Lansdowne a popular hill station in Uttrakhand and a peaceful weekend gateway from Delhi
Lansdowne a popular hill station in Uttrakhand and a peaceful weekend gateway from Delhi. A 250Kms drive from Delhi takes you to the beautiful hill station. Lansdowne is a cantonment town in Pauri Garhwal district of the Uttarakhand state of India. It is surrounded by dense forests of oak and pine and far from the common bustles. Lansdowne appears like an old painting.
Lansdowne is beautiful, serene, picturesque and peaceful hill stations of Uttrakhand. A drive to peaceful weekend gateway hill station from Delhi. The town is a gem with its rustic buildings, mesmerizing views, old-world charm, and colonial history.
A great way to travel around the perfect backdrop of the Lansdowne is to go on nature treks. Trekking can be done both by the newbies or expert trekkers. The town offers you various trails that any amateur or expert trekker can trek the path enjoying the greenery surrounded by the panoramic views of the snow-covered Himalayan Peaks.
You can trek to Malini Barrage, Kalal Ghati, trek to Pauri and or Kandoliya Devta Temple to enjoy the fascinating views of the Himalayas.
Nature walks, Bird watching, boating, and trekking are the main activities that one can indulge in Lansdowne. The annual festival celebrated in autumn is called as “Shardotsav”, and is visited by many travelers
Best Places to Visit in Lansdowne
Along with enjoying the picturesque panorama of Lansdowne; the town features a number of places to visit in and around the town to revitalize your mood.
Lansdowne a popular hill station in Uttrakhand and a peaceful weekend gateway from Delhi.
Garhwal Rifles Regimental War Memorial
The Garhwal Rifles Regimental War Memorial is one of the most popular destinations to explore in Lansdowne. The memorial has portraits of war heroes and war weapons.
Late Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat (Mahavir Chakra) was an Indian Army soldier who was serving the Garhwal Rifles and had won the Mahavir Chakra posthumously. (19 Aug 1941 – 17 Nov 1962).
The bravery shown by Jaswant Rawat was honored by building a memorial and was named as “Jaswant Ghar”. You can watch for 72 Hours Martyr who never died on Amazon prime.
Pay homage to the Victoria Cross Awardee, Naik Darwan Singh Negi of Garhwal Rifles by visiting the historical defense museum.
The museum displays an extraordinary collection of Garhwal Rifles which display the old uniforms, photographs, certificates, arms and ammunition of the soldiers of Garhwal Rifles.
Timings- Summers- 09:00 am to 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm Winters- 08:00 am to 12:00 noon and 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm Entry fee: INR 50 per person Note: Kids below the age of 10 years and photography are not allowed.
There is a small handicraft showroom by the lake where one can get some of the finest silk and cotton items. You can relish at all the coffee shops as they serve various local cuisine and other various products.
Entry Fees: INR 20 per person; Boating Charges: INR 95 per person; Opening Timings: 8 am – 8 pm; Opening Days: Closed on Wednesday
Tarkeshwar Mahadev Temple
Situated at an elevation of 2092 meters, Tarakeshwar Mahadev Temple is located 38 km away from town. It is one of the ancient holy sites that enshrine the idol of Lord Shiva in Lansdowne.
It is located amidst blue pine forests, oak trees, and dense Deodars and creates a panoramic view for the travelers. Lord Shiva of Tarkeshwar, is the deity of the local and the Garhwal rifles.
St Mary’s Church
St Mary church was built in 1896. The church was restored by Garhwal Rifles Regimental Centre. In the church, you can see the audio-video display of photographs of our pre-independence era.
St. John’s Church
It is a forest Bungalow converted into Church. St John Church is situated on the mall road. It is the only church, which is been worshipped . The interior is similar to St. Mary’s Church except the colorful lighting.
Kanva Ashram
Kanvashram is a holy ashram surrounded by dense forests and beautiful hillocks at Lansdowne. The beautiful location of ashram makes it an ideal place to explore around. It is an important destination from a historical and archaeological point of view.
The temple enjoys great mythological importance linked with the Sage Kanvan. As per legend, ‘Shakuntala’, the stepdaughter of Sage Kanvan gave birth to her son Bharath here. There is Gurukul nearby which conducts massage, yoga, and ayurvedic medicine course.
For unforgettable experiences, one can do trekking to witness the most beautiful Sahastradhara Falls or a simple walk to Malini barrage.
Tip-in-Top Point
Many traveler treks to The Tip-in-Top point or tiffin top to see the mesmerizing Sunrise. It offers an easy trek of 200 meters from the parking, as it passes through the dense forest and rugged terrains finishing at a charming spot offering mesmerizing views of Himalayas as one can watch the entire Shivalik range at Lansdowne town.
Snow Viewpoint
Take an easy and short yet rewarding trek to Snow Viewpoint. The scenic trail through lush forests takes you to the viewpoint that offers breathtaking views of Trishul and Chaukhamba peaks.
Hawaghar
One of the other beautiful opportunities for trekkers is Hawaghar offers superb views of the snow-clad Himalayas and opens quite a few trekking expeditions.
Bhim Pakora
Two massive stones perched on top of each other is located 2 kilometers away from the city and attract hundreds of travelers. In the mountaineering term, it is called as “Caren”.
The rock placed on the top of the Caren cannot be moved with the strength. Come try your luck, if you don’t believe me!
Durga Devi Temple
A short uphill walk from Tip-n-Top takes you to the Bonda Village. It’s here where Santoshi Mata Temple is located. Spend some time in peaceful and quiet surroundings. This temple is located inside a cave and is dedicated to Goddesses Durga and is considered to be one of the oldest Siddh Piths.
Kalagarh Tiger Reserve
Kalagarh Tiger Reserve (Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary) is a wildlife safari plus bird-watching destination in Lansdowne. An open gypsy safari here gives a chance to spot barking deer, sambar, porcupines, elephant, chital, leopards, and big cats if you are lucky enough.
Gate Entry Fees: INR 100 (Indians)/INR 600 (foreigners); Gypsy Entry Fees: INR 250 (Indians)/INR 500 (foreigners); Gypsy Charges: INR 4000 (Indians)/INR 4500 (foreigners); Opening Timings: 6 am – 6 pm; Opening Months: 15th November – 15th June every year
Best Time to Visit Lansdowne
Lansdowne is magical all through the year. The summer and winters are ideal to travel.
Monsoon can be avoided as landslides are quite often in Uttrakhand. Lansdowne weekend gateway from Delhi.
Getting there:
- Lansdowne is around 250 km from Delhi. National Highway 119 runs from Delhi to Lansdowne and will take you there in about 6 hours.
- Kotdwar is the nearest railway station and from there it is 40 km/an hour drive uphill.
- Buses and taxis are available at the Kotdwar railway station.
- Jolly Grant at Dehradun is the nearest airport.
I would definitely recommend Lansdowne for all who need a small break, rejuvenate and refresh their mind and souls.
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