Around Mussoorie : KALSI

Altitude          : 780m

Population     : ?

STD code      : 0135

Distance from Delhi: 49 km from Dehradun, 288 km from Delhi.

Kalsi is one of the three blocks of the Jaunsaar-Baawar tribal region of the Dehradun district, the other two being Chakrata and Tiuni. Kalsi is a mesmerizing entry zone to the Jaunsaar-Baawar tribal belt and is calmly located on the confluence of the Yamuna and the Tons rivers which outburst from the mountains to the plains. Owing to its social customs and rituals the Jaunsaar-Baawar had long remained alienated as the region was considered backward. Kalsi was just a tiny hamlet only until an Englishman Mr. Forrest discovered an Ashokan rock edict in the year 1860. The 10 feet high, 10 ft long and 8 ft wide quartz boulder is one of the furthest known of the Ashoka’s dominion out the his kingdom. The battle of Kalinga shook the great Ashoka to his roots and ever since then he adapted the path of non-violence pertaining to the ways of Buddhism. The edict is inscribed in Brahmi and Prakrit saying about practicing non-violence. An outline of an elephant depicts Buddha’s descend from the Tushita heaven with the word gajatam written between its legs.  The names of five Greek kings namely Antiochus, Ptolemy, Antigonus, Magus and Alexander are inscribed on the rock to help date the edict. The writing was done around 253 BC. Kalsi acts as a buffer zone between the Uttarakhand and Himachal mountains. 

Adventure: Kalsi is gifted with pristine green locales and a vast valley intersected by the Yamuna and Tons which is one of its greatest tributaries. Walks around Kalsi, like that of Katta Pathar, enable a venture through rivers and boulders. Angling of Mahseer can be fun for which prior permission has to be taken from the Snow Lion Estate. Cycling is heavenly on the tranquil wide roads around Kalsi which dissect at some places the jungle of silver oak on one side and sal on the other. 

    

Around Kalsi:

• Vikasnagar: Once a tiny hamlet Vikasnagar today is one of the fastest developing towns of Uttarakhand yet retaining its cultural grandeur and scenic locales. At only a distance of 10 km from Kalsi, Vikasnagar lies on one of the very fertile deposition of the Yamuna and Tons river and the vegetation is distinctively rich. The potato, beans, cereals and ginger of the Vikasnagar suburbs are always in high demand. The Bazaar is cloaking into an urban getup yet it is the place where traditional items like the bronze and brass drums and trumpets are in plenty for sale.  

• Asan Barrage: The region that follows towards the west of Dehradun is known as Pachhuwa Doon. The road that leads to Paonta Sahib comes across a masterpiece of engineering where the Tons river is channeled through a tunnel inside a hill to feed the Kulhal power house. The barrage thus created has given way to a lake which inhabits avifauna like ducks, kingfisher, koot, drongo. Flocks of migratory birds visit the lake in winter making it a haven for bird watchers and naturalists. The Asan barrage is a tranquil picnic spot with a Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) rest house for those who intend to stay over for some time.  

• Dakpathar: One of the pioneering schemes of modernization after independence, the Dakpathar hydroelectricity barrage is harvesting the waters of the Yamuna river. The canal nourishes the powerhouses at Khodri (120MW), Dhalipur (50MW), Dhakrani (33.75 MW) and Kulhal (30MW). The barrage is also a paradise for bird watchers and the waterways are being sighted as ideal for water sports.   

• Paonta Sahib: On the verge of the Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Harayana border, Paonta Saahib is a small town where the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Govind Singh was sent after his father Guru Teg Bahadur was beheaded by Aurangzeb. Guru Govind Singh spent a good span of time in Paonta Sahib hatching his vengeance for Aurangzeb by excelling in the skills of warfare. There are numerous Gurudwaras at Paonta Sahib which are related to the tenth Guru’s tryst with time and situation. Gurudwara Bhangani Sahib symbolizes Guru Govind Singh’s first battle where he defeated Raja Fateh Shah. Gurudwara Tirgarh Sahib is perched on a hilltop fro where the Guru pierced fierce arrows at the enemies. Gurudwara Shergarh Sahib is the place where Guru Govind Singh beheaded a fierce man-eater tiger with a single swing of his sword. There are numerous articles of the Guru’s weapons and other belongings at the Gurudwara.       

• Timli Pass: On the route from Asan barrage back to Kalsi lays the serene Timli pass which was used by the British troops to aid Major General Ochterlony in the battle against the gallant Gurkha General Amar Singh Thapa’s army in their bid to posses the Doon Valley.