About Mussoorie

Mussoorie is a hill station situated in the foothills of the Himalaya ranges in north Indian state of Uttaranchal. It is also known as the "Queen of the Hills". The adjoining town of Landour, which includes a military cantonment, is considered part of 'greater Mussoorie', as are the townships of Barlowganj and Jharipani.
Being at an average altitude of 2,000 meters (6,600 ft.), Mussoorie, with its green hills and varied flora and fauna, is a fascinating hill resort. Commanding snow ranges to the north-east, and glittering views of the Doon Valley and Shiwalik ranges in the south, the town was once said to present a 'fairyland' atmosphere to tourists.

The best time to visit is from mid-March to mid-November though the downpours could be an inhibiting factor in the monsoon months of July to September.

Its history dates back to 1825 when Captain Young, an adventurous British military officer, together with a Mr. Shore, the resident Superintendent of Revenues at Dehradun explored the present site and jointly constructed a shooting lodge. This laid the foundation of this holiday resort which now has few rivals. Mussoorie is famous for its scenic beauty and hectic social life. It provides all kinds of amusement and every facility for domestic and foreign tourists.

Its name is derived from a shrub locally called 'MANSOOR' behind the house of the Captain. Some believe that perhaps that is reason behind the name of the town, which is also known as MANSOORI among the natives of the surrounding area.
Now, Mussoorie suffers from over-development of hotels and tourist lodges, given its relative proximity to Delhi, Ambala and Chandigarh, and has serious problems of garbage collection, water scarcity and parking shortages, especially during the summer tourist season. Landour, Jharipani and Barlowganj have fewer such problems.

The main promenade in Mussoorie is called, as in other hill stations, the Mall. In Mussoorie, the Mall stretches from Picture Palace at its eastern end to the Public Library (shortened to 'Library') at its western end. During the British Raj, signs on the Mall expressly stated: "Indians and Dogs Not Allowed"; racist signs of this type were commonplace in hill stations, which were founded 'by and for' the British. Motilal Nehru, the father of Jawahar Lal Nehru, deliberately broke this rule every day whenever he was in Mussoorie, and would pay the fine. The Nehru family, including Nehrus's daughter Indira (later Indira Gandhi) were frequent visitors to Mussoorie in the the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. They also spent much time in nearby Dehradun, where Nehru's sister Vijayalakshmi Pandit ultimately settled full-time.

Mussoorie is conveniently connected by road to Delhi and major cities. It is called the "Gateway" to Yamunotri and Gangotri Shrines of Northern India. The closest rail station is Dehradun. Taxis are easily available for Mussorie as are buses at regular intervals.
Mussorie also has the Lal Bahadur Sastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), the honing ground for young bureaucrats of India, who carry the destiny of India. This picturesque institute is located about 7kms away from the Mall Road.