Devalsari, an unexplored tourist spot
Ajay Ramola
Tribune News Service
Mussoorie, March 6
Devalsari, situated at a height of 1,722m, is surrounded by a whispering Deodar forest and lush green meadows of the adjacent Bangsil village in Jaunpur block of Tehri district.
A well-equipped Forest Rest House here was built in 1935 by the Britishers. The place has the potential to emerge as a green tourist destination but is still escaping the government attention.
For school students in and around Mussoorie, Devalsari has been an important getaway since ages where they prefer to camp and enjoy amid salubrious and tranquil environment. The adventure enthusiasts, who begin their 7-km trekking journey from Devalsari to the Nag Tibba Peak, are mesmerised on coming across varied species of colourful butterflies, birds, barking deers and squirrels making it a must-visit place in Uttarakhand.
The area despite having all beauties to attract the visitors is yet to be identified on the international tourism map yet, say local residents of Bangsil village, adjacent to Devalsari.
Residents of the village are irked that the area has not caught the attention of government officials, who boast of promoting tourism by creating new destinations for the tourists and generating employment.
Surat Singh, Dhan Shyam, Arun Gaur, Prem Singh Rana and other villagers are of the view that Devalsari can give both Dhanaulti and Mussoorie a run for money but the area despite such qualities is not visible to government officials who have failed to bring in development so far.
The area is also blessed with an ancient temple dedicated to Koneshwar Mahadev and with water springs passing through can become a source of employment to a large population that has been living a life of neglect. The area requires basic amenities such as a primary healthcare centre, good schools and accessible tourist sites which is yet to reach the area, said Prem Singh Rana.
He further said as most of the officials and public representatives resided in Mussoorie or Dehradun, they are not keen in developing the area due to vested interests.
Mussoorie DFO Saket Badola said the Forest Department realised the potential of the area and was in the process of developing it into a prominent eco-tourism destination with the help of Japan International Cooperation Agency and funds from the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority.
Under this project, Devalsari forest rest house, which is a heritage building of sorts, will be upgraded. The tourists would be able to catch the glimpses of barking deer, sloth bear, yellow-throated martin and several bird and butterfly species, said Saket Badola.
“We are also trying to develop Devalsari as a base camp for trekking to Nag Tibba, which is around 3,022 m (9,915 ft) height. The proposal has been sent to the government and as soon as the department gets the nod, it will begin the work on it,” said Badola.
