If you get impressed with the outer embellishments of a
place easily, you may find Lansdowne not worth visiting. At the very first
sight, you may not find it a fascinating hill station with lots of scenery and
pristine surrounding. There are no nonstop views of hills covered with
lush green tress or heavy snow-capped mountains. You will not find a bustling
Mall Road to shop around , BUT the timeless charm of the cantonment town is
incomparable - the clean oblique roads, the Church of St. Mary's,
energetic dogs, a cinema hall in the town center, the discipline people
maintain, the joy that place share, and the tranquility you obtain here. Indeed,
it is a place to discover your inner self.
I visited this beautiful place in the month of April and I
enjoyed to the fullest. As I am not fascinated by the glitter and crowd much, I
liked the place very much from the day one of itself. I got the peace that I
was yearning since long. To many, the place is boring and worthless in
their early stay, however, as the time passes, the place successfully accesses
the heart of its visitor and beckons them to stay some more days. The beauty of
the town grows inside you with time, the peace of the place will soothe your
soul , disciplined military men will indoctrinate a sense in you to grow
as a better citizen, and of course the beauty of the scene will make you
realize the "beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder". To me,
this place is extra special as I visited the place with extra special person.
Lush green surrounding
Spending quality time in the little town will enlighten you
about real satisfaction in life, the kind of joy human kind should rejoice, the
joy of living peacefully without greed, and the healthy lifestyle practiced by
retired colonel. Indeed, this joy cannot be reinstated by attractive souvenir
shops and conjure restaurants.
About this place:
Lansdowne was named after the then Viceroy of India, Lord
Lansdowne who came here in 1884. This beautiful place is positioned at 1700
meters above sea level in Uttarakhand. It is the home to the Garhwal Rifle. The
nearest railway station is Kotdwar.
One should pack woolens, regardless of the season of visit.
Weather keeps changing very often. Even if you are planning to visit this small
rundown town in summer, you should keep at least one sweatshirt and thin
blanket. The place can be visited all round the year. Winter gives you scenic
beauty of the pristine surrounding to savor. In, summer you can soothe
yourself after visiting this calm place.
GMVN (Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam) can be the best
accommodation option in budget. Fairydale Resort is also a good option but it
may pinch your pocket. There are some small guest houses as well in the town.
These guest houses will cost you little bit costlier in comparison to guest
houses in other hill towns such as Shimle, Manalai, or Mussoorie.
Important places to visit:
Bhulla Taal
Bhulla Taal is an interesting point of sightseeing. It is a
forested area with an emerald green lake in its center. Enjoy pedal boat rides
while feeding swans in the lake is a great experience. I liked it
the most and visited this place twice during my 4 days stay in the town.
It is a ideal place to spend a few leisure hours with your loved one. There is
a greenhouse and a rabbit cage. You can enjoy feeding rabbit and seeing their
bubbly acts. Simply browsing the scenery with a cup of coffee is also
wonderful. There is a well maintained canteen near the lake, where you can get
some good sorts of hot and cold beverages, snacks, South Indian, Chinese, and
North Indian cuisines. Of course, you can get scoops of your favorite ice cream
flavor from the canteen and enjoy the ambiance. You can also walk over the
bridge atop the lake and click some beautiful stills to treasure.
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| Bhulla Taal |
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| Rabbit cage |
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Garhwal Rifles Regimental War Memorial
The War Memorial, at the Parade Ground of the Garhwal Rifles
Center is another important attraction for the visitors.
Tip N Top
'Tip N Top', the highest point in Lansdowne is a great
vantage point to view the sunrise and sunset. One can also opt to stay at GMVN
log hut at “Tip N Top”.
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| View from Tip N Top |
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