Mussoorie, rightly called the “Queen of Hills”, is one of the most beautiful and attractive hill-stations that our country has to offer and reason enough for Delhi’ites to flock there to escape the summer heat and dust. For one thing, it is hardly 300 km away from the Capital. Located in Uttarakhand, the Queen of Hills can truly engulf a visitor into a lot of fun things. Apart from the beautiful nature, the fresh air and exclusive places to trek can keep one busy the whole day long.
The Mall
To begin with, the Mall Road is the heart and soul of Mussoorie. So, if one has shopping as an option in the to-do list, then this place is idly your best location to stay. Popular author Ruskin Bond, by the way makes a point to meet his fans every Saturday at the Cambridge Book Depot, located on the Mall. So, if you are lucky to be there, you can meet Bond, click photos and get your favourite books signed by him. While in the Mall Road one could take a morning walk to Camel’s Back, which is known as the best place for bird watching. Believe me, if one is there at the right time, one can see a variety of birds and will never know when the time flew away. This track is a must-visit place, as it is covered with beautiful small flowers on one side and exotic views of the hills on the other.
Monuments galore
Camel’s Back is also host to many magnificent old Churches and buildings, which were built by the Britishers and still maintain their charm and make it a point to delight visitors in their own odd ways. These are the monuments, which played a role in attracting tourists to the so-called “early Mussoorie”, which did not have any hotels or shops to show, but only these monuments with the best views and the best climate.
Each of these buildings has stories to tell, walls to be touched and paintings to be seen and analyzed. The Churches offer mass at different times, so one could be a part of it, after which one could meet the priest or the local people, who will be more than happy to recount their own stories about these beautiful buildings.
It was all these small things that made Mussoorie what it is today, but the sad part is, as the years went by, more and more hotels, resorts, shops and other facilities came by, making these beautiful monuments a secondary option in Google’s list of places to visit in Mussoorie.
Mussoorie is really a place to be explored and no matter how much one describes, it still isn’t enough. Because, truly, the Queen deserves more.
