There is calm all around me. Peering over a ledge overlooking the green valley, I could see all of Mussoorie. Located some 2,500 km away from Bangalore — the bustling IT capital of India from where I started my journey — this neat, little town, had a lot of character and peace to offer. One really does not have to go halfway across the world to eat, pray and love. Mussoorie is good enough, I thought.
In comparison, the battle to get a lung-full of fresh air was easily won. The struggle to hear the sounds of nature, was easily overcome. The undying craving to watch nature in its full glory was easily satiated. The blissful setting almost led my mind into another world. There were many more battles to be won and senses to be satiated, but for now, the smell of freshly brewed coffee was slowly bringing me back to this world.
Hot breakfast was on the table. I was never much of an eater, but that day, for some reason, my appetite was fired up. On the prim, landscaped terrace, not so far from the ledge where I’d spent time earlier, I sinned — that is if you consider gluttony a sin. As the mist cleared, I got a better view of the beautiful town below me.
Later, my ventures into the town, revealed that it was amazingly tidy for a place which is frequented by thousands of tourists every year.
Mussoorie is about 34 km from Dehradun, Uttarakhand. A late night train from Delhi brought us to Dehradun — the closest railway station to our destination. Plenty of taxis and buses offered to ply us to the hill station. Getting to the town was no problem at all. A casual chat with the driver revealed that a good time to visit Mussoorie was between March and November. Monsoons, between July-September can cause some trouble as it can get really cloudy and humid out there, the driver said. But then, it is a great time to just sit back and enjoy the weather and watch the mist clear as the day grows brighter.
We stayed at the Jaypee Residency Manor, a tastefully built hotel on a hilltop. Our plan was to stay back for two days and return to tell the tale. Now that I’ve been there and done that, I feel like giving out some free advice.
If you are the sight-seeing type, you will find a great deal to see there. You should check out the Gun Hill, and Kempty falls, a nice picnic spot. Company Garden and Happy Valley are also not far. Mall Road is the street to shop for warm clothes, and Lal Tibba is another tourist spot.
If you are the meet-the-people types, go meet Ruskin Bond. This great author of our times lives close by. Let me warn you though, the author doesn’t see too many people these days. A tourist’s best option is to find Cambridge book stall and ask them if they can set up a meeting with Ruskin Bond since they might be able to help. I also heard that Sachin Tendulkar is scouting for a place in Mussoorie. Maybe at some point, people may be lucky to meet him.
That’s not all the place has to offer. Foodies will find home made jams, freshly baked pizzas, peanut butter, other delicacies and beverages in plenty. For the adventurous, there are many treks and walks to set out on. And for someone on a soul-searching mission, there is ample quiet and vastness around you. The town is also a popular destination for honeymooning couples, mainly
because of its great weather.
Speaking of couples, I cannot resist pointing you towards a good find on my little trip. The hotel in which we stayed at had a nice spot for couples celebrating special occasions and the like.
Towards the edge of the hilltop on which the hotel was built, facing the evening sun, there was a brightly lit glass house built with a wooden roof. The view below was of the valley, lit up with hundreds of light bulbs. And the glass house surrounded by flowers and shrouded by the starry sky. Perfect, huh? That’s what I thought. It will be a while before I get to that glass house on purpose. But until then, I’m sure some of you will set great precedents.
The town is full of traditional houses converted into small tourist accommodations. One can also find a few well-equipped hotels too. New constructions have been prohibited for many years — whatever you see there are either built on old ones or actually are old ones.
The town was a seasonal tourist destination earlier, but it is slowly transforming into a year-round destination. Besides regular tourists, large “theme wedding” crowds and small getaway groups also land up in Mussoorie these days. Nevertheless, the town has enough quiet around to bring out the spiritual you. Our stay there was brief. Two days passed by like two hours. To be able to do a lot of eating, praying, loving and sight-seeing, one needs to be there for at least a week. As I boarded the bus back to Dehradun, I promised myself that I’d return for more.
Factfile
Getting there: There are some direct flights to Dehradun, but those are a more expensive option, with fares touching Rs 15,000. Another option is flying to Delhi and travelling from there. It is well-connected with Lucknow and Varanasi as well. Once in Dehradun, Mussoorie is a short bus-ride away. Taxis and buses are not hard to find.
Accommodation: For a luxe stay, try the Jaypee Residency Manor, a five-star hotel. A room costs between Rs 8,000 and Rs 24,000. Contact: 91-135-2631800/6602000, or email the hotel: reservations.jrm@jaypeehotels.com
— jayadevan@expressbuzz.com