Of the numerous places of tourist interest scattered across India, the beautiful hill stations stand out. The country has wonderful beaches, great architectural marvels and imposing monuments. But somehow, there is something different about the mountains .
India has seven major mountain ranges and each has
its share of popular hill stations. Darjeeling and Shillong in the east, Shimla, Nainital and Mussoorie in the north, Ooty and Kodaikanal in the south and Mahabaleshwar and Lonavala in the west, to name a few, attract travellers and leisure-seekers virtually round the year. These corners in the mountains are surrounded by awesome natural beauty. They are dotted with streams, waterfalls, neo-Gothic churches, elegant bungalows and awe-inspiring vice-regal lodges.
These towns nestled in the mountain ranges of the land were set up by the British as summer retreats. In fact, they were crucial to the continuance of the Raj. Without these hill stations, which provided a refuge from the sweltering heat and dust of the plains, the British rulers would probably have left India much earlier than they actually did.
India has nearly 100 hill stations. They continue to serve the very purpose for which the British set them up in the first place. Many of these hill towns have cantonments, boarding schools and holiday resorts.
Unfortunately, many of the hill stations have turned into concrete jungles in recent years and are gasping for breath. Yet, tourists continue to flock to these hill stations. In response to the environmental degradation being caused, the Mussoorie town authorities have in fact begun to toy with the idea of imposing an eco tax on visitors. It is an idea whose time has come and it needs to be replicated in every major hill station.
India has seven major mountain ranges and each has
its share of popular hill stations. Darjeeling and Shillong in the east, Shimla, Nainital and Mussoorie in the north, Ooty and Kodaikanal in the south and Mahabaleshwar and Lonavala in the west, to name a few, attract travellers and leisure-seekers virtually round the year. These corners in the mountains are surrounded by awesome natural beauty. They are dotted with streams, waterfalls, neo-Gothic churches, elegant bungalows and awe-inspiring vice-regal lodges.These towns nestled in the mountain ranges of the land were set up by the British as summer retreats. In fact, they were crucial to the continuance of the Raj. Without these hill stations, which provided a refuge from the sweltering heat and dust of the plains, the British rulers would probably have left India much earlier than they actually did.
India has nearly 100 hill stations. They continue to serve the very purpose for which the British set them up in the first place. Many of these hill towns have cantonments, boarding schools and holiday resorts.
Unfortunately, many of the hill stations have turned into concrete jungles in recent years and are gasping for breath. Yet, tourists continue to flock to these hill stations. In response to the environmental degradation being caused, the Mussoorie town authorities have in fact begun to toy with the idea of imposing an eco tax on visitors. It is an idea whose time has come and it needs to be replicated in every major hill station.
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