After visiting the worth seeing places in Dehradun our next trip was for Mussoorie the queen hill station located at about 6170 ft. above the sea level. It is about 35 Km from the heart of the district HQ Dehradun.
Mussoorie is under Dehradun district of the northern Indian State of Uttarakhand. It is about 290 Km from the national capital of New Delhi. That is why the tourists from New Delhi very often visit this hill station whole year. Its natural beauty and quit and calm surrounding invariably attract and fascinate the tourist to visit this place. It is crowded in summer season/vacation. The price of the goods and services also goes up abnormally.
It is considered a very suitable place for honeymoon for the newly wed couples particularly in the lakemist areas. We were ready by 6 in the morning. Here in Dehradun the people of all categories are very punctual in their duty. It is rarely noticed anywhere else. We were informed by the manager that the driver was awaiting outside for us. We came out of our rooms one by one and occupied the seats with ease. The driver said to us that he would stop for half an hour near a temple and Deer Park in the middle of the trip to Mussoorie.
1.Deer Park: We reached the Deer Park and the driver stopped the car under the shade of a tree. On the left side of the gate there was a big sign board on which a slogan was written for the tourist for attraction of their eyes. It read as follows:
“My dear deer, you are very dear.”
We went inside the park and on the left side we saw monkeys also hanging by the branches of the trees. We saw young and elderly deer all around the park. One of my sons took a fawn on his lap and started loving and kissing its mouth. It started crying. We saw its mother standing at a distant place staring at her fawn on my son’s lap. “The fawn is very hungry, so crying for mother’s milk.” – I said to my son. My son handed over to me to take to its mother and to release it. I let it off on the ground in front of its mother. I saw the fawn sucking its mother’s nipples then. We marked the mother was annoyed with us. My daughter came to me and said, “ Papa! You are a writer as well as poet, please compose a poem about the fawn and its mother and their immense love and affection.”
I sat on the buranda of the nearby temple and was so excited that I wrote a poem on deer mother and its lovely fawn instantly which read as follows:
My Dear Deer You Are Very Dear
Once I happened to visit Mussoorie
I read the add on the board at gate
Beside the temple in the right hand
Along with my wife and my all kids
They also noticed the board and say
We want to go inside to see the deer
I agreed to their proposal, took inside
Path – Path, jungle – jungle we found
Deer and deer in a large number alone
Or in a group of their so pretty fawns
So cute so tender, they jumping there
My son caught one and took on his lap
Its were so soft when touched the fur
Its eyes were so bright and beautiful
I heard it cry for the mother to meet
As if it were hungry and wanted milk
I no longer delayed, took to its mother
Moving its eyes there in search of her
I let the fawn off it ran fast to its mum
Both the mother and the fawn thanked
They were staring at as if our kin and kith
I turned about once again I approached
I took the fawn on my lap and kissed again
Since I loved the baby its mother together.
2. Lord Shiva Temple: We came to a nearby Shiva Temple. We donated some money in the box. We did darshan and pujan too. We got Prasad from the Pujari of the temple. We were surprised to see that the Prasad contained one piece rudraksh, badam, kaju and some fruits and sweets. My son collected all the pieces of rudraksh and pocketed them safely.
3. Kempty Falls: We reached Kempty Falls first. Through stairs more than 200 in number we went down slowly and slowly to the main place wherein the fall water was falling in speed. It was just like a big water reservoir. Two/three branches of trees were also hanging and a large number of the people of all ages – men, women, young boys and girls and children were enjoying bath in the spring merrily. Just beside the spring there was a cold drink stall. People were buying and drinking with enthusiasm in the water falls. So neat and clean water that we never imagined of.
We also entered the waterfall and bathed for an hour. My wards took cold drink. We took tea we kept in our thermos bottle. While descending step by step through more than 200 stairs, we did not feel but while ascending we were totally tired and completely exhausted. We sat in two/three places for rest.
4. Artificial Lake: There is an artificial lake also. We went there, saw the people bathing and enjoying. We sat near to it. It is a very beautiful place for those who cannot go down with too much toil and moil.
5. Soham Heritage and Art Centre: It is just like a museum. It showcases Himalyan and Gadhwali culture and tradition of the people living here in the past. Paintings and sculptures are the main attraction for the tourists and pilgrims.
6. Company Garden: It is a beautiful Garden in Mussoorie. It is popular for beautiful flowers of different varieties and breeds. It is well maintained. We went round and enjoyed its beauty. The butter flies of beautiful colour were flying all around the garden. The bees were humming melodiously on the flowers’petals and were collecting nectar. The children were running after the butter flies to catch hold of them bot they were very clever to befool the naughty children. They fled the moment they were aware of their bad intention of catching them.
7. Library Bazaar: It is really a good shopping centre of the city. We visited here and had tea only.
8. Lakemist: it is the most beautiful place in Mussoorie but only early in the morning when the whole valley is covered with mist – far – far away all along, nothing is visible. We went there only to viewing its amazing natural beauty. Calm and quit place! Superb sight!
It is considered as the most fascinating resort for the tourist, hotels of stared facilities are available here. The tourist from New Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurgaon usually come to this place and stay with their family and enjoy to the fullest. Staying here in stared hotels is very costly. Common people cannot afford to pay the lodging and boarding charges.
9. Revolving Hotel: As we noticed we found here, there and everywhere hotels and hotels in series and among all these hotels and motels the revolving hotel in the heart of the city is unique, nowhere we saw such a hotel revolving up and the tourists sitting there and enjoying while taking food and snacks of their choices. One of my sons said to me, “Let us go up in this revolving hotel and have at least tea or coffee.”
“Next time we will take lunch, not now as we don’t have time in hand nor do we have much more money with us for such an enjoyment. We will have to be back by 8 in the evening. You can eat anything you like in the market or outside.” I said to my son.
They went near to a khomchawala and ate golgappa. I took tea along with my wife and my daughter in a tea stall. It was 5 PM. The driver said to leave latest by 6 PM. We made a merry round of the nearby market, bought some oranges and grapes to take in the way going back.
In Mussoorie everything is costly. Even golgappa one rupee each. Tea five rupees per cup.
My wife said to the children, “ We have come here to see, not to buy anything. We have limited money with us and we have to visit Rishikesh, Haridwar and New Delhi in a week or so. We must not be extravagant unnecessarily.”
We asked the driver to take us to some restaurant where we could take South Indian dishes.We sat together and all of us along with the driver took Masala Dosa and then coffee. We left immediately and reached our hotel at 8 PM. Sharp. We paid the fare and thanked the driver for safe driving and good manner. My wife didn’t hesitate to pay him one hundred rupees for taking sweets for his wife and children.
We informed the manager about our coming and about our taking dinner at 10 instead of 9 at night. We also told him we would be leaving early in the morning at 7AM after taking tea. We took rest for two hours as we were very tired. It was not for one day trip but we did it couragiously with the least expenditure. We took “Aloo Parotha” and curd only.
We cleared the bill finally and tied our luggage properly for Rishikesh by bus.
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Writer: Durga Prasad, dated: 3rd. April 2015, Friday.
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