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Amidst sal and sheesham forests in the foothills of the Shivalik lies nestled the valley of Doon.
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You have a glimpse of the Himalayas in the north. The mighty Ganga lies east of the town and the Yamuna to the west.
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This sylvan valley was once a heaven for retired officers. Rapid industrialization of the town has taken its toll on the scenic beauty and it remains today a gateway to Musoorie, the queen of hills.
Dehradun is fast expanding though in a somewhat haphazard fashion. The crowded main streets with buses, cars, cycles and carts, and the ubiquitous autorickshaws weaving in and out of the traffic are a symbol of this expansion. Diesel fumes hang heavy in the air, which at one time was clear and pure.
For tourists Dehradun and Musoorie come in a package. Doon being the gateway to Musoorie and much cheaper is used as a base. This town is also the gateway for visits to Haridwar and Rishikesh, the two pilgrim spots of the Hindus. It is because of Doon's gentle pace and cool environs that private boarding schools and other institutions were built here. It was a town that revolved around its institutions and schools. Possibly the Indian Military Academy is best known of the educational institutions.
This is where cadets are trained to become officers in the army. It takes two years of rigorous training before they march out. The marching out ceremony is really worth watching. Very often diving through the large estate one sees cadets hard at games or work. After a whole week of training one finds the young cadets out to enjoy themselves on Saturday evenings. You will find the main market flooded with young men in grey uniform and pretty girls dressed in their loveliest clothes.
Further down the IMA road lies the Forest Research Institute surrounded by rows and rows of tall trees. The building which sprawls gracefully from end to end with its high colonnaded verandahs is well worth seeing. The whole estate has a wonderful variety of trees which have been planted by the institute itself. The trees are old and stand graceful and green and are home for a variety of birds.
Some of the other well-known institutions are the Oil and Natural Gas Commission, the Survey of India, the Indian Institute of Wildlife and the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology. At one time the Viceroy's Bodyguard was stationed here, as this was the summer headquarters. They came in March and left for Calcutta in October.
Coming to the schools, the Doon school is set in a large and beautiful estate. It is among the best known schools in the country. Other schools are Welhams both for boys and girls, and the Convent of Jesus and Mary, which has branches in other parts of the country also.
The British had at one time tried planting tea around Dehradun because of the suitable climate. Some tea estates which are not really functional still stand on the outskirts of the town. Dehradun however has a number of lychee, mango and guava orchards. The best lychees come from these hills. The months of June and July sees trees laden with red lychees. Nurseries for seedlings and some rare plants can also be located in the valley.
On the outskirts of the city one finds a Tibetan settlement. These are the Tibetan refugees who fled from China with the Dalai Lama. You will find fine carpets made by them and you can also ask them to weave you a carpet. They also have a market in the heart of town where they sell imported goods.
Dehradun's history dates back to 250 B.C. and Ashoka's inscription at Kalsi on the outskirts is proof. There are 14 edicts carved on this rock. Also near Kalsi is the site of three horse sacrifices, by Raja Shilvarma of the Vrisheri dynasty. Large bricks with writing on them are laid out in the shape of a huge bird with a fire altar in the middle. Historians think that Shilvarma ruled in the 3rd century just before the Guptas.
There is no dearth of scenic spots. About 15 kilometers from the town is Sahastradhara, which has a sulphur spring. The medicinal waters of the spring are used for drinking and bathing. Once the surrounding hills in this area were well forested but today; the area has a denuded look. However all efforts are being made by the residents to reforest the area.
Parts of the Doon valley are still thickly forested. These have been declared sanctuaries. There are three sanctuaries in the area basically all a part of the same forest block. These are called Rajaji, Chilla and Motichur sanctuaries. There are still some elephant herds, leopards, tigers, fishing ghurals and a varied bird life. Each of these places has a forest rest house for those who want to stay. Musoorie is just 35 kilometers away from Dehradun. It takes around 90 minutes to reach there by bus.
Landour, as the older part of Musoorie is known, is perhaps the oldest hill station. Captain Young, who established the town by building its first house, can be called the founding father. His house which was built in 1829 still stands below Landour. Musoorie straddles a horseshoe shaped ridge. On a clear day one can see the Himalayan ranges in the north in all their splendour. Fabled peaks, Swargarohini, Bandarpoonch, the Gangotri Massif, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Nilkanth and on the extreme right Nanda Devi and Trishul, can be viewed in one unbroken line. The silver threads of the Ganga and Jamuna can also be seen meandering along the green valley and then disappearing when the eye can focus no further.
Incidentally, the man who surveyed the subcontinent, George Everest, lied in Musoorie from 1832 to 1843. He was the Surveyor-General of India. An interesting story about him tells how he kept a luscious harem behind his bungalow. Today this Bibi Khana stands in ruins. It is known as Park Estate and is just a few minutes drive from the centre of town.
Musoorie today is a bustling town. As one drives up there is evidence of much building activity, multi-storied buildings and cottages taking shape on precarious hillsides. Every second or third house is either a private hotel or a school. The once wooded hillsides are quite bare. In summer and autumn which are the main tourist seasons, crowds converge on the Mall Road which is the centre of town. Sometimes in the evening there is hardly place to walk. Shops which have no local handicrafts worthy of note except for some fine walking sticks, do brisk business in goods brought up from the plains. An aerial ropeway which starts from near Hackman's on the Mall will take you up to Gun Hill for an overall view. There are crowds milling around the starting point waiting to go up. Gun Hill was so named because in the old days a gun kept there was fired at mid-day to denote the time. Today there is no gun but the hilltop is quite popular.
The Mall boasts of eating houses of all types form south Indian to Chinese cuisine. The Kulri Bazaar has shops which offer Indian fare. In keeping with the times a new and rather good pizza parlour is the latest addition on the Mall. It seemed very popular, we tried the food and found it good.
In pre-war summers Musoorie had the reputation of being a carefree fun loving hill station. It had no bureaucrats, no visible hierarchical system as Shimla and Nainital, where the governments moved up for the summer. No one wore a social strait jacket. It had a great reputation for being a place for amours and secret liaisons. Indeed, in one of the better-known hotels, they rang a bell just before dawn; so that the pious may say their prayers and the impious may get back to their own beds!
Hackman's on the Mall had some luscious cabaret artistes who were reputed to have performed at Monte Carlo. Hackman's is still a running hotel but nowhere near its former glory. The Savoy was the grandest hotel in Musoorie. It was a p lace where every one came in holiday in style. It was built in 1902, even though there was no proper road and no lorries - everything was brought up by bullock-cart. It was in the gay twenties that the Savoy had its heyday - gorgeous balls were held, often in fancy dress, perfumed ladies and tuxedoed gentlemen danced to the music of banks, which came all the way form Europe. The famous and the wealthy lived as guests including bejeweled maharajas who occupied whole suites and threw lavish parties. There was a glamorous atmosphere about the place, which drew everyone to it. Pandit Nehru used to holiday here. Exiled heads of state like Haile Selassie and the Dalai Lama have also been on the guest list of the Savoy. The splendid days have gone but the Savoy still stands serenely in its setting of ancient deodar trees. If the imagination is extended one can picture something of its former glory.
Musoorie's roller skating rinks are very popular with the younger set of tourists. Others like long walks. For trekkers this town is a convenient base. Roads from here lead to Gangotri and Yamunotri and Black Peak area, Har-Ki-Doon and other treks in the Garhwal Himalayas and to nearby Himachal Pradesh.
Two old graveyards, one on Camel's Back Road and the other at Landour have some old interesting graves if you like wandering around. There are generals, tummies, authors, children and memsahibs. A good way to spend a lazy afternnon if you want to recapture a sense of the past. A good way to spend the evening if you want to brush shoulders with ghosts! Musoorie like all hill stations has its fair share of ghost stories, mostly perpetuated by school children.
One can drive down to Kempty Falls, which is about half an hour away on a motorable road. There are plenty of people viewing the water, which splits into five distinct falls. When we went a film team from Bombay was there. Everyone was very excited about the film starts!
On some days the water is used for irrigation and the magnificent spectacle is denied to the tourist.
Dhanoulti, which lies on the Tehri road about 25 kilometers from Musoorie, is a charming little hamlet set in deodar groves. A nice peaceful spot to picnic in. Here again the Himalayas offer a splendid picture. The air is clear and wildflowers dot the glens and roadsides.
GETTING THERE
Dehradun is located in the lower Shivaliks, the lowest Himalayan ranges. It is 320 kilometers from Delhi. Musoorie is 35 kilometers beyond Dehradun.
By Train
Dehradun is connected with all major north Indian cities by train. An overnight rail journey from Delhi.
By Road
Deluxe bus service connections available from Delhi. A six-hour journey. Frequent bus service from Dehradun to Musoorie. Taxis also available.
Courtesy : Discover India
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