Gallivanting in Queen’s Land

It is said, that for any writer, mountains are the best places to come up with a good story or plot for a book, as they are havens for a peaceful mind and provide inspiration in nature’s proximity. This summer, as an escape from Mumbai’s scorching heat and hoping to get a thrust to write something better, I paid a visit to the Queen of Hills – Mussoorie, nestled in India’s Land of Gods i.e. ‘Devbhoomi’, Uttarakhand.

The journey from Dehradun Airport to Mussoorie was a starting point in Uttarakhand’s emerald green world. As we reached Mussoorie, the mountains seemed to welcome and embrace us in their wide arms. Our abode throughout the stay in Mussorie was Kasmanda Palace, a heritage hotel, which itself was an opportunity to live royally. It is situated on the busy Mall Road, where there is a plenitude of shops and mesmerizing view of mountains below. The palace is situated on top of a hill away from the hustle and bustle of the busy road. This more than a century old palace is like the one you would see in movies, where hunted animals are seen on the walls like trophies and steps are covered in royal red carpets. It is adorned by pictures of lineage of Kings who ruled the small kingdom of Kasmanda. The history of palace displayed is worth a read, as it explains how the palace has been through various avatars since its construction in 1836. It also mentions about the hunted animals seen in palace and how the kings, in order to protect their subjects, had killed these man-eater animals, thus not glorifying killing of animals. There was a cannibal tigress and a leopard kept in a glass cabinet, hunted between the years 1953 to 1958, who seemed life-like even today, with their belligerent eyes. Everything about the palace is regal, right from its rooms to the heritage items showcased in the property. The Her Royal Highness or H.R.H. point is a part of the palace where Queen Mary, wife of King George V had had tea and was thrilled to see the view of the mountains. It was indeed a scenic sight where you could get a panoramic view of humankind settled in the accommodating mountains. In the evening, the mountains and the settlements beyond them glittered like a Queen’s jewellery. The chilled evenings were a much-awaited respite from the beads of sweat experienced in Mumbai in the month of May.

The next morning, we headed out to explore the nature’s bounty. Our first stop was Yamuna Bridge, where we saw Yamuna, one of the holiest rivers of India running placidly with its pure waters. The river taught us to go with the flow of life with patience and calmness. As we were in the Land of Gods, taking their blessings was a must. We proceeded to visit Goddess Santura in her temple. It is believed that Santura Mata spared Mussoorie from a fierce earthquake in 1991. Therefore, this sacred place has profound significance among the people of Mussoorie. The story made me think of the strong divine impact on us and how God looks after His valuable creations, in times of calamity and prosperity as well. The temple is milky white in colour signifying its sanctity. The temple offers breathtaking view of green valleys below it, giving you much needed rejuvenation in untouched nature’s presence. We went ahead to meet another of God’s numerous forms, by visiting a Buddha Temple at Happy Valley. Surrounded by a meditative environment, this small temple offers peace of mind. Having sought an acquaintance with ranges of tall mountains now, it was time to explore the palette of colours on flowers at Company Garden, not far from Buddha Temple. The garden looks ebullient with a variety of flowers that it flaunts. Roses of different colours shine proudly in the gardens. A nursery within the garden is a place several multi-coloured flowers greet you and present a treat to your eyes. I remember a particular patch in that garden where flowers of all colours that you can imagine were present. It reminded me of my childhood colouring books in which I excitedly used all crayons of my box to colour a picture of garden! The evening slowly started turning into a cold one and we retired into the warmth of our palace hotel, like sincere subjects returning under their King’s protection.

The next day was a combination of visits to natural and man-made wonders and another rendezvous with God. We began our day by paying a visit to Naag Devta temple. Another refuge of solace, this temple is surrounded by soothing cool breeze and serenity. On its way, there are simple teachings for our day to day lives written on the walls, reading which, we ask ourselves whether we really lead our lives in these ideal ways. With a hope that we will engrave these thoughts in our minds, we headed for our next destination. We visited Mussoorie lake next, an artificial one, and it gives scope for other recreational activities and adventure sports around. The lake acts like a magnet, attracting many tourists to explore its various other offers. We were already in the mountains, but now it was time to visit a jewel originating from these mountains in form of a waterfall. We headed to Bhatta falls next, where we could hear the wild gushing of waters from a long distance. The force of this abundantly flowing milky white water was an exceptional sight to see. Freshly gifted by nature, the indispensable source of life looked pure and transparent. We drove to reach Dhanaulti next, where we went higher in the mountains, cutting across its series of zigzag, sharp turns. The air got cooler in the afternoon and the sight of green mountains and trees beautiful than ever. Our first stop in Dhanaulti - Surkanda Devi Temple, was an ultimate test of endurance, trekking and patience. This temple is situated at a highest point that you can imagine. The experience of climbing 8 to 9 kilometers of the mountain to reach the temple was exhausting as well as exhilarating. After taking frequent breaks and finally reaching the temple, beating all odds and levels of tiredness, we felt like victors who successfully passed a physical fitness test! We sought the Goddess’ blessings and thanked her implied way of teaching us that we can always overcome the difficult situations of life, if we have patience, courage and strong willpower. The view that we got from the top of the temple made us realize how far we had come climbing, motivating us to implement the same principle in our lives by progressing steadily. Exploring Dhanaulti further, we visited Eco Park – a vast expanse of 13 hectares covered in deodar and oak trees. The park looked like a typical picnic spot. The firmly standing tall trees seemed like disciplined people who followed a straightforward path of life. A tradition known as memory sapling plantation is followed in the park, as a part of which, one can plant a sapling in memory of their loved ones. What a beautiful way of remembering your loved ones than looking after and nurturing a new life with your own hands!

On our way back, we saw the King of Mountains gazing at us from a distance – the sacred Himalayas. So far in my life I had seen Himalayas only in pictures and had read about them; their significance in mythology and fascinating facts. But to see them with my own eyes was like a picture forever imprinted on my mind. These snowclad mountains were glittering in the sun, making evident to everyone who the real King was, among the numerous green mountains that we saw. The sight of Himalayas accompanied us till the long part of our drive, giving us enough opportunities to extol this distinct marvel of Nature, albeit from a far distance. To get a closer view of the magnificent Himalayas with the help of telescope, we visited Lal Tibba next, the second highest point in Mussoorie. On our way to Lal Tibba, we passed by the areas which were British establishments earlier. The surroundings still seem like pre-independent India, almost taking us back to British era. We saw Ruskin Bond’s home on our way. No wonder that the creatively conducive and pleasant climate of Mussoorie inspires him to come up with such good stories, revolving around the contentedness, innocence and simplicity of life in a hill station like this one. Having explored the lengths and breadths of Mussoorie, we called it a day, tired and satisfied at the same time.

The next day we headed out on foot to reach Gun Hill Point. A cable car ride is available to drop you there. We could see Himalayas even from there, wishing us a pleasant morning. Their sight again made our day. We walked around the Gun Hill Point enjoying the pleasant climate and gathering the marvelous view of mountains as much as possible, as it was our last day of stay in Mussoorie. The mountains also have their own way of telling how unique they are from each other. We went to Camel Back road next to see how these mountains took shape of a camel’s hump as if to distinguish themselves in some way.

Throughout our stay in Mussoorie, we relished the delicious and authentic North Indian delicacies and unleashed the foodies within us. Everything about the place was memorable- the untouched nature, kind people, the proudly standing temples and even the cycle rickshaws! Everything looked picturesque and like a description that you would read in stories. A vacation in a storyland like Mussoorie gave me a glimpse of utopian, fictional world that exists in stories where life is perfect and people are happy with whatever little they have. It was a lesson in appreciation of Nature which taught us to be humble and still be strong like the gargantuan mountains.