Lansdowne

Lansdowne is one of the quietest hill station of India and is situated at an altitude of 1,706 mts. above sea level surrounded with thick Oak and blue pine forests in Pauri Garhwal. Presently, Lansdowne has the command office of the Garhwal Rifles division of the Indian Army.

• Trekking Bird Watching
• Boating
• Padding etc.

In Lansdowne you will get a glimpse of well preserved British Heritage bungalows and Churches. Enjoy the rarest view of Himalayas and Holy Ganga and Sunrise and Sunset. On a Clear day one can see breath taking view of Himalayan ranges.

The Garhwal Rifles Regimental War Memorial : This War memorial at Lansdowne was unveiled on 11 Nov 1923 by Lord Rawlinson of Trent the then Commander in Chief of India. It is located at the parade ground.

St. John's Church : It is a Roman Catholic Church situated on the mall road. The church was previously a forest bungalow and it reopened on Nov 29, 1980. St jhon's Church is the only Church of worship in Lansdowne.

Bhulla Tal : Boating and padding facilities are available at Bhulla Tal.

Tip-In-Top : Situated in the ridge, tip-in-top is a popular point amongst the tourists visiting Lansdowne. The easy trek to Tip in top goes through dense forest and rugged terrains ending up at a picturesque spot from where enchanting Himalayas can be seen.

Garhwali Mess : This Mess was built in January 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.

Kaleshwar Temple : It is the oldest temple building of Lansdowne and is believed to be 500 years old. When the Garhwal Rifles reached Lansdowne on 4 November 1887, the site only had the idol of Lord Shiva. The temple now draws lots of civilian devotees and is deeply worshipped by locals and villagers who flock it frequently specially on 'Shivratri'.

St. Marry's Church : Construction of St. Marry's Church began in 1895 by Colonel (then Lieutenant) A. H. B. Hume of Royal Engineers and was completed in 1896. St. Marry's Church fell into disuse after 1947 and gradually began to deteriorate. The building has now been restored by Garhwal Rifles Regimental centre with additional facilities of relevant pre independence photographs and audio visual display of Regimental history.

Kotdwar : Kotdwar 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 hilts lrom three sides, The name Kotdwar indicates the gateway (diver) 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 tor many sages and rishis. Ashram ol Kamav Rishi is situated at the banks oi Malini river and is about 13 km. from the main town. Other famous temples are Sidhbali Mandir a Durga Devi. People from all over India come to pay visit to these temple. especially Sidhbali’ Mandir.

Kotdwar is also known tor its distinguished Public Sector Unit. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).

Kotdwar can be accessed from Delhi by train (distance about 240 km.) or by road (distance about 210 km.) Train such as Mussoorie Express and Garhwal Express are available from Old Delhi Railway Station. A computerised railway reservation counter is available here. Bus services from Uttarakhand Roadways and UP Roadways can be used from Kashmiri Gate lSBT. though tor some time the UP roadways is running its operations from Kaushambi. near Anand Vihar lSBT.

Bharat Nagar : 22 km from Kotdwar and a height of 1,400 mt. 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 have a beautiful view of the Balawali bridge of Ganga, Kalagarh dam and Kotdwar town.

Kanvashram : Situated on the bank of river Malini at a distance of 14 km. trom Kotdwar. It is believed that Sage Vishwarnitra meditated here. Indra. the king 0! 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 Shaku ntala who got married to Dushyanta 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. its situated on the banks of Khoh river, The temple itsetl is inside a cave. Deep inside is a Shivling. thronged by hundreds on Shivaratri, Simply an out of the world experience!

Trekking Routes : a large number of interesting scenic trekking routes exists in and around Lansdowne, They are as Follows:

Tarkeshwar Mahadev : It is an ancient Lord Shiva Temple which is a beautiful picnic spot surrounded by thick cader trees, It is located 38 km. away at height of 1800 mt. to the North East of Lansdowne on road Lansdowne-Deriakhal.

Bhairav Garhi : A conical shaped hill approximately 1830 mt. high is situated near Gumkhal and it overlooks Eastern Nayar eiver. 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 od 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 ic 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 show covered peaks of Himalayan the north East.

• Jungle walk
• small Treks
• Boating
• Stargazing
• Bird watching

Water activity in the Kho river are some of the adventure activities you can enjoy in Lansdowne.

• GMVN (Heritage house) Ph: 01386 262509
• GMVN Tourist Rest House Ph: 01386 262509
• PWD inspection Bungalow
• Army Welfare Board Rest House
• Uttarakhand Forest Department Base Camp
• Fairy Dale Hotel Ph: 01386 262599
• Hotel Mayur Ph: 01386 262311
• Blue Pine
• Ananda Resort, Tip-n-Top (Viw Point)
• Hotel Tourist Ph: 01386 262330

Besides the tourist rest house (GMVN) there are many hotels & lodges to suit every Budget.

For more information, Please Visit http://www.gmvnl.com

Uttarakhand Tourism official website http://uttarakhandtourism.gov.in

By Road : Lansdowne is well connected to major Destinations.

By Air : Jolly Grant Airport is the nearest Airport situated at a distance of 148 Kms.

By Train : The nearest railhead to Lansdowne is Kotdwar situated at a distance of 40 Kms.