggar in Mussoorie. This was the first house to be built on this hill. After a year, in 1826, the British hired the whole hilly area of the Mussoorie region from the Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal on an annual rent of Rs 1,120. Taking advantage of the peaceful environment and pleasant climate of this beautiful area, the British constructed a sanitorium for the British Army at Landour. Gradually, people began to settle here and the first town corporation came into existence in 1893. After that a number of Indian maharajas and princes built their summer residences and resorts here.

This was followed by the construction of a number of hotels, restaurants, schools and cinema hall. So, the transition of Mussoorie took place from a small village, to Mussoorie a beautiful hill station. And later,Mussoorie assumed the form of a fascinating tourist summer resort.

The Mall Road, built by the English, is now a road flooded with visitors, tourists and a large number of motor-cars and vehicles plying on it. A rope-way trolley, operated from the Mall Road to Gunhill (Tope-Tibba), is one of the main attractions of Mussoorie today. It is difficult to resist the temptation of reaching Gunhill or Tope-Tibba by the ropeway and enjoying the beautiful scenery from there. There is a level ground on the top of hill. If the weather is fine, the peaks of ‘Srikant’ hills and ‘Gangotri’ ranges are clearly visible from there.

Before the expansion of the Railways and bus services, visitors to Mussoorie from far reached Ghaziabad by train and then made it to Dehra Dun by bullockcarts or tongas. After staying overnight in Dehra Dun, they reached Mussoorie either on foot or on ponies. By 1901,the train started coming up to Hardwar, and motor-vehicles started running up to Dehra Dun. From Dehra Dun, people set out for Mussoorie on foot. Even today, a number of people reach Mussoorie by this hilly route. This trek can be delightful in its own way. But in the present times, it is not safe to make this journey alone.

In 1920, the first motor-car succeeded in reaching Mussoorie. Today it is very easy to complete the journey from Delhi to Mussoorie by bus or car in just five to six hours.

There are a number of recreation spots in Mussoorie for visitors and tourists. Picture-Palace and Kulri Bazar are humming with activity throughout the year. Then the Buddha Temple and the Tibetan colonies in the Happy Valley area of Mussoorie are a must-see. The famous Surkanda Devi Temple, situated 32 km from Mussoorie on way to Chamba, is fascinating. On the same route you come across a scenic hilly spot called Dhanaulti. Newly married couples upon reaching Mussoorie make it a point to reach this secluded spot.

The Dehra Dun Mussoorie Development Authorities (MDDA) added a new attraction to this beautiful hill station in 1992 — a lake was constructed 6 km from Mussoorie. Self-propelled boats hold a great attraction for visitors. Mussoorie retains its charm as the Queen of Hills even today. But efforts will have to be made to ensure that the natural beauty of this hill station is not lost by pollution and haphazard construction.