KULRI BAZAAR

Stretching from the State Bank of India through the erstwhile Picture palace, Kulri bazaar is the biggest and the most happening hub in the town with international brands showrooms and pizza and coffee joints lined up next to each other yet amidst some structures of the British times. The State Bank building itself is an impressive colonial architectural marvel which used to be the Himalayan Hotel that had hosted prominent personalities of the bygone times such as Frederick 'Pahari' Wilson and Sir John Lang. The exchange building is another such masterpiece where a printing press published journals of those times. The Cambridge Book Depot is where Padamshree Ruskin Bond visits every Saturday evening to interact with his fans and admirers. Surrounded by the numerous international coffee and pizza joints stand two restaurants managed by local Tibetan families serving authentic delicious Tibetan, Chinese and Thai cuisines.

Other magnets in the Kulri bazaar includes antiques and souvenir shops, drapers, Kashmiri garment showrooms, international fashion and sports brands showrooms, tattoo, body piercing studios and cyber cafes, chocolate-muffin-softies-brownies cafes, coffee-south Indian Cuisine, paani puri-tikki chat outlets, delicious hams and sausages, mouth watering non-vegetarian tandoory and rolls, two liquor and wine vends and two bars out of which one is famous for its tempting sizzlers and live music. The night in Kulri Bazaar is not complete without the choice of cigar, aromatic paan or hot gulab jamun or cold ras malai which can be savoured at the square where one path leads to The Rink. The Rink was and still is one of the most peculiar wooden floors roller skating Rinks in the entire country. The fever of skating in India got ignited from the Rink only which used to be the biggest skating Rink of those times. The Rink hosted the venue of numerous national and international skating championship both pre and post Independence. The Picture Palace, which was called the Electric Picture Palace pre-Independence, was the first ever Picture there of the country which was run with electricity. The theatres were usually run with petromax those days. Just beneath the Picture Palace was the Jubilee Cinema and together both the theatres were the crowd puller during the 1970s and 1980s. Another theatre, La-Anjuman, stood right next to the Roxy building near The Rink. The route which leads through Picture palace till Landour bazaar is lined with shops belonging to the Bhotia community of Mussoorie who sell woollens, garments and silver jewellery.

JHULAGHAR MARKET

As the name rightly suggests, Jhulaghar is the centre for fun and merry with a manually operated giant wheel and the cable car as the prime attraction. The acrobatic stunts performed by young lads spinning the giant wheel are awe inspiring. Jhulaghar is the true Chaupati of Mussoorie where tongue tingling Bhel-puri , sev-puri, tikki-chat, idli-dosa, chhole-bhature, rajma-chawal, kadi-chawal and coffee-cold drinks can be savoured. Jhulaghar is the terminal point, underneath the gorgeous Weeping Willow tree, for the cycle rickshaw coming from the Library bazaar. A bifurcation of roads leads through the upper and lower slopes of the ridge only to unite again near the State Bank of India. The lower slope is lined with stalls selling eatables and garments, the cable car station, the tourist information office, ready to order school uniform shops, railway out agency and general merchants.

The Allahabad bank premise on the lower slope is gardened with exotic flowering plants including the fragrant Magnolia. The upper catchment of Jhulaghar is flanked with shops of woollens, woodwork, antiques, tours and travel services, temptingly large samosa and gulab jamun, video games and a multi-racial version of the Tibetan market. The telephone exchange and the century old Grand Post Office demark the Jhulaghar market. Sadly though, the Jhulaghar hub has witnessed the mass killing of innocent locals by the Uttar Pradesh policemen on 2nd September 1994 during a protest for the demand of a separate Uttarakhand state. The area has been named as Shaheed Sthal (martyr ground) where a memorial stands.

GARHWAL TERRACE LANE

A few meters ahead of the Tibetan market on the Mall Road lays the tiny market flanked with very few shops on either side of the road selling fashion garments, woollens, kashmiri garments, leather goods, paintings, pashmina, rugs and semi precious stones. The cosy little market is one preferred destination among the locals and the tourists alike for steamy coffee and Maggie, flavoured ice cream softies and authentic Tibetan and Chinese cuisines. The shop owners and the workers coexist harmoniously yet belonging to Kashmir, Garhwal, Kumoun, Jaunpur, Punjab, Gujrat, and Bihar. This beautiful stretch of the market is guarded on both ends by the Jakranda trees which bear gorgeous purple flowers during summer. The hill side of this area is a visual delight during monsoon with plenty of multicolour Daheliya flowers in bloom. The valley side on the other hand is an awe inspiring sight in itself with the glittering enormous Doon valley in the night and the phenomenal Winterline during winter.

The vast Garhwal Terrace, which is the Property of the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Hotel, is the vantage point for the valley sight where tourists get themselves photographed. The eastern end of the Garhwal Terrace lane leads to a cluster of a few more shops and a revolving restaurant. Further ahead are the judiciary and the Police Station which are located next to the aquariums where both fresh water and marine fishes are the attraction. The historical Hakman's Hotel opposite the aquariums has witnessed grand Ball and Cabaret evenings of the colonial times. The same point leads to the Gun Hill and the walk for Avalon top through the Christ Church.

TIBETAN MARKET

After the Chinese occupation of Tibet in the year 1959, the Tibetans migrated to the hills of north India. His Holiness the Dalai Lama along with a number of his natives was received at the Monastery at the Katesar Castle premises who later got settled in the Happy Valley area. The Central government of India opened a school in Happy Valley itself for the children of the Tibetan folks. Gradually the Tibetan Homes Foundation was established and the Tibetan Homes School was also founded nearby. Most of the Tibetans are business people ever since the Silk route trade times. To date the Tibetan business community excel as woollen and hosiery marketers an d the Nagar Paalika Parishad has provided them lanes where their stalls are lined up. The Christ Church lane is one Tibetan market while the other is a few meters ahead on a lane beside the Mall Road near the Garhwal Terrace Lane.

The Tibetan market is one sure place for good bargain where the jolly natured Tibetans can be seen sipping tea or munching delicious Samosa and momos which are supplied by special Tibetan market vendors. A quick bite while strolling in the market would be an experience.

Library bazaar, Mussoorie

Library Bazaar, Mussoorie

Library bazaar is one of the prime bus and taxi terminal points to enter the township of Mussoorie. Library bazaar, locally known as Kitaab Ghar, is called so after the 1843 established library which happens to be the hub of the area. The architectural magnificence library building is one fine and well standing reminder of the colonial times when the building housed the famous Savoy Bakery on the ground floor and one of the first few libraries of the country above it. The world famous Savoy Hotel, which earlier served as the Maddock School, was the prime nucleus of the vicinity. The Criterion building next to the library housed the famous Criterion bar the square in front of which has witnessed the romance and gaiety of the British era. The band stand opposite to these buildings hosted a live band which ensured some memorable evenings in the Queen of the Hills.

Later the band stand canopy was shifted to the Camel's Back Road and a new one was erected which was donated by the Maharaja of Kapurthala whose impressive chateau stands on the ridge above the Savoy Hotel. Another historical wonder at the Library square is the iron pole which fetched electricity from the second earliest hydroelectricity unit (Galogi Power House on the Bhatta Fall stream) in the entire country, precisely on 24 may 1905. After independence, the Library square was renamed Gandhi Chowk with a giant gate Gandhi Dwar as its entrance. The square is the junction for the roads leading to the Vincent Hill, to Company Gardens and Kempty Falls and to the Mall Road. The historical Library Still exists and caters to members only while the ground alley is lined up with grocery and general stores, toiletries and cosmetic boutiques, hosiery outlets and some tingling bakery vends. The extension of the Library market leads inside the Mall Road through the erstwhile Vasu theatre and roping in general merchants, coffee and sandwich joints, hotels and restaurants and the much sought after tempting chai-samosa and aromatic milk-jalebi sweet shops. The approximate 500 meters vicinity of the Library bazaar is harmoniously guarded on four corners by the Laxmi Narayan temple, Masjid Amania, Gurudwara Singh Sabha and the Christ Church which happens to be one of the oldest of churches of north India. The eastern end of the Library bazaar leads through the entrance of the Camel's back road which is one secluded route for leisure walks and horse rides on the north face of the Mussoorie ridge that provides a commanding view of the greater Himalayan range and the mystic Jaunpur valley. The historical canopy on the Camel's Back Road is an ideal vantage point which enables a vast panorama of tiny hamlets of Jaunpur dissected by the calmly flowing Aglaar River. The cozy canteen of the Bhardwajs at the canopy ensures a tempting yet lazy hangout right from the lively sunrise through the romantic sunset sights.

                                                

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.    

Educational Institutes in Mussoorie

Mussoorie has the pride for being one of the best educational hub in the entire country. The Maddock School, which was later transformed into the famous Savoy hotel, was one of the first few schools in the country.

• The Woodstock School is an IB school located on the Mussoorie-Tehri Highway.

• The St. Georges College for boys stands secluded at the impressive Manor House. The young Maharaja Duleep Singh of Patiala was once kept in exile in the Manor House.

• Wynberg Allen School lies on an isolated slope on the same ridge as the St. Gorges College.

• A venture on the Northern Railways, the Oak Grove School was established as the first ever concept of the Railways, hill station and a public school. The 1888 made School building has been listed for the 2011 status of The World Heritage site by UNESCO.

• Mussoorie Public School is located right in the heart of the town yet is isolated from it as it is smartly located behind a hill over the mall road.

• St. Clare's School is situated on the Landour road and is basically for junior classes.

• Mussoorie Girls and boys School is situated at the entrance of the Camel's Back Road beside the famous Rink Hall.

• Convent of Jesus and Mary Hampton Court also lies in the heart of the town yet isolated from it. This co-ed junior School is located on the slopes of the rope way station.

• Mussoorie Modern School is perched on a hill top on the western side away from the town.

• Convent of Jesus and Mary Waverly was established in the year 1845 for the girls of the British officers. One of the oldest Schools of Mussoorie, Waverly stands on and isolated hilltop opposite of the Mussoorie Modern School.

• Guru Nanak Fifth Centenary school Shangri-la stands almost in the wilderness of the outskirts of Mussoorie on the Haathipaon road.

• Guru Nanak Fifth centenary School Vincent Hill was known as the Vincent Hill School during the British times. This boy's school is perched on a cliff on the slopes of the Baroda Estate and is completely isolated from habitation.

• Manav Bhaarti International School stands between the Vincent Hill and the Shangri-la Schools.

• Central School for Tibetans was opened in Happy Valley in the year 1961 by the Central Government for the children of the Tibetan refugees who migrated to the Hills of India after the Chinese occupation of their land.

• Tibetan Homes School is another educational institute for the Tibetan children. This co-ed school in the Happy Valley is managed by the Tibetan Homes Foundation which is a body with a number of foreign patrons.

• Mussoorie International School is one premier institution for girls which is the preference is most of the NRI parents. The school is ideally located in the wilderness around the famous polo ground.

• Kendriya Vidhyalay is another government school with in the vicinity of the polo ground.

• Katesar Castle School is housed within the Katesar Castle and temple complex which is a private concern of the family of the Talukdaar of Katesar in the Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh. Neelambari Devi, the grand daughter-in-law of the Talukdar herself administers this junior school.

• Ghananand Government Inter College is located at Kingcraig on the Dehradun-Mussoorie highway, this co-ed school ensures education to a major section of children in Mussoorie and the nearby villages.

• Mussoorie Girls Inter College supports education to a large section of the girls of Mussoorie and the nearby villages. This school is peacefully located on the slope of the ridge of the Clock tower and borders the Dehradun-Mussoorie highway.

• R. N. Bhargava Inter College for boys lies on a peaceful location close to the Mussoorie Girls Inter College.

• Sanatan Dharm Girls Inter College is a foundation of the Sanatan Dharm Sabha Mussoorie. This school lies over a hill top in the Landour Bazaar area and supports education to a large number of girls of the town and the nearby villages.

• The Mussoorie Management Institute has come up as a boon for the girls of Mussoorie and around. The only Institute in town for girls encircles courses for B. Ed and BBA enthusiasts providing day and boarding facilities.

• Lal Bahadur Shashtri National Academy of Administration is the premier Institution in the country where the officer trainees of the civil services gets trained. The pass outs of this Institution join the IAS, IPS and the IFS.

• Indo-Tibetan Border Police Academy is located on the Dehradun-Mussoorie.

• The Institute of Technology Management is one wing of the ministry of defense, government of India, perched atop the Lal Tibba hill.