Now that the summer tourist season has started in Uttarakhand, most of the pressure will once again be upon Mussoorie and Nainital which have always been the favourite hill stations in this region for people from all over the country as well as abroad.
For many years, one of the objectives of the tourism department of Uttarakhand has been to attract more tourists to the smaller, lesser known hill resorts of the state in order to have a balanced distribution of visitors in the state.
The efforts are showing some results as more tourists are now ready to go off the beaten track to explore new areas than people earlier were. And the visitors are flocking to these smaller towns not just in the summer but throughout the year, especially on weekends. However, infrastructure in these small hill resorts needs to be improved.
When a tourist from a metro comes to popular hill stations like Mussoorie and Nainital he or she is faced with heavy vehicular traffic, loud honking, a crowd which he thought he had left behind and a lot of noise all around. Immediately broken is his dream of the “perfect, quiet holiday” he had been planning all year. But now, there is eagerness on the part of the visitors to go to smaller hill stations, the lesser known destinations in Garhwal and Kumaon.
Dhanaulti, just 30 kilometres beyond Mussoorie, has been in the list for quite a few years and is getting more and more visitors every passing year. It is extremely popular for “Book Holidays” wherein the traveler likes to spend his days reading and his evenings walking around the scenic landscape of this quiet Himalayan hamlet. Many a writer has worked on his manuscript in Dhanaulti which is in the Tehri district.
Kausani in the Kumaon Himalayas is also now looked at as an idyllic place for a quiet vacation. Birthplace of the famous Hindi poet Sumitranandan Pant, it lies at an altitude of 1890 metres, about fifty kilometres from Almora. Dense forests, picturesque treks and sprawling tea gardens give it the air of a “dream town”. Anashakti Ashram set up by Mahatama Gandhi’s disciple, Sarla Ben (Katherine Heilmen) is of great interest for visitors to Kausani. Gandhi stayed here and his “Charkha” and some other possessions can be seen at the ashram. There is also a small library with many books on Gandhian philosophy. A rest house is also available at the ashram. A four-day Buransh Mahotsav is held in Kausani in spring time by the Himalayan Study Centre and The Buransh Retreat to encourage tourism and ensure that local products and arts are displayed attractively. Adventure activities, bird watching, nature walks and a crafts bazaar are part of this fest.
Harshil in Garhwal and Binsar in Kumaon are two other small hill stations which are high on the list of those seeking a noise-free and pollution-free vacation. Once described by Pandit Nehru as a “Mini Switzerland”, Harshil with its green valleys and sleepy meadows has a “picture book “ quality and is a trekker’s paradise. It is on the way to Gangotri and 73 kilometres from Uttarkashi. Tales of FE Wilson, an Englishman known as “Pahadi Wilson” by the locals, who planted the first apple tree in Harshil, are part of the folklore of this area. His romance and marriage with Gulabi, a beauty from this mountain region, is a legend that echoes in the hills and dales of Harshil. The cottage of “Pahadi Wilson” was later turned into a rest house by the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam. It got burnt down some years ago and was renovated again by the government.
Perched at an altitude of 2420 metres in Kumaon is Binsar which was the summer capital of the erstwhile Chand Rajas of Kumaon. It is a sleepy little place with towering oaks and red rhododendrons covering the hillsides. Binsar has a famous cave temple of Shiva and a well-known wildlife sanctuary.
Lansdowne in Pauri district is one of the quietest hill stations of India and is popular since the Britishers came to India. It is well connected with motorable roads but still remote in its own way. It is situated at an altitude of 1,700 metres and surrounded with thick oak and blue pine forests. It got its name from Lord Lansdowne, who was the Viceroy of India during the period of 1888 - 1894. It is also where the regimental centre of the Garhwal Rifles is located. It is also the perfect place to meditate and rejuvenate your soul. Adventure activities like trekking, bird watching, boating and paddling can be done while visiting Lansdowne.
Chamba is a small hill town, situated at an altitude of 1676 metres in the Tehri district of Uttarakhand. It is an unexplored, unscathed, serene destination, approximately 60 kilometres from Mussoorie. Away from the crowd and rush of the cities, it is an excellent place to unwind and have fun.
With so many attractive and tranquil options, there is no reason why the pressure of tourists cannot be taken off from Mussoorie and Nainital. Awareness regarding these places has to be created by the tourism department and the infrastructure has to be improved.