HEADLINES:  

INTRODUCTION

The name Mussoorie derives its name from plants of Mussoorie found in abundance here. After discovery, this place gradually developed as a centre of education, business, tourism and beauty. The hill station of Mussoorie came into being around the 1830s.

The queen of hill stations is about 89 kms from Haridwar and the salubrious climate and deep woods makes it an ideal hill station.Mussoorie was named after a place in England. Mussoorie at a height of around 7000 ft above the sea level straddles a ridge in the Garhwal Himalayas, developing into a major tourist destination.  

ORIENTATION

Mussoorie is located at an altitude of about 2005.5 m from sea level on the foothills of the Himalayas.

HISTORY

The "Queen of Hills" Mussoorie was first discovered by the Captain Young and his friend Mr. Shore in year 1825 when they wanted to escape from the scorching heat of the plains and thus soon Mussoorie started to develop into a holiday resort. Mussoorie is named after a shrub called Mansur which is grows wild and is quite common in the Himalayan foothills. A unique feautre of the houses here is that most of them are named after the native places of those who first built and lived in them.

There was a popular novelist and newspaper proprietor named John Lang, who was the correspondent of Charles Dickens. One of John Langs writing on a typical Mussoorie "season,” was published in a magazine written by Charles Dickens named Household Words in the issue of March 21, 1857. In 1959, Dalai Lama established a Tibetan Government of Exile at Mussoorie, which was later shifted to Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

The best season to visit Mussoorie is between the months of April and June and again between September and November.

FAIRS AND FESTIVALS

AUTUMN FESTIVAL

The major festival of Mussoorie is the Autumn festival which is celebrated with great enthusiasm for a period of nearly 10 days. The festival is organized by the Municipal Board and is honoured by distinguished guests like the Chief Minister, Governor and other ministers. The festival is highlighted with events like roller skating shows, fireworks, theatre plays, sporting events etc.

SUMMER FESTIVAL

The Summer festival is mainly celebrated to enhance the educational knowledge in the form of cultural events and other associated programms.The festival is highlighted with events like seminars and debates, cultural parades and other entertaining programms like drawing competition, folk dance performances, game shows, magic shows etc.These events are organized by Nagar Palika Parishad of Mussoorie and judged by eminent scholars from the respective fields.

THE BHADRAJ FAIR

The Bhadraj Fair which attracts a lot of visitors falls in the month of August and is organized by the Bhadraj temple.

PLACES OF INTERESTS

GUN HILL

Gun Hill which is supposed to be the second highest peak in Mussoorie got its name so because prior to independence, a midway gun fire enabled residents to adjust their watches at 12 noon.

You can reach Gun Hill by a rope car which is about 400m long or by bridle path which takes atleast 40 minutes starting from the Kutchery on The Mall. From Gun Hill one can get a beautiful view of the Doon valley and splendor view of the Himalayan range.

KEMPTY FALL

Kempty fall is situated at a distance of about 13kms from Mussoorie on the Chakrata road. The waterfall gushes from an altitude of about 4300 ft between valleys. This place is surrounded by mountains. It is a spot ideal for picnics especially for the locals. 

CAMEL'S BACK ROAD

The Camel’s back road covers a total distance of about 3 km starting from Kulri and ends at the library. It is a pleasant walk or horse ride with a camels rock enroute.From here one can get a beautiful view of the sunrise and the sunset of the Himalayas.

COMPANY GARDEN

This is a beautifully done garden which accommodates a number of species o floras and is situated at a distance of about 4 km from city bus stop. This ideal for an evening or a weekend picnic, especially for the localities of Mussoorie.

MUSSOORIE LAKE

Mussoorie.Mussoorie Lake is an ideal spot for picnic on Dehradun Mussoorie road.

CLOUDS END

Clouds End is a resort located at a distance of about 8 km from library amidst thick forest rich in a variety of flora and fauna. This was initially a bungalow built by a British Major in 1838.

SHOPPING

A tour to any place is incomplete without shopping. Mussoorie is famous for carved wooden boxes, brass statues of Hindu deities and Buddhas, Tibetan prayer wheels, ceramic Chinese vases and hand carved wooden walking sticks made from oak. The shopping areas in Mussoorie can often been seen with Tibetan products along with items like fabric wall hangings, cane baskets and jewellery. Mussoorie is also famous for antique items like furniture which are especially got from the old British houses. The main area of tourist attraction for shopping in Mussoorie is the Mall road which sells clothes and apparels of different brands. Kulri is another area for shopping.

HOW TO REACH

By Air

The Jolly Grant airport is just a mere 24 kms from Dehradun. Regular flights from air India and air Deccan are available from Delhi to the place.

By Trains

There is also good network of railways till Dehradun, the nearest railhead at a distance of 34 kms from Mussoorie. It is also one of the major railway terminuses, which is connected to all the other major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Howrah, and other major cities of North India. If one wants to take a leisure trip then trail to Mussoorie is best suited for the purpose.

By Road

Mussoorie is also well connected by the Government run Buses and state transport Vehicles.