Mussoorie or Mussorie was established in the Himalayan foothills by a British Army officer in 1827. Mussoorie got its name from the berry-covered Mansur shrub found here.
The Mussoorie hill resort is famous for the lush green hills , the varied flora and fauna and the majestic view of the Shivalik ranges. Thousands of Tourist visit this beautiful hill station every year.
Major Hindu yatra sites like Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Haridwar and Rishikesh are not far from this place. It is also known as the gateway to Yamunotri.
The beauty of Mussoorie cannot be penned down but has to be observed by oneself and to experience the real beauty what nature has to offer to us. Please keep Uttarakhand clean and be it a small effort towards Mother Nature and the future from you.
Mussoorie lies in the Dehradun district of Uttarakhand. It spreads over 6.5 sq km at an altitude of approx 2000 meters from sea level. It is surrounded by Shivalik Ranges in the south and the Doon Valley in the north. Mussoorie is surrounded by dense Sal, Coniferous, Rhododendron, Oak and Deodar forests and huge mountains peaks include (West to East) Swargarohini, Bandarpunch, Yamnotri, Jaonli, Gangotri, Srikanta, Kedarnath, Satopanth and Chaukhamba (Badrinath).
The population of Dehradun according to the 2011 census was 16,98,560 in which Mussoorie city has 30,118 with a sex ratio of 812 female per 1000 male. The literacy rate of is about 90 percent. Hindus form the majority of people in Mussoorie and Hindi and Garhwali and the major languages spoken by the people. Other languages spoken in the region are Kumaoni, Tibetan, Punjabi, English and Nepali. People of all religion live together in peace and close harmony with each other.
Almost all Hindu festivals are celebrated here in Mussoorie. The Mussoorie Winter Carnival is celebrated during the winter months between 25th December to 31st December.
Mussoorie is around 300 km from Delhi, 90 km from Rishikesh and 120 km from Haridwar and 35kms from Dehradun city. The city is divided into 11 small sub areas known as wards like The Mall, Kurli, Barlowgunj, Landour Bazaar, Jharipani and so on.
Mussoorie has a favourable climate so summers are cool and winters colder. Mussoorie receive snowfall during the winter during the months between December and February. Mussoorie can be visited any time of the year..
Mussoorie is also known as the Queen of the Hills. Mussoorie has many tourist spots which includes ancient buildings, religious temples, view points with exceptional scenic beauty as well as fun and entertainment areas. It also has other interesting tourist places like The Mall which extends from Cloud's End in the west to Rockville in the east the Municipal garden, the Tibetan School, and the National Academy of Administration.
The Mall Rd starting from Library Point and going up to the Picture Palace is a 2 kms walk. The wonderful, quiet 4km road from Kurli Bazaar to Library Point is called the Camel's Back Rd. Along the road, we can see a natural camel like rock resemblance then there is a quite small cemetery known as the Camel Back cemetery. The Gun Hill is the second highest peak and can be reached via a rope way or a small 25 minutes trek. It provides a bird's eye view of the town and the Doon school. You can get a panoramic view of the Himalayan ranges from the Gun Hill. The Botanical Company Garden is a popular tourist destination has a vast collection of flowers and plants. Happy Valley has a small Tibetan temple. This was constructed in 1960 by the Tibetan refugees and is also the first Tibetan temple built in India.
The oldest Christian church in the Himalayas, St Mary's, is situated above Mall Road. Childer's Lodge is the highest peak of Mussoorie and Lal Tibba the highest point at an altitude of 7500ft is a quite tourist spot, from where you can get a beautiful view of the snow-clad Himalayas.
Cloud End resort was built in 1838 by a British major. This place is surrounded by thick deodar forests, it is quite, peaceful and romantic around here. The place is frequented by tourists and honeymooners.
Mussoorie provides a spectacular views of the Garhwal Himalayas. The huge mountains surrounding are the mighty snow-white peaks of Bandarpoonch, Srikantha, the Gangotri group and the Chaukhamba. The winter line phenomenon of the sunset among these mountains is very famous among the tourist. It is one of its kind in the whole world.
Gun Hill offers a beautiful panoramic view of the Himalayan ranges namely Bunderpunch, Srikantha, Pithwara and Gangotri. Second highest peak of Mussoorie. Can be Enjoy the ropeway ride to the Gun Hill Point. You can also take a small 25 minutes trek from court complex on the Mall road to the Gunhill.
Mussoorie Lake is ( 6 km ) from Mussoorie. This is a newly built picnic spot. It has Boating facility for the tourists. The Mussoorie Lake provides an awesome view of the Doon Valley.
Childer's Lodge is approx ( 6 km ) from Mussoorie. It is an ideal picnic spot and also offers breathtaking views of the Doon Valley. This highest peak of Mussoorie also has Lal Tibba the highest point in Mussoorie. It was once used by the British to keep and eye on its Tibetan Borders.
The Bhatta Falls is at a distance of ( 7 kms ) from Mussoorie + 3kms walk from Bhatta Village. The fall has different ponds for bathing and water amusements. It is an ideal place for picnic and also provides a breathtaking view of the valley.
The Jharipani Falls is at a distance of ( 8.5 kms ) from Mussoorie + 1.5 kms walk from Jharipani. Good Picnic Spot.
The Mossy fall is ( 7 kms ) from Mussoorie and is surrounded by a thick dense rhodedenum forest. It is a Good and peaceful picnic spot for the tourist to visit to.
Sir George Everest, First Surveyor General of India residence and office is ( 6 kms ) from Mussoorie. The highest peak in the world, Mount Everest, is named after him. One can also try your luck on the wishing well en route.
The St. Mary Church is located on the Mall Rd in Kurli Bazaar is one of the oldest church in Uttarakhand. It gives us a vague idea of the British Era.
The The Tibetan Buddhist temple also known as Shedup Choepelling temple is located on the Happy Valley road close to the LBSNA Academy. This temple was built by the Tibetan population in Mussoorie in the year 1960 approx. The place provides a divine and peaceful atmosphere. There is also the lamp house for prayers flags and placing of lamps. .
This temple is ( 6 kms ) from Mussoorie and is dedicated to Nag Devta . The spot also offers a panoramic view of the Doon Valley.
This Jwalaji temple is at a distance of ( 11kms ) from Mussoorie and is situated on top of Benog hills and is dedicated to Mata Durga Devi. Tourists flock this place for blessings of Mata Durga.
This beautiful and calm spot is surrounded by thick deodar forests and offers a superb view of snow clad Himalayas, and the Yamuna river.
This is a popular bird sanctuary is ( 11kms ) from Mussoorie. It is a well known picnic spot for bird lovers in Mussoorie. Birds such as such as Mountain Quail ( Pahari Bater ), Ghurar, Kakar, Himalayan Peacock and Monal can be found here.
Mussoorie is home to some of India's best boarding schools. Most of there school buildings were built during the British era. Some of the well known schools are Mussoorie International School, Waverly (1845), St. George's College (1853), Woodstock School (1854), Oak Grove School (1888), Wynberg-Allen (1888), Guru Nanak Fifth Centenary (1969), Convent of Jesus, Tibetan Homes Foundation, Landour Language School, St Clare's Convent School, Mary Hampton Court, Mussoorie Modern School and Mussoorie Public School. .
The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) is located at Happy Valley, almost 1.5 kms from Library point. The offices selected by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) are trained here. The Director's office is a heritage building and the area also also houses the training academy of the Indo Tibetan Border Police Force and also provides an amazing view of Mussoorie and the surrounding areas.
Drop us your Travel Query and we will get back to you ! Get Best Rates Guaranteed !!
NOTE: Your travel enquires are passed on to our travel helpdesk who will contact you with a travel offer as per your requirements..Prices vary depending on group size, extra services, transportation & hotels offered to client. Kindly fill the form above to get the exact quote..
The Gurkhas of Nepal, once again attacked Srinagar the capital of Garhwal in the year 1803. The then King of Garhwal Parduman Sah was driven to Sharanpur. The king returned with 5000 soldiers but was no match to the Gurkhas and again lost and also died during this war.
Umar Sing Thapa occupied Dehradun, in October 1803. The Gurkhas now ruled Garhwal from Dehradun with an iron hand. Many of the the inhabitants were drove to emigration. Slavery had increased rapidly. Land Taxes were increased and defaulters of every kind were condemned to life long imprisonment. More than a lakh of people and their families were sold to slavery. The rule of the Gurkhas lasted for 12 long years.
Due to the border disputes and trade politics a war inevitably broke out on November 1, 1814 between the Gurkhas and the Brit and Dehradun was evacuated of the Gorkhas by 1815. Dehradun was then annexed to the district of Saharanpur by 1819.
The Britishers occupied Dehradun but were unaware of Mussoorie until it was discovered in 1825 by captain Young and Mr. Shore. The jointly developed Mussoorie into a holiday resort and shooting lodge. Mussoorie soon started developing into a centre of sport and entertainment for the Britishers. By the year 1827 the small hill town had grown rapidly and had soon developed into a unofficial summer capital of the Europeans.
The Britishers also ruled Mussoorie with an iron hand. Indians were not accessed to Mall Rd and fined extensively and many beaten made to crawl on the bellies here. There were signs on restaurants and shops such as "Indians and Dogs Not Allowed". The Nehru Family and Motilal Nehru, the father of Jawaharlal Nehru, protested against these racist laws. The Nehru family, including Indira Gandhiji were frequent visitors to Mussoorie and Dehradun, and is home of Nehru's sister Vijayalakshmi Pandit.
In April 1959, after fleeing Chinese occupation of Tibet, the Dalai Lama established the Tibetan Government in Exile in Mussoorie and later moved to Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh. The Tibetans settled mainly in Happy Valley in Mussoorie.
The Kempty Falls picnic spot is 15kms away from Mussoorie on the way to Yamunotri.
For the fishing enthusiasts, then Aglar River and Yamuna River provide ample opportunities for trout fishing. Prior permissions should be taken from the Divisional Forest Officer of Mussoorie.
During your visit here you must see Dhanaulti a beautiful hill station which is about 32 kilometres from Mussoorie.
Numerous small and big treks to the nearby areas such as Vinog hill, Bhadraj Top, Udan Top, Barlowgunj trek can be started from Mussoorie. Some other treks are the Mussoorie - Nag Tibba Trek and the Mussoorie - Dehradun Trek can also be taken by the trekking enthusiasts.
Paragliding is also available in Mussoorie for different locations such as Dehradun, Chakrata, Tehri Lake and Rishikesh etc.
Books and Library For the book lovers there is an ancient library situated at the end of the Mall Road at Kulri, Mussoorie known as Tilak Library. The library can be accessed by general public and can spend some time going through old books.
Mussoorie offers a wide variety of entertainment for the tourists, such as skiing, riding, billiard rooms, boxing rings, discos, cinema and theatre. It has India's largest roller skating rink and a 7D Theatre.
Once a no entry for the Indian during British era The Mall in Mussoorie can satisfy all you needs. The Mall here has various small hotels, Cafe, Shopping centres, Revolving Restaurant and Offices. If Mussoorie is the queen of hills, the Mall is heart of the queen.
The Mall is a 2km stretch starting from Library Point till the Picture Palace. Lying on the end of the Mall is the Kurli Bazaar. We can find all kind of tourists here from foreigners to Indians haggling and bargaining on woollen garments, branded clothes, home made jams, cheese and other items.
The English residents left for England after Independence selling away their property and all so you can also find some antique furniture and antique items of the British Era here in Mussoorie.
For the foodies the Mall and Kurli Bazaar offers all kinds of restaurants from Indian, Chinese, Tibetan and Continental. You can also find Fast food joints such as McDowells, Dominos and Coffee houses. If you have a sweet tooth sweet shops here are a plenty and some shops almost 100 yrs old.
The Mall is opened all day and night till late evening. Enjoy a leisurely stroll and also the cool and clean air of Mussoorie.
Image courtesy - Trek Earth Mussoorie City
