Also known as the Queen of the hills, Mussoorie is located at 290 km north of Delhi and is amongst one of the most popular hill stations of the country. If your idea of the perfect holiday revolves around serene hills, untarnished nature and enthralling landscapes, Mussoorie is a must visit place for one such Nature lover’s soul. It is an enchanting heaven for leisure travellers and honeymooners. Located on a horseshoe ridge that is 15 km long, Mussoorie stands at an altitude of 7000 feet above the sea level because of which it has cool and pleasant climate throughout the year. The immaculate beauty, the amusing climate with the backdrops of the grand Himalayas, Mussoorie makes up for the perfect honeymoon destination.

Mussoorie along with its green hills, lush flora and fauna and the majestic view of the snow-capped Himalayas, is one of the most popular hill station of Uttarakhand. The name of this place, ‘Mussoorie’ was derived from the plants of Mussoorie or shrub Mansoor which are abundantly available in this region. It was founded in 1820 when a British army officer named Captain Young was so mesmerized by the beauty of this place that he decided to construct a shooting lodge jointly along with the British military officer and Superintendent of revenues at Dehradun, Mr. Shore.

Mussoorie is not only famous for its natural serene beauty but it’s also famous for being developed into a significant centre of education and business. Places like Doon Valley and Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of administration where officers are given training for the Indian Administrative Service and Indian Police just increase the value of the place as considered from educational point of view.

The verdure hills, varied flora and fauna and the enthralling view of the Himalayas attract thousands of tourists here, both domestic and globally. The tourists leave the place being most content along with the most cherishing memories and majestic views that will be stuck in their mind for lifetime.

History

Before being inhabited by British, there was only a shepherd community whose cattle use to graze the ‘Mansoor’ shrubs found along the hill slopes, after which the name of this hill station is supposedly taken. The history dates back to the time when Gurkhas were known to rule this region. In 1803, Umar Singh Thapa and his gang conquered the land and included Mussoorie in their region. The Gurkhas had large plans for this territory but clearly the plans failed to execute. The Gurkhas wanted British to execute the plan under their leadership but eventually the negotiation settles on unsatisfactory terms for the Gurkhas. Gurkhas got into a battle with the Britishers later in 1814 and soon had to accept their defeat. They were pushed to evacuate Dehradun by next year, 1815. In 1819, the East India company managed to successfully capture the Saharanpur district, of which Mussoorie was a part of.

A British military officer, named Lt. Frederick Young, together with one Mr. Shore, the resident Superintendent of Revenues at Dehradun, explored the current site and together constructed a shooting lodge amidst the beauty of this region. This was the beginning of settlement moving into this region. The pleasant climate and the good sport obtained here slowly lured more Europeans to this place.

This place was never treated as an official summer Capital like Shimla and Nainital, but it always facilitated the homesick Britishers by providing homely environment. Numerous vintage and beautiful building structures are proof of the significance this place had for the Britishers back then. The Dalai Lama moved the exiled Tibetan Government in 1959, thus further increasing the value of Mussoorie.

Culture

Although the majority of the people include the Hindus, there are people of other ethnic groups too. The local people consists of Tibetans and Garhwalis who make up a considerable part of the population in this region. The most intriguing aspect of Mussoorie is the world of unique customs and traditions of these groups combined. Garhwali is the most spoken language here. Other significant language includes Punjabi, Hindi, Kumaoni and English.

A huge emphasis is given to cultural heritage by the people here. The city is abode to temples and shrines of almost every religion. Religious customs are traditionally performed here, and strong importance is given to the fairs and festivals of all caste and creed. The most alluring feature of the festivals here is the involvement of local people as they celebrate each festival with great enthusiasm. Some of the important festivals celebrated here are Uttarani or Kale Kaua, Basant Panchami, Samvastarpareva, Basant Panchmi, Autumn festival, Olgia or Gheeya Sankranti and the list just keeps on increasing.