Exploring Dehra Dun through a Geologist's Eye .

The grandeur institute lushed in the laps of Garhwal hills with british legacy architecture and photographic landscape view is widely acclaimed spot for movie shoots, photo shoots, ad film making and tourist place.I happened to visit this place for my project related fieldwork.Was briefed about the rich forestry heritage by Dr.Kumar who briefed us about this institute which is fame to give training to our astounding Indian Forest Service Officers who protect our Mother Nature well equipped with greater skills honing at this institute located near Chakrata road at Dehradun .

Gucchupani Robber's Cave

The adventure is not in arriving, it’s in the on-the-way experience. It is not in the expected; it’s in the surprise. You are not choosing what you shall see in the world, but giving the world an even chance to see you.

It’s like drawing lines from star to star in the night sky, not forgetting many dim, shy, out-of-the-way stars, which are full of possibilities. The first turning to the left, the next to the right… I am still on my zigzag way, pursing the diagonal between reason and the heart.

Trekking in the Himalayan foothills at the Gucchupani ,Tapkeshwar hills back when I could do that, I once walked for kilometres without encountering habitation. I was just scolding myself for not having brought along a waterbottle  when I came across a patch of green on a rock face. I parted a curtain of tender maidenhair fern and discovered a tiny spring issuing from the rock—nectar for the thirsty traveller.

I stayed there for hours, watching the water descend, drop by drop, into a tiny casement in the rocks. Each drop reflected creation. That same spring, I later discovered, joined other springs to form a swift, tumbling stream, which went cascading down the hill into other streams until, in the plains, it became part of a river. And that river flowed into another mightier river that kilometres later emptied into the ocean.The pathway is slippery  chances of falling down are high but you enjoy the journey throughout.Earlier before mass tourist accumulation there were stalactite formation when the pathway towards the Gucchupani ended and Tapkeshwar started now its nearly no visible just a tiny stream cascading through the limestone caves which shows a karst topographic feature due to insolation of limestone minerals precipitated in himalayan rocks washed by the streams.

Be like water, taught Lao-Tzu, philosopher and founder of Taoism. Soft and limpid, it finds its way through, over or under any obstacle, sometimes travelling underground for great distances before emerging into the open. It does not quarrel; it simply moves on.

Post trek through the cascading gorge after a brief adrenaline rush it was time to calm the stretching soul traveling so we visited the nearest monastery which is the Mindrolling Monastery in the Clement Town , Dehradun which is one of the largest monastery in the world.The glimpse of the Mindrolling Monastery is the perfect  antidote to ever chaotic mind outside .The premises are spic and span devoid to the sea of people that is
synonhmous to Mcleodganj.A sense of tranquility pervedes as one enters monastery.
The roads leading to monastery are narrow
with shops and cafes on either side churning
out steaming hot momos,beverages and other delicasies.But then it is easy to get lost on your own into the meandering path.The Tibetan meaning of mind rolling means " a place of  perfect emanicipation."
The Mindrolling Monastery is one of Dehradun’s famous landmarks and is known for its beautiful architecture, impressive interiors and peaceful surroundings.

The legend says, the local Tibetan community was harassed by a menacing problem - brewing and consumption of illicit liquor. All that the local police could do was to arrest a few people, put them behind bars and then release them after a few days. Then a young DSP (Dy. Suptd of Police) came to be posted in Dehradun. He realized that this was not the way to really solve the problem. So, he went to the local Lama and requested for his help in solving the problem. The lama thought for a while and then said, "There is only person who can really help in solving the problem and that is the Honorable Dalai Lama. Let us go to him". So a team of four people which included the DSP and the lama went to Dharamshala to seek Dalai Lama's advice.

Dalai Lama had the answer. He said, " Go back and build a temple which would be the pride of not only Dehradun, but of the entire nation. Build the tallest stupa of Lord Buddha in Asia. People from all over the world would come to visit and to worship. The local would get employment and, of course, no one would commit a sacrilege of brewing or consuming liquor around the holy temple". With these blessings from the Holy Dalai Lama, the construction of the temple was initiated and the foundation stone was laid by the then Hon'ble Minister of Defense, George Fernandis and the temple was solemnized by the Dalai Lama himself in 2002.

Naturally, the problem of consumption of alcohol got automatically eradicated and a temple of Buddha with the tallest Stupa of Lord Buddha in the whole of Asia came up. The temple has four stories - each representing a different Avatar of the Lord Buddha, but with one universal message of love, peace, and harmony.

On Sunday mornings, visitors are allowed to go to the terrace from where you get a panoramic view of the entire Doon valley, and there are many other places to visit inside the complex of the temple - like shops, cafeteria and the garden. For a visitor with more time and interest, there is a Buddhist Monastery, too.
Mindrolling Monastery about 10 kms from Dehradun.

They sell beautiful dreamcatcher, prayer flags,tibetan and mussoorie scarves at affordable rates but the inhabitants here are away from digital India culture which do accept digital payments nor do have card machines to purchase the souveneirs from this monastery carry extra cash and so as a traveller thinking to carry safe cash in card I couldn't purchase from this place .The prayer hall in the monastery soothed my frayed nerves with their soothing music played in backdrop .I felt so peaceful which words can't describe.They do not allow to click pictures or shoot somehow I escaped being caught but it's not always okay to break the rules 😋😝

Wildlife Institute of India

Later we visited the think tank of wildlife and climatic change alma mater of many great researchers.The institute is surrounded with Deodar and Sal forest vegetation along the greater Siwalik hill ranges which keeps the ambience of institute too pleasant.The institute has a nature trail which leads to a mystique lake which is an abode to various western Himalayan birds like western tragoppan,grey treepie,Himalayan black bul bul and griffon vulture etc and easily we could spot them too.

Sahastradhara -Land of thousand Springs
Amidst the several attractions that make up the natural charm of Dehradun City, one of the most prominent ones is Sahastradhara. It is located at a distance of about 14 kilometers from the city and is one of the most popular tourist attractions here. The name Sahastradhara translates into ‘Thousand fold spring’ and is characterized by a beautiful waterfall. River Baldi flows through a great height with caves on each side. It is best that you visit this spot during the monsoon season when the river gushes off the cliff, offering spectacular scenery. Also, something that makes this spot more special is that there are limestone stalactites here, and the spot turns into a sulfur spring when water drips through these. This water is believed to have many medicinal properties that cure many skin ailments.
The place has amazing points which you can climb through the air cable and get spectcular view of Doon valley.They horde on great cafes where you can sit at the top and binge on the snacks with amazing view which is surreal.

Thus , concluding though the prominent locations of dehradun they hold a deep history of the civilization of nature through the cascading gorges and deep v -shaped valleys surpassing hills and mountains and the need to conserve our precious beauty of mother earth to dignify it's surrounding whenever a wander lust soul visits .Our duty is to be a responsible citizen and a traveller and carry litter in our bags  to make a plastic free nation which harms such beautiful scenic places and throw it whenever we see a dustbin instead of littering such geological places of great value.