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Lansdowne - a place to discover your inner self

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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. 

Bhulla Taal
Rabbit cage


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”. 

View from Tip N Top
The pain, the pleasure, the part of life – I am destined to live.

By Tarita Kulkani
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