Best Weekend Destination: Lansdowne

If you have traveling sickness and you don't want to travel with bus or car than i want to inform a place is the best weekend destination Lansdowne because here you can come by train and little bit travel of taxi. Yes Lansdowne is place where you can enjoy your weekend. If you want to do nothing than go for Lansdowne because its not commercial place like Manali, Shimla and Massourie. Landowne is the one of nearest hill station from capital delhi where you can come with train named Mussoorie express 14041. Now i want share my whole experience of Lansdowne which may help to find best weekend destination.

It was mid of September, ticket was booked of our 7 friends for Kotdwar (Nearest railway station to Lansdowne). Bag was packed, every body meet at metro station as usual i was late due my office work, even one of our friend Manish is waiting for us at Govind Puri metro station since 7:30 pm and we reached there at 9:30 pm, it was very frustrating for him. Train was scheduled at 10:25 pm, when we reached train was already on platform and ready to start. we settled on our seats and train started o sharp on 10:25 pm. As train left platform rain started, weather became cooler. We were very exited about Lansdowne because no body in our friends circle had visited there so we all were ready to explore new hill station. We all were packed with our dinner in bag so without delay we open all tiffin-box together, two friends full with fish curry and fish pakoda, one had egg, another had puri bhaji etc. We had and enjoyed our dinner, it was awesome . After dinner we divided in two team and started antakshari. My team won 4 times, as we know we listened many new music but time of antakshari only old song come on our tongue. Now time to sleep we open middle birth and slept.

Day 1

When we open our eyes, its was morning 7:00 am we were in kotdwar. There was very heavy rain fall in whole night so whether were very pleasant. We clicked some pics at station, station was very cleaned and surrounded by mountains after some time came out from station and took tea and snacks. We were looking for local bus of Lansdowne but we didn't find any bus because of rain-fall road condition was very poor. Some local person suggested to go with taxi which was 10 seater Mahindra Maxx, they also informed about fare if you booked whole taxi charged will Rs.1200 or Rs.80 per person in sharing bases. We decided to go with sharing bases but 3 more person still not available for full passenger and we waited there more than 30 minutes and talked with other taxi which have already three person in cab . Now time to left kotdwar, we crossed city in 10 min and taxi entered in  hilly road. Due to rain, greenery on their peak, every mountain covered with many types of flora. Road condition was not well but after 5 or 7 km road was good to drive. As we started to move towards mountains scenery became more beautiful, clouds create many picture in our mind and we feel like we were entering in the heaven.

After one and half hours we reached safely at Gandhi park Lansdowne which was surrounded by small market, like Mall road of Lansdowne. Some of my friend suffered with traveling sickness so we took some rest there and started to search hotel which should come in our budget so we divided in two teams and stated to search hotel my group found two hotel cost of 2000rs/ room and we need two which means 4k for one day is more than enough. I got call from other group they found two rood in just 2000rs, i assumed, may be room was not well maintained that's why  hotel was in low cost but when i reached in hotel its was very nice hotel with elegant view. we fixed that hotel in Rs.2000 for two combined rooms. we were very hungry so all of us went for breakfast after took shower. There was no much option if we talk about restaurants or dhabas, only two or three restaurant there. We had our breakfast in a sweet-corner where we had some local snacks, samosa with chhole, jalebi and tea.

After breakfast we move forwards to explore new local sites and we found nearest place was Bhulla Tal which was 1 km far from main market. We started tracking towards lake and enjoying this track very much, it full with photogenic greenery and mountains, we clicked many pics in routs and finally reached at lake. It was artificial men made lake which means younger brother and it dedicated to Garhwal Rifles. We had coffee to remove tiredness from a cafe which situated near lake. Ticket cost to enter in garden of Bhulla lake is Rs 20. It was very beautiful garden with Lake, bridge, ducks, and many flowers. We enjoyed lot and click many pics, after spending some time we move towards TIP and TOP which was approx 2km far from Lake.

We move towards TIP and TOP, track was very difficult to walk due high altitude but it was adventure for us and finally reached at St. Mary's church which situated in the way of TIP N TOP. Church was established in 1896, now it used for small museum housing interesting pictures of the per-independence era by The Garhwal Rifles Regimental. We stayed their for few minutes, clicked some pics and move for next destination. Finally we reached at the points of TIP N TOP, WOW! what a view!, what we had seen that not described in words. I had visited many hill station before but never seen before such view, look like heaven came on earth. Mountains covered with clouds, greenery on their peak, what i can say just WOW!. We stayed there for 30 minuted and clicked many pics and videos, but as we move rain stated we stopped for while in a restaurant and had some snakes there. Now time to move at hotel because we were very tired, we reached at Hotel in few minutes.

It was approx 5pm and we were very hungry so two of our friends went for some snack and drinks and they come with lots of snacks and cold drinks. Television was on normal sound and we were listening old song which remove tiredness. We had snacks, cold drinks and took some rest. A hotel worker knock our room door and asked to attained a Garhwali festive program which organized in a garden (1 km from market) by Garhwal rifle, first we were not ready for this as worker informed more about it, we got ready and went there. As we came out from hotel whole Lansdowne were going there and as per their new clothes, it seems like they are going to attained a big festival. We reached in 20 minutes, a stage was setup there and many Garhwal soldier was organizing seats and other things for visitor, as we read on stage poster found it was Perivahan Parv by Garhwal rifle and MLA was the chief-guest. Cultural Program started, artist came and perform musical instruments in Garhwali language, it was fun although we returned in hotel after 1 hour for dinner. We were looking for non-veg food so packed our dinner and back to hotel. We had dinner with lots of chit-chat and slept.

Day 2

Next morning we woke up, it was very cold due last night rain and still raining outside, it's very frustrating for us because we had to check-out from hotel and had to explore some more places. It was 11 am, hotel worker knocked our room door and asked for check-out, we convened him for one more hour due rain outside. We stayed one more hour in hotel but still rain not stopped than we decided to put our bag in to cloakroom and move towards market. As we reached at market, had lunch their and way to Kaleshwar Temple. It was raining again and we try to hide our-self under roof. After few minutes rain stopped and we move forward towards temple but due to heavy rain road was very slippery so we walked carefully. Finally we reached at temple, this was one of the oldest temples that were constructed for Lord Shiva and it maintained by Garhwal regiment, a small and beautiful temple, covered with lots of bell and it situated towards a small down stairs. We stayed their for an hours, due to rain which started once again and clothes total wet but still we went towards hotel and took our bags and move towards market to search a taxi for Kotdwar.

Now time to leave Lansdwone with very sweet and joyful memory. We hired a taxi and after one and half hour we reached at Kotdwar. It was 3:30 pm, we have lot of time because massoorie express was on 10:25 pm. So we decided to visit Kotdwar city and we found it was Ganesha Chaturthi that day. There was very joyful movement for us everybody was dancing and playing with color and going to Immersion of Lord Ganesha. Post all these, we had still lot of time, so we decided to watch movie and searched for multiplex or cinema hall but there was only one hall which were 2.5 km far from our location so we hired a auto and reached at Kay cinema.

As we reached one movie was running Batti Gul Meter Chalu and very next show 4:30 pm was full after some discussion we bought ticket for 6:00 pm show and went to explore city. We ate snacks like samosa, chips and golgappe etc . It was movie time we entered in cinema, it was very rush, show was full and as we watched this movie we understood that this was based on Uttarakhand which cause of such crowd. Movie end approx 9 pm and we were looking for auto but there was no any auto so we started to walk towards station and we tried to find lift. After some walk a tempo stopped and dropped us near railway station where we had our dinner and move towards railway station. Massoorie express already on the station we sifted on seats after some chit-chat, we slept.

Day 3

Next morning we were at old Delhi railway station and finally a very joyful, memorable journey came to their end. Here is some memories.

  Thanks,
Ajit