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Mussoorie

Mussoorie is a city and a municipal board, about 30 km from Dehradun and in Dehradun district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. This hill station, situated in the foothills of the Himalaya ranges, is also known as the Queen of the Hills. The adjoining town of Landour, which includes a military cantonment, is considered part of 'greater Mussoorie', as are the townships of Barlowganj and Jharipani.

Being at an average altitude of 2,000 meters (6,600 ft.), Mussoorie, with its green hills and varied flora and fauna, is a fascinating hill resort. Commanding snow ranges to the north-east, and glittering views of the Doon Valley and Shiwalik ranges in the south, the town was once said to present a 'fairyland' atmosphere to tourists.

History

The history of Mussoorie dates back to 1825 when Captain Young, an adventurous British military officer, together with a Mr. Shore, the resident Superintendent of Revenues at Dehradun explored the present site and jointly constructed a shooting lodge. This laid the foundation of this holiday resort which now has few rivals.

The name Mussoorie is often attributed to a derivation of 'mansoor', a shrub which is indigenous to the area. The town is in fact often referred to as 'Mansoori' by locals.

The main promenade in Mussoorie is called, as in other hill stations, the Mall. In Mussoorie, the Mall stretches from Picture Palace at its eastern end to the Public Library (shortened to 'Library') at its western end. During the British Raj, signs on the Mall expressly stated: "Indians and Dogs Not Allowed"; racist signs of this type were commonplace in hill stations, which were founded 'by and for' the British. Motilal Nehru, the father of Jawahar Lal Nehru, deliberately broke this rule every day whenever he was in Mussoorie, and would pay the fine. The Nehru family, including Nehrus's daughter Indira (later Indira Gandhi) were frequent visitors to Mussoorie in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. They also spent much time in nearby Dehradun, where Nehru's sister Vijayalakshmi Pandit ultimately settled full-time.

In April 1959, after fleeing Chinese occupation of Tibet, the Dalai Lama established the Tibetan Government of Exile in Mussoorie. The Government of Tibet in exile eventually moved to Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh. The first Tibetan school was established in Mussoorie in 1960. Tibetans settled mainly in Happy Valley in Mussoorie. Today, some 5,000 Tibetans live in Mussoorie.

Now, Mussoorie suffers from over-development of hotels and tourist lodges, given its relative proximity to Delhi, Ambala and Chandigarh, and has serious problems of garbage collection, water scarcity and parking shortages, especially during the summer tourist season. Landour, Jharipani and Barlowganj have fewer such problems.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, Mussoori had a population of 26,069. Males constitute 56% of the population and females 44%. Mussoori has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 84%, and female literacy is 73%. In Mussoori, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Accessibility

Mussoorie is conveniently connected by road to Delhi and major cities. It is called the "Gateway" to Yamunotri and Gangotri Shrines of Northern India. The closest rail station is Dehradun. Taxis are easily available for Mussorie as are buses at regular intervals.

The best time to visit is from mid-March to mid-November though the downpours could be an inhibiting factor in the monsoon months of July to September.

Institutions

Mussorie also has the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration LBSNAA,the sole training institute for young Indian Administative Service officers. This unique institute is located about 3kms away from Gandhi Chowk. The library area also house the Northern regional headquarters of the Indo Tibetan Border Police. It is a venerated institute for dipensing comprehensive training for ITBP recruits patrolling the porous borders.

From the days of the Colonial Empire, the town has housed various schools, instituted for the children of British government officers and army personnel. Many of these institutes now house Indian students and retain the values as ascribed years before.

St. George's College, Mussoorie (founded in 1853) is amongst the oldest and most reputed schools in the country. It has been run by the Patrician Brothers since 1893. Spread over 400 acres, the school is also popularly referred to as 'Manor House'. Over the years, its alumni have made distinguished contributions in several fields, especially in serving the armed forces of the nation. The school's imposing facade stands out as one of the main architectural attractions of Mussoorie.

Places of interest

Mussorie has a beautiful nature walk known as "Camel's Back Road". This road takes its name from mountain outcrop in the shape of a camel's hump.In the hump the famous Mussoorie Public School is located. Along the camel back, a beautiful cemetery is located about mid-way on the loop. There is also "Gun Hill" where cannons were kept for the defence of Mussorie. Gun Hill is accessible by the cable car on the Mall road. The oldest Christian church in the Himalayas, St Mary's, is situated above Mall Road, and is currently undergoing restoration. Kempty falls is a nice picnic spot. Company Garden is popular tourist destination. During season, the Company Garden has beautiful collection of flowers and plants. Happy Valley has a small Tibetan temple. This was the first Tibetan temple built in India. The temple was constructed in 1960 by the Tibetan refugees. Lal Tibba is another tourist spot of Mussoorie. Beautiful Dhanaulti is about 24 kilometers from Mussorie. Mussoorie also had India's largest roller skating rink.

Mussourie is a popular destination for honeymooning couples, mainly because of its relatively cool climes and calm and lovely environment.

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