769 / 822
ETERNAL
INDIA
encyclopedia
A GREAT DESTINATION
HILL STATIONS
The hill stations provide a brief respite from the heat of the
Indian plains. For the British who ruled India they offered the
sights and sounds of home with “the doves, the barbets and the
cuckoo sounding even more beautiful than it does in England”.
Here is how one administrator of the Raj described the ascent
from the cauldron of the plains to the cool bracing heights of a
Himalayan hill station.
“You get those burning plains right across India, fifteen
hundred miles of them. You gradually go up from tropical and sub-
tropical climbs through European and Alpine flora until you get right
up into the snows. I don’t think there is anything in life which is
such a relief and such a physical delight as going from the heat of
the plains in the hot weather up into the mountains, gradually
feeling it getting cooler. I remember the first time one gets to a
base in the hills. The water is cold; what a delicious feeling to have
cold water on your hands.” (Olaf Caroe)
Shimla was the seat of the British government in India during
the summer. The administration moved there taking with them all
the files, an annual migration which cost thousands of rupees.
Other provincial administrations did likewise. The Punjab govern-
ment also moved to Shimla from Lahore. The Bengal administra-
tion moved to Darjeeling, the government of the United Provinces
went to Nainital, the Bombay government moved to Mahabalesh-
war and the offices of the Madras Presidency shifted to Oota-
camund.
Quite a few hill stations were discovered and developed by the
British. The Collector of Madurai was the first to build a house in
Kodaikanal (one of the three hill stations in Tamil Nadu, the other
two being Ooty and Yercaud) in 1834. It developed rapidly after it
had its own municipal body in 1899. Kodaikanal is a botanist’s
paradise. The wonder plant, Kurunji, blooms once in 12 years (the
last flowering was in 1982) presenting a rare spectacle.
Ootacamund or Ooty (or Udhagamandalam as it has been re-
named) is known as the 'Queen of Hill Stations'. One of its princi-
pal attractions is the Wenlock Downs (named after Lord Wenlock,
a former Governor of Madras) an undulating landscape covering 40
sq. miles, unmatched anywhere else in India. Ooty can be reached
by bus from the plains. There is also a miniature railway which
starts at Mettupalayam, north of Coimbatore, a:nd goes via Coonor
to Ooty. The carriages are not as small as the Darjeeling toytrain.
The unique feature of this railway is the toothed central line which
the engines lock into on the steeper gradient near the top to prevent
them slipping back.
Mussoorie in Uttar Pradesh vies with Ooty for the title “Queen
of Hill Stations”. It was in the year 1827 that Captain Young, an
army officer, on a hunting expedition, explored the site and laid the
foundation for a holiday resort.
Nainital, where the UP Secretariat used to move every year for
six months upto 1947, is picturesquely situated around a lovely
mountain lake about 1.5 km long. It was discovered by a Mr. Barren
on a hunting expedition.
Himachal Pradesh, the 'Home of the Snows', has a variety of
hill stations. There are gay stations as well as quiet ones, some
providing the joys of trekking for the youth, while others offer level
walks for the aged, and whereas some are perched on the hill tops
commanding spectacular views of the valleys below, others are
situated in the valleys amidst the towering mountains.
Dalhousie, founded by Lord Dalhousie, nestles in the outer
slopes of the Dhauladhar range amidst stately oak and pine trees.
The principal attractions of Dharamsala is the snowline at Ilaqa,
five km from Triund (20 kms. from Dharamsala).
The other hill stations of Himachal Pradesh are Solan, Kasauli,
Mandi, Kullu, Manali and Shimla.
Kashmir is the Switzerland of the East combining Alpine gran-
deur with the exotic charms of the East. Srinagar, the summer
capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, lies between two hills —
the Shankaracharya and the Hari Parvat — on the river Jhelum.
Pahalgam, situated at the confluence of the Lidder and Seshnag
rivers, is a popular resort. Gulmarg “meadow of flowers” is
renowned for its golf course,, the world’s highest, lovely walks and
bridle paths through some of the most picturesque forest scenery.
Saputara, which means "abode of serpents" in the south-east
corner of Gujarat, is the state’s only hill resort. It developed after
independence. It is situated at an altitude of 1000 mts. (3200 ft.).
Saputara is some 164 kilometres by road from Surat and is situated
in the heart of the Dangs district, the most thickly forested area in
Gujarat. The route to Saputara passes through a luxuriantly for-
ested and beautiful area. Saputara provides some fine observation
points to see the Sun rise and set. There is also an echo point
where your call is reverberated by the hills.
Darjeeling (2123 m) West Bengal's summer resort, is also the
"Queen of Hill stations." Its name is derived from "Dorje ling"or
"Place of the Thunderbolt" and it was discovered in 1828 by two
British officers. Its highest point Tiger Hill provides spectacular
dawn views of Kanchenjunga and other Himalayan peaks.
Munnar in the Western Ghats, 139 kms from Cochin, is a hill
resort in Kerala. It is situated at a height of 1524 mts and is at the
confluence of three rivers — the Kantala, Kami and Nallatala
(Munnar in Malayalam means three rivers). It is situated among
tea plantations.
Mount Abu is Rajasthan’s only hill station. The famous Dil-
wara Jain temples give to Mt. Abu a unique character.
Panchmarhi (1075 m, 3526 ft.) is Madhya Pradesh’s hill sta-
tion. It derives its name from Panchmarhi or five caves on a hill
where it is said that the five Pandavas lived for a year during their
wanderings.
In Karnataka, Mercara (Madikeri), the capital of Coorg
(Kodagu) district is a pleasant hill station situated in a coffee-
growing area. Nandi (1478 mts, 4850 ft.) near Bangalore is a
popular hill resort. Kemmangundi (914m to 1828 m — 3000 to 6000
ft) in the Bababudangiri range in the Western Ghats has a number
of beauty spots.
In Andhra Pradesh, Horsley Hills (1265 m) is the only consid-
erable hill station. It was founded in 1870 by W.D. Horsley and
developed into a summer residence. Madanapally (746 m) and
Penukonda near Horsley, are smaller hill stations.