Visiting Mussoorie after 10 years, rakesh kumar explores nooks and corners of the hill station that are little visited
I was just a school kid the last time I was in Mussoorie. I distinctly remember running past shops and tucking in at the food joints on the Mall Road, my dip in Kempty Falls and being dragged to temples in the area. So, when I visited the "Queens of Hills" last month, there was a familiar feel to the place. All my way from Delhi to Dehradun by train and from there to Mussoorie by road, I kept thinking what new was left for me to explore.
Fortunately, help was waiting at my hotel, Jaypee Residency Manor. Apart from the warm hospitality, the most impressive part of the hotel was its 360 degree breathtaking view of the mighty Himalaya and Dehradun at the foothills. Spread over nine acres of lush green area, perched on a hilltop, the hotel offered exotic stays, food flavours and much more within serene surroundings. The general manager of hotel suggested four must-visit places in Musoorie, all of which I had missed on my last visit. Thus began my second sojourn at the hill station.
Lovely Omelette Centre
What could be a better way to kickstart a trip than with food? Looking for something hot as a respite from that November chill, we landed up at Lovely Omellete Centre. Situated on the Mall Road, the eatery is just a tiny shop, which can easily be overlooked but for the crowd patiently waiting outside. As we reached the shop, we overheard a tourist saying a trip to Mussoorie was not complete without tasting omelette from Lovely Omelette. Seriously!
Luckily, our turn came just half an hour later. We ordered cheese omelette and I have to candidly admit that it was the best I have ever had ~ certainly worth every minuted we waited. The owner, Khursheed, informed that his family had started the business in 1918. At first, his father only sold eggs, but 40 years ago, then they decided to switch to running an omelette kiosk. He proudly said there was hardly any celebrity, who had visited Mussoorie but given his omelettes a miss. His customers included Rajeev Gandhi, Amitabh Bacchan and many others, whose photographs adorn the shop.
Iconic bookstore
Strolling a little ahead on the Mall Road, we entered Cambridge Book Depot. This bookstore is popular for fans of author Ruskin Bond. The owner of the shop told us that for the past 14 years Ruskin Bond is at the bookstore every Saturday if he is in town and the bonding session with him has been a huge hit. For a bookworm the bookshop has become a must-visit.
Dhanaulti visit
The next day we decided to venture out of the city. Dhanualti thus found a place in our itinerary. From Mussoorie, it took us around one-and-a-half hour to reach Dhaunlti. Perched at an astonishing elevation Dhanaulti is still untouched by the maddening rush of the hill stations and maintains a quite a charm all around it.
Driving some eight km further, we reached Surkanda Devi Temple at an altitude of 9,976 ft. The temple is said to mark the spot where the head of Sati, Shiva's wife, fell after she died at her father's yagna. At first sight, the temple seemed not too far away, but our driver warned us that looks were deceptive in the mountains and the place was actually not as close as it looked. On his suggestion many of our colleagues chose to take a pony. Three of us braved the steep climb. Though the picturesque view of the valley and the mountains compensated our efforts, the going was tough. The path is not exactly well- maintained with difficult patches coming up frequently. The welcome chime of temple bells announced our destination and we found ourselved sweating in the chilly weather. Once on the hill-top, the beauty of the place took our breath away. A vantage point for photography, clouds seems to roam around the temple and I could see snow-capped mountains in the distance.
Lal Tibba
