A Quaint Small Town of Unspoilt Beauty
The beautiful town of Lansdowne is situated at an elevation of 1780 mtrs above sea level, south of Paurien-route Kotdwara and surrounded by thick oak and blue pine forest, with great mountain views. It is a very charming place for a quite holiday as it is devoid of the usual hustle and bustle of other hill stations.
Lansdowne was originally a popular hill station with the Britishers. Attracted by its salubrious climate and natural beauty, they established a cantonment here. It was founded by the, then Viceroy Lord Lansdowne in 1887AD, thus the place has been named after him. The famous GarhwalRifles of the Indian Army has its command office here.
What to See
Lansdowne is a cantonment town, which is still the recruiting centre for the Garhwal Rifles.
The Garhwal Rifles Regimental War Memorial: Located at the Parade Ground it is a major attraction, attracting tourists from all over India and the world. The forests here are lovely, dark and deep, just ideal for those long walks and picnic. You can enjoy amazing view of the Western Himalayas from a number of vantage points like Snow View and Tip-N-Top.
Garhwali Mess: This Mess was build in 1888 which subsequently became the present Mess in 1892, it is one of the oldest buildings in Lansdowne and speaks volumes of heritage and a very high quality of maintenance.
Regimental Museum: A motivational hall was inaugurated at Lansdowne in 1983 to display the rare collections of Garhwal Rifles over the period of 119 years.
The Regimental Temple: To suitably honour and match the deep religious feelings of wondrous Garhwali troops and also as tribute to the wonderful Dev-Bhoomi, the work to renovate and beautify the old Regimental Temple was undertaken on 01 April 1993.
KaleshwarMandir: Its is the oldest temple building of Lansdowne and is believed to be 500 years old. When the Garhwal Rifles reached Lansdowne on 04 November 1887, the site had only the idol of Lord Shiva. The temple now draws lots of civilian devotees and is deeply worshiped by locals and villagers who flock it frequently specially on ‘Shivratri’
St. Marry’s Church : Construction of St. Marry’s Church began in 1895 byColonel (then Lieutenant) A.H.B. Hume of Royal Engineers and was completed in 1896. The building has now been restored by Garhwal RiflesRegimental Centre with additional facilities of relevant pre independence photographs and audio visual display of Regimental history.
St. John’s Church: On the Mall, the Roman Catholic Church (now St. John’s Church), situated just above the road on the spur below the Forest Bungalow was completed in 1934.
Bhulla Tal: Name Bhulla means younger brother in Garhwali language and is dedicated to the young Garhwali youth of the Garhwal Rifles who contributed their services day and night in its construction. The lake has boating facilities, a children park, bamboo machan (tree house) and fountains.
Tip-in-Top: Tip-in-Top is a popular vantage point amongst the tourists visiting Lansdowne. It is on the ridge close to St. marry’s Church. One can plan a trek on a bright sunny day to feel the glorious view of the Himalaya, which is unforgettably enchanting.
How to Reach
Air: The Nearest Airport is Jolly Grant (145 km)
Rail: The nearest railhead is Kotdwara (45 km)
Road: Lansdowne is also linked by a motorable road to almost all the important cities in Uttarakhand. The place is 240 km away from Delhi,150 km from Dehradun and 95 km from Haridwar.
Beyond Lansdowne
Kotdwara: Kotdwara is a biggest business township, situated at the border of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, on the foothills of lush green Shivalik Range of Himalayas, locked by hills from three sides. The name Kotdwara indicates the gateway (dwar) to the Abode of God (Dev Bhoomi). It is situated on the banks of three seasonal rivers namely Khoo, Malini and Sukhro. This area was the place of meditation for many sages and rishis. Famous temples are SidhbaliMandir&Durga Devi. People from all over India come to pay visit to these temple, especially SidhbaliMandir.
Bharat Nagar: 22 km from Kotdwar and a height of 1,400 mtrs., Bharat Nagar abounds in immense natural beauty. It is mentioned in the ancient Hindu Texts that once this place was full of life giving herbs. One can have a beautiful view of the Balawali bridge of Ganga, Kalagarh dam and Kotdwara town.
Kanvashram: Situated on the bank of river Malini at a distance of 14 km from Kotdwar. It is believed that Sage Vishwamitra meditated here. Indra, the king of Gods, was scared by his intense meditation, and sent a beautiful heavenly damsel named Menka to disturb him. Menka finally succeeded in diverting Vishwamitra’s attention. After giving birth to a girl she went back to heaven. This girl later become Shakuntala who got married to Dushyant and gave birth to Bharat, the prince after whom our country is called BHARAT Accommodation is available at Tourist Complex, Kanvashram.
Durga Devi Temple: The temple at a distance of 24 km from the town is revered by the locals. It’s situated on the banks of Khoh river. The temple itself is inside a cave. Deep inside is a Shivling, thronged by hundreds on Shivaratri. Simply out of the world experience!
Trekking Routes: a large number of interesting scenic trekking routes exists in and around Lansdowne. They are as follows:
TarkeshwarMahadev: It is an ancient Lord Shiva Temple which is a beautiful picnic spot surrounded by thick Cedar trees. It is located 38 kms away at height of 6000 ft to the North East of Lansdowne on roadLansdowne-Dehriyakhal.
BhairavGarhi: A conical shaped hill approximately 6100 ft high is situated near Gumkhal and it overlooks Eastern Nayar river. This is a historical feature where a pitched battle was fought between British and Gorkha troops in the year 1814.
Rathi Point Trek: Planning a trek in the early hours of the day to Rathi Point gives one opportunity of having a look of beautiful sun rise. It is a beautiful site to watch the sun peeping from behind the Himalayan mountain regions. In this trek one can encounter herds of Monkeys and Apes (Langoors). The trek is covered by splendid wild flowers and rhododendron trees.
Deriakhal Trek: This provides an excellent view of the valley which lies east of Jaiharikhal village. The trek passes along the picturesque village of Deriakhal with terraced fields, gay with life which presents a glance of Garhwali culture. Entire distance on this trek is approximately 8.6 km.
Hawaghar Trek: Trek to Hawagarh passes through Khyber pass along the road to Jaiharikhal. The walk is very refreshing with the view of snow covered peaks of Himalayas in the north east.
