This year, I organized an impromptu vacation to Uttarakhand, and Landour, Mussoorie was one of the places where I left a piece of my heart. Landour is a stunning off-the-beaten-path hill station in Mussoorie. Landour, a British Indian cantonment town, was named after the settlement of Llanddowror in south-west Wales. The tranquility and serenity of the surroundings guarantee to captivate you. I could go on and on how lovely and quote this place is. Do I discuss the locals, the dogs, the roads, or the restaurants? Everything about this site is amazing and makes you feel like you’re in a fairytale. Meandering roads, fresh mountain air, and magnificent views of nature make hiking in the Alps a truly thrilling experience.
The road in Landour is shaped like the number ‘8’, with all the activities to do and places to visit dispersed along the sides of the route. This is known as the ‘Upper Chakkar’ or ‘Gol Chakkar.’ If you want to experience the actual heart of Landour, it is advisable to walk rather than drive. The road is very well constructed, and the surroundings are densely forested with huge lush Deodar trees.
Discovering the Town’s Gems
#1) Lal Tibba View Point
As its name suggests, Lal Tibba refers to the reddish-brown soil on the hill where it is located (Lal = Red and Tibba = Hill in Hindi). It is Landour’s highest point, from which you can see numerous prominent Himalayan peaks. There are two restaurants in Lal Tibba that have binoculars on their terrace for viewing the Himalayas and distant villages, and they charge INR 50 each. The view from Lal Tibba is spectacular, and from here, one can adore all of the Char Dhams. Lal Tibba is best seen at sunrise or sunset.
#2) Char Dukaan
Char Dukaan is a row of four stores in Landour. The Char Dukaan takes care of the domestic requirements of international students at Landour Language School. All of the stores sell cuisine as well as hill-friendly snacks and drinks such as a hot cup of tea/coffee, Maggi, pakoras, parathas, noodles, pancake and waffles.
#3) Landour Language School
The Kellogg’s Memorial Church is directly behind Landour Language School. When the British governed India, they sent their children to this school to study Hindi. Dr. Samuel Kellogg created a book on Hindi Grammar in English to help British people grasp the language. The Landour Language School is still in operation and presently teaches Hindi.
#4) Kellogg’s Memorial Church
When you get at the crossroads of Gol Chakkar, you will notice Kellogg Memorial Church, the largest church established in 1903 by an American missionary. The chapel was founded in 1903 as a Presbyterian church and is called after Rev. Dr. Samuel H. Kellogg, an American Presbyterian missionary who worked in Landour. We couldn’t get inside the church since it doesn’t allow tourists due to Covid-19.
#5) St. Paul’s Church
The church was constructed in 1839 and dedicated on May 1, 1840, by Bishop Daniel Wilson of Calcutta. This is the first chapel where troops were permitted to bring their guns inside to avoid theft. During church, the benches have notched seats to place the gun on. The church is surrounded by large pine/deodar trees and looks stunning. The yellow-painted church stands out against the blue sky and deodar trees in the background.
#6) Landour Bakehouse
Landour Bakehouse provides bakeries, sweets, croissants, scones, buns, cookies, crepes, and puddings made from tried-and-true Landour recipes. The recipes in this section have been adapted to local requirements and put in a book called Landour Cookbook. The menu of Landour Bakehouse highlights these foods. The bakery/café has an ancient appeal with its wooden design, earthy environment, and kitchen construction in the manner of the nineteenth century. ‘We don’t have wifi; pretend it’s the 1980s and chat to each other,’ said a black chalkboard at Landour Bakehouse, which made us laugh. Another amusing remark is scrawled on an abandoned van immediately outside Landour Bakehouse: ‘We’ll start deliveries as soon as our vehicle is fixed.’
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#7) Anil Prakash store
‘Prakash & Co – Since 1928’ is the name of a business as well as a company that offers the famous Landour jams, preserves (10 types prepared the American manner), and English-style Cheddar. Christian missionaries arrived in the 1830s, and Landour quickly became one of India’s first commercial peanut butter producers. Anil Prakash’s family ended up in possession of their peanut butter and food-processing machinery this way.
#8) Doma’s Inn
The ancient cottage has been transformed into a multi-colored sunny vision with Tibetan elements. Its wood-paneled rooms are deliciously comfy, with the biggest even having a sit-out porch. The elaborately hand painted walls and ceilings are a sight to behold. When you walk into the dining room, you’ll notice that it’s covered in mishmash of old Hollywood and Bollywood movie posters. Another unique feature of this location is that it shares a wall with “The Ivy Cottage,” the home of renowned author Ruskin Bond. Let us not forget to mention the cuisine. All of the Tibetan cuisine is exquisite.
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#9) Emily’s by Rokeby Manor
Rokeby, built in 1840 by Captain GN Cauthy, is a Landour landmark. Its name is derived from Sir Walter Scott’s writings, which chronicle heroic battles at Rokeby Castle in England in a book-length poem. The home has been owned by a variety of people, including a British soldier, Rev. Woodside, one of the founders of Woodstock School, and the Methodist Episcopal Church. It has also used as a boarding house for missionary women learning Urdu and Hindi. It was in Rokeby’s DNA to be managed as a hotel, with a restaurant named after Emily Eden and carefully rebuilt rooms with stone walls and hardwood flooring! It’s the most exclusive stay in Landour, along with Rokeby Residences, a cluster of colonial villas nearby.
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