Lansdowne - Small town with big dreams

Set in the garhwal region, Lansdowne is a small town with a population of about 10,000. It's so beautiful that it would be a criminal offense to try and explain in words. So, I leave you with a few pictures to plan your next holiday destination. 

As you enter the town, the army makes its presence felt. It's the home to the headquarters of the Garhwal Rifles. 

As I walked past the only market in the city, I met this man making paper bags. Plastic bags are banned in Lansdowne and the army makes sure that it's enforced. He has been living in Lansdowne all his life and proudly informed me that it was founded by the Viceroy, Lord Lansdowne in the late 19th century which is quite evident from  lovely British style bungalows and churches. Most of the bungalows serve as residence of the Army personnel, judges and other high ranking officers. When I asked if he likes staying in this obscure place, he said, there isn't much to do but if you are from ETV, please write that they should make some factories around so that the young people don't have to go to the cities to earn a living. Even if they pay less, we will be happy.

It is nothing like the other himalayan hill stations. This is the first hill station I visited which has no Mall Road hence, no irritating souvenir shops. People are so sweet that you might melt in their sweetness. These jeeps are the lifeline of the town. They line up early in the morning to take people to the nearby cities to get supplies. There's a huge water shortage in the region which makes farming almost impractical. So, food and other supplies needs to be replenished regularly. 

If you don't have a BSNL connection, you are in for a treat.  You need to trek/ drive to Tip-n-Top to make calls or use the phone booths. It was wonderful to leave my phone for a couple of days. The serenity is overwhelming.

Tip-n-top is 2-3 km from the main town. We visited the place twice but we took four different trekking routes to and fro. It's worth the pain. The views are absolutely stunning. Nanda Devi, Chaukhamba, Trishul and other high flying peaks are clearly visible. If you are trekking late after nightfall and lucky, you might even encounter a Cheetah. Don't worry, it won't eat you. 

Sunset

Lansdowne is a small town with a huge potential of becoming a busy hill station. Thanks to the Army, nature can be still be witness in its pure and undamaged form. Hopefully, unsustainable development won't happen anytime soon and we will keep enjoying the beauty!