In Nature's Lap

It’s all possible in one place. You don’t need to go to a birdwatching point or site— colours are spread all over the place. Call them flying colours. Wondering where I was wandering? It’s a famous place (although not familiar to all tourists) called Lansdowne in Uttarakhand.

Strolling around the place one can see not only nice hillscapes with lush greenery, but that most of the trees in the area are name-tagged with the species they belong to. I got to know about several species that I came across.

It doesn’t have too many vantage points, but there is lots to see here. One can enjoy sunrise or sunset from most of the places while taking a walk. There’s also a touristy spot called the Sunset Point. On the way to that place, we crossed the Tip and Top point, where I had a 360 degree view of the surrounding hills including a mountain range. Near the Sunset Point is the SantoshiMataTemple. Climbing up the temple steps took me to a calm place. Other than the religious aspect, it offers a panoramic view of the mountains.

Another interesting place in the area is Bhulla Tal (Lake). It’s an artificial lake, made just for fun. The lake will give you a nice boating experience. The place is decorated with a beautiful garden around it. While strolling around the lake, I came across a wide variety of bird species including the elusive woodpecker. Also, it’s a wonderful place to spot butterflies.

A few architectural sites include the St. Mary’s Church and the St. John’sChurch, which date back to around 100 years. The army museum is also worth a visit.

In another interesting experience, I walked around 4 km to a nearby village along the motorable road. The locals

here burn dried leaves and the fire moves in small flames forming a rhythmic line as they move ahead. The smoke climbs high and can be seen from a distance. I also spotted a number of birds here, who I could see through my binoculars but the distance was too much to click pictures.

Though the scope for activities is not much in this place, it is an ideal location to enjoy nature. All you need to do is sit in a quiet place, rather any place, and enjoy the 180 degree view, 360 degree at places.

For trekkers, it’s an interesting place but not very adventurous. For everyone it holds a different experience—for me, it was to walk around the place randomly.

Lansdowne is charming from every aspect. The tranquil atmosphere transfers you to another world. If you want to avoid crowds, this is the ideal place. Very few tourists frequent this spot, which keeps it free from noise and pollution.

Founded and named after Lord Lansdowne, the Viceroy of India during 1888-1894, this hill station was developed by the British for catering to the recruits training centre of the Garhwal Rifles. It is still an army cantonment area.

The weather in Lansdowne is pleasant all round the year, except for winters. Winters are extreme, and sightseeing gets a bit tough as the temperatures are too low.

Post snowfall, peep out the beautiful snow-laden peaks of the Himalayan range. At other times, the greenery plays its role. This place deserves to be admired all through the year, with a different flair in every season.           

The writer is an avid bird watcher.

olmdesk@outlookindia.com