State: Uttarakhand

District: Dehradun

Main Languages: Hindi

 

History:

 

The city of Mussoorie is a city and a municipal board and is located about 34 km from Dehradun. It is also one of the popular hill stations situated in the foothills of the Himalaya ranges and is known as the Queen of the Hills. Adjoining Mussoorie is the town of Landour, which includes a military cantonment and forms 'greater Mussoorie'. The city dates back to 1825 when Captain Young, a British military officer, together with a Mr. Shore explored the present site and jointly constructed a shooting lodge. The city gets its name from 'mansoor', a shrub, which is indigenous to the area and this is also the reason that locals refer to it as 'Mansoori'. The city has significance in the history of independence. The freedom fighter Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and his daughter were frequent visitors here and also broke the rule of "Indians and Dogs Not Allowed" in the mall. In the year 1959, the Dalai Lama established the Tibetan Government of Exile in Mussoorie and till date Mussoorie has a large Tibetan population.

 

Geography and climate:

 

Mussoorie is located at 30°27′N 78°05′E / 30.45, 78.08 and has an average elevation of 1,826 meters. The city has rich flora and fauna flourishing in the adjoining areas and the climate here has led to the growth of coniferous forests. The summer months are very pleasant here with temperatures between 20 to 25 degrees and the winters are very cold with temperatures dipping below freezing levels. Though snowfall is rare here frequent rains make the weather colder even during summers. The best time to visit Mussoorie is from Mid March to Mid November, and September should be avoided due to heavy rainfalls.

 

Demography:

 

As per the 2001 India census, Mussoorie had a population of 26,069 and had an average literacy rate of 79%.

 

Economy:

 

Tourism continues to remain the main source of income in the area along with various small scale industries and service industries also prospering. The city is a popular stop over and is called the "Gateway" to Yamunotri and Gangotri Shrines of Northern India.

 

Education:

 

The city is the home to some of the esteemed educational institutions and hostels in the country like the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, St. George's College, Woodstock School, Oak Grove School and many more.

 

Tourism:

 

Some of the places of interest are the beautiful nature walk known as "Camel's Back Road", the Lake Mist, Kempty falls, Municipal garden, Mussoorie Lake, Children lodge, Bhatta Falls, Jharipani Fall, Mosey Fall, Sir George Everest House, Nag Devta Temple, Jwalaji Temple and Benog Mountain quail sanctuary. There are various other hill stations and pilgrimage spots accessible from here.

 

Transportation:

 

The closest rail station from Mussoorie is Dehradun and taxis are easily available for Mussoorie as are buses at regular intervals. The city is also approachable by road from Saharanpur, 93 km away. The Jolly grant airport is the nearest airport from here and the nearest international airport is the New Delhi airport. 

 

 

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