Trip to Dehradun and Mussoorie

Dehradun:

Dehradun situated at an altitude of 640mts above the sea level, is one of the oldest cities of India nestled in the mountain ranges of Himalayas making Dehradun as a hill station which comes under the recently formed state of Uttarakhand. Some of the premier educational and training institutions such as  Indian Military Academy, Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy ets are also therein Dehradun making it as an educational centre.

Mussorie:

As we proceeded on the pleasant journey to the famous hill station, Mussoorie, the snow covered hills welcomed us like a Christmas tree covered with snow.

The charming hill station, which is also popularly known as queen of the hills, is situated at 34kms to Dehradun, at an altitude of 2003 mts above the sea level. The name Mussoorie is derived from the plants “Mussorie” which are found in abundance in the area.

Gun Hill:

A rope-way ride of 400mts to one of the highest peaks of Mussoorie offers a serene view of the valleys of Mussoorie.

Municipal Garden:

This garden is a picnic spot with a well maintained artificial lake with boating facility. One doesn’t only find boats in this lake but also find companions in the form of geese floating like lotus flowers on water.

Kempty Falls:

Situated at 15 kms from Mussoorie is the chilled water fall of kempty which is a prettiest and biggest waterfall surrounded by high mountains. Bath at the foot of the fall is allowed and can be enjoyed by both children and adults. One has to travel through a road at an altitude of 4500ft to reach kempty fall, the road to which is one of the best roads. Travel through this road is one memorable ride as it provides a delightful view of the valleys beneath.

Mussoorie Lake:

Is the one which is newly developed as picnic spot providing an enchanting view of the doon valley and nearby villages. The boats welcome us to go for a ride in the green waters of the lake.

The geese taking a ride around in the lake in a perfect line.

Trip to Rishikesh and Haridwar

Rishikesh and Haridwar:

The day started with the thoughts of the splendid journey ahead, of the serene Ganges and the temples of Rihikesh and Haridwar, but even before reaching there, there was another pleasant surprise awaiting us in the form of a magnificent view of the jungle on the road side.

see it yourself in the pic below....

About 42kms drive from Dehradun will take you to the yogacapital of India, Rishikesh situated on the banks of the river yester yearsGanges and now the Ganga. One of the prime attractions of Rishikesh is theLakhman Jhula, supposedly the first hanging bridge of India, swaying mildly upon the river Ganga as one takes a walk on this bridge taking in the quite flow ofthe Ganga. Not only can one walk on this bridge, but people take their vehiclesalso. The water though is very cold, is very clean but the mere thought of taking a dip in the Ganga here, will bring shivers to one and all. There are many ashrams and ghats once you cross the Lakshman Jhula and reach the other side.

Haridwar is is 32kms from Rishikesh, which has many pilgrimageattractions such as Mansa Devi Temple, Chandi Devi Temple. To reach Manasa DeviTemple which is situated on a hill top surrounding Haridwar, one has to travelthrought the rope way which provides a picturesque view of the whole place ofHaridwar consisting of the Ganga river bed, the temples on the banks of Ganga. As we approached Haridwar, the first thing that caught our eyes was the huge statue of “LordShiva” on the banks of the river Ganga, as if assuring the people living in the place of being there showering his mighty blessings.

The Har ki Pouri Ghat which provides a breath taking view of huge Ganga River is worth visiting. The Ganga flows here with great force as it descends from the slopes of the Himalayas. Many people take a holy dip in theGanga here as there is an age old belief that one can wash their sins off justby taking a dip in the Ganges here. The Ganga here provides a magnificent view at night when the devotees float small “diyas”in the water, resembling the stars in the sky.

An areal view of Haridwar...pic taken from the ropeway carriage.

Trip to Kodaikanal - Coaker's Walk, Piller Rocks Valley Views, Lakes, Falls and Bryant Park

Has it been ages since I blogged!! hmmm…..Wonder how life sometimes takes a toll on everybody and we forget to share our happiness with others….well well well!! now, continuing to write about the place i was talking about ...Kodaikanal.

Across the kodai club is the famous kodaikanl international school with its well-maintained lawns, dignified trees and stone buildings.Almost by cheek, is the Lutheran church which is decorated elaborately by modern paintings and stained windows. The Kodai club gives the impression of stepping back into the olden days of India. One can relax and enjoy the warmthof hearth-fire dancing in the comfortable chamber of kodaikanal club.

The Coaker’s walk

It is a narrow pedestrian path winding around Mount Nebo and running along the edge of steep slopes providing a valley view so breathtakingthat one wouldn't think of this place as anything other than heaven. There arebenches laid on this path where one can relax and satisfy their eyes by takinga view of the beautiful kodai valley.

Berijam Lake:

This lake is one of its kind as it is located at the center of thick forest and one needs prior permission visiting this lake and one can only view and take in all the beauty of the lake as noone is allowed to enter into the waters of lake. This lake supplies drinking water to Kodaikanal and so it is well-maintained. Many wild animals can be seen drinking water from this lake. The water is crystal clear as the Kodai city forest department has taken care not to pollute this lake.

The Devil’s Kitchen:

This place is a ravine that is actually a very deepfall which is located between the green valley view and the Pillar rocks.

Pillar Rocks:

These rocks are three granite rocks towering at a height of 400 feet from the ground, resembling the pillars and so the name pillar rocks.As one travels through the forest to visit this place, one can visibly noticethe difference in temperatures and can see the mist covering the view of pillarrocks. It is one breath-taking view to behold for ages.

Green Valley View:

Green valley view, otherwise notoriously called suicide-point, provides a panoramic view of the valleys beneath which is more than 5000feet drop and the best time to visit this place is after 10am and before 3pm as otherwise, this place is totally covered by mist blocking the view of the valley.

Silent Valley View:

This view gives one the great happiness for any nature enthusiast. One can see all the colors of the leaves of the trees beneath as ifthe trees have played “holi”. This is situated at a little distance from pillar rocks.

Kurinji Andavar Temple:

This temple is located near the bus station and is a templeof “Lord Muruga”, who according to Tamil is a god of the hills.

Bryant Park:

Located on one side of the lake is this beautiful botanical park which one can never miss to visit. A British officer by name Bryant landscaped this park and hence it has been named after him. A annual vegetable and flower show is held during the month of May. This park contains a wide variety of flowers providing a spectacular view for the visitors.

One can take a bus or can hire cars to visit all the places. Kodai is not only about lakes but also is a home for many bustling waterfalls amidst pine trees that stand tall and amongst the lush green forest. One such waterfall is the Bear Shola falls located close by to the lake. This waterfall is also a popular picnic spot and it is said that this was the falls where the “Liril” soap advertisement was shot. This falls is not at a very greater height as it flows through broad rock formations and so one can view the falls from a nearby point but any way, tourists are not allowed to go very near the falls as it is very slippery.

Fairy Falls:

Another such waterfalls are Fairy Falls which gives a view that will remain with anyone who visits this place forever. Flowing a midst the tall pine trees, which are one of the specialties of Kodaikanal, one can play around in the chilled waters of this falls. Vehicles do not go inside this forest. One has to get down and take a peaceful walk, listening to the chirping of the birds.

On the way back to the Kodai city, one can stop by and get an unforgettable view of the sleepy village of the tribes of Kodai.

Dolphin Nose:

One of the dangerous view point in Kodai is the Dolphin’s nose, which got its name as the formation of the rock is in the form of Dolphin and one has to walk to reach this point for nature enthusiasts to get an awesome scenic view of Kodai valley.

Cap’s fly valley:

This valleyis in the thick forest and one needs permission from the forest department to get a view from here. This valley got its name as the “caps” really fly back to you when you throw them into the air and so the interesting name “Caps fly valley”. We tried throwing many things into the air and thankfully got them back ;)

See the picture above??i was lucky enough to get this kind of picture...first it was mist covered and i was barely able to see the pillar rocks but eventually, the mist cleared and also the pillar rocks became visible.