A Cantonment Town in Pauri Garhwal District
Lansdowne is a beautiful little Himalayan cantonment town located in Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand. It is popular destination for leisure outings that attracts many travelers from every corner of the country. Situated at an altitude of 1700 m, this place is at a distance of 240 kilometers from Delhi.
It is one of the most tranquil hill stations of India. On a tour to Lansdowne, the calm environment enriched with natural beauty of the place will enthrall you for sure. You will not find the hustle-bustle generally associated with other hill stations at this place.
Brief History:
The name of the town is taken from a British Viceroy of India named Lord Lansdowne in 1887 AD. He was also the founder of this area. Hence the place became famous by the name of Lansdowne. Before it was discovered as Lansdowne, it was called “Kaludanda”.
This beautiful town still has cantonment and proudly preserves it’s links from the past. Lansdowne was originally a popular hill station of Britishers. Attracted by its salubrious climate and natural beauty, they established a cantonment here.
Why Visit Lansdowne?
Surrounded by thick oak and blue pine forests, the hill station of Lansdowne is a place devoid of the hustle and bustle of other hill stations.
It is a place for the tourists who want to enjoy nature in its eternity.
The great weather and pristine environment leaves an everlasting impact on the tourists.
Adventure activities like, trekking, bird watching, boating, paddling etc. can be done while a visit there. It is one of the best weekend destinations of Uttarakhand.
It is also not as crowded as other famous destinations like Nainital and Mussoorie.
It is an ideal weekend destination from Delhi NCR to enjoy with family and friends.
Being situated in the cantonment area, the hill station is quite peaceful, clean and well maintained.
Once you have seen places within Lansdowne, drive out to nearby towns such as Jai Hari Khal, Satpuli, Pauri and Srinagar.
A short distance off the main road from Jai Hari Khal is a temple of Bhairon Dev on the top of a hill. The trek to the temple is not very long or tiring but offers a spectacular view of the valley below.
Things to Do & Places to Visit in Lansdowne Uttarakhand:
Lansdowne is very quiet town where people come to relax or use it as a rest stop for the trek routes that open up into the great Himalayas. You can visit Santoshi Ma Temple, Tip-in-Top, Snow View, Bhulla Lake, St. James’ Church, St. Mary’s Church, Reindeer rock, Garhwal Rifles Museum, Kaleshwar Mahadev Temple.
Best Time To Visit Lansdowne:
Lansdowne can be visited during all times of the year and provides a soothing climate to visitors all year round. The temperature is pleasant here in the summer. The town offers visitors with ample opportunities to enjoy the gifts of nature.
However, winters here can be severe cold with snowfall throughout and temperature may reach below sub-zero levels. The best time to visit the town is during the winter season when the climate is the most pleasant and the town is covered with fog and lush green surroundings with oak and pine trees.
Temperature:
Maximum temperature in summers stays at 30 degree and the minimum temperature is around 15 degree Celsius. In winters, the temperature varies from 24 degree to 0 degree Celsius. The months from March till June are the summer months and the temperatures range between 30 degrees and 15 degrees Celsius.
The period from July till late September is the rainy season with plenty of showers from the monsoons. Winters start from late November and end till late February. This is one of the most extravagant times in the hill town as the temperatures never go above 24 degrees and can get to 0 degrees Celsius during nights.
How To Reach:
By Rail:
The nearest railhead for Lansdowne is Kotdwar (2 hours), which is well connected by buses. Lansdowne is also linked by a motorable road to almost all the important cities in Uttarakhand.
By Road:
Lansdowne is well connected to all major cities in Uttarakhand. You can get buses and taxis from Delhi and the commute takes hardly 6-7 hours by road.
- Kotdwar – 44 Kilometers
- Dehradun – 174 Kilometers
- Haridwar – 108 Kilometers
- Nainital – 227 Kilometers
- Shimla – 402 Kilometers
- Chandigarh – 313 Kilometers
- Delhi – 280 Kilometers
- Jaipur – 520 Kilometers
- Lucknow – 510 Kilometers
- Mumbai – 1,650 Kilometers
- Kolkata – 1,519 Kilometers
- Hyderabad – 1,704 Kilometers
- Bangalore – 2,249 Kilometers
- Chennai – 2,236 Kilometers