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Bhulla Tal, a small green lake with a wooden footbridge, pine trees and cottages on the slope behind in evening light
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Photo: Priyambada Nath · CC BY 2.0
lake3 min from Lansdowne

Bhulla Tal, Lansdowne — the small lake the Garhwal Rifles' young soldiers built

Bhulla Tal, the small man-made lake a kilometre from Lansdowne town, built with the help of the Garhwal Rifles' young soldiers: what it is and how to visit.

What it is

Bhulla Tal is the small lake just below Lansdowne. It is man-made, and Wikivoyage says it is dedicated to the young Garhwali soldiers of the Garhwal Rifles who helped to build it; bhulla means a younger brother in Garhwali. Pines and lawns slope down to the water, a footbridge crosses one arm of it, and small boats go out in the season.

Photos: Ashish Gupta from Noida, India (CC BY 2.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Why it matters

Lansdowne exists because of the regiment. The Garhwal Rifles came here in 1887 and their regimental centre is still in the town, which is why the cantonment board keeps it so small and tidy. The lake is the friendliest corner of that army town: a place to sit, feed the ducks of an afternoon and watch children on the water.

Visiting

The lake is about 1.2 km and 3 minutes by road from the town centre on our routing, an easy walk down from the market. We have no verified opening hours, boating rules or fees; ask at the gate. Go in the morning on a busy summer weekend, before the day visitors arrive.

Combine it with

The one-day town walk puts the lake, St Mary's Church and the Tip-n-Top view in order. Read things to do in Lansdowne.

Plans that include this

All 2 plans that stop here →
The stone Gothic front of St Mary's Church with a round window, a red door and tall deodars beside it
One day in Lansdowne — Bhulla Tal, St Mary's Church, Tip-n-Top and the temple on top
Day plan · couples and families · slow hill-town day
A slow one-day plan for Lansdowne: Bhulla Tal in the morning, St Mary's Church and the Tip-n-Top view on the ridge, and the Santoshi Mata temple at the top.
Best Mar–May · Oct–Nov
See the plan →
A large bronze bell hanging under a small green roof at the top of steps among tall deodar trees at Tarkeshwar Mahadev
A weekend in Lansdowne from Delhi — the town, then Tarkeshwar Mahadev in the forest
1 night · 2 days · weekend travellers from Delhi · hill weekend
A two-day Lansdowne weekend from Delhi: the drive up, Bhulla Tal, St Mary's Church and Tip-n-Top, then the forest temple of Tarkeshwar Mahadev before home.
Best Mar–May · Oct–Nov
See the plan →

Nearby places

All of Lansdowne →
St Mary's Church, Lansdowne — the old stone church on the ridge by Tip-n-Top
St Mary's Church, Lansdowne — the old stone church on the ridge by Tip-n-Top
temple · 494 m away
Tarkeshwar Mahadev Temple near Lansdowne — Shiva's shrine in the deodar forest
Tarkeshwar Mahadev Temple near Lansdowne — Shiva's shrine in the deodar forest
temple · 11 km away

Nearby destinations

All destinations →
The green Ganges flowing between forested hills at Rishikesh, with buildings on the left bank
Rishikesh
47 km away · 3 itineraries · 4 places
The ghats of Har Ki Pauri on the Ganga, with the clock tower, small red-roofed shrines and bathers on the steps
Haridwar
51 km away · 3 itineraries · 5 places
The green waters of the Tehri reservoir winding between forested hills, with the dam's grey wall on the right
Tehri
64 km away · 2 itineraries · 3 places
A wide grassy river valley in Jim Corbett National Park under a pale sky, with forested ridges and blue hills beyond
Ramnagar
66 km away · 2 itineraries · 4 places
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Questions people ask

What is Bhulla Tal?

A small man-made lake about a kilometre from the centre of Lansdowne, dedicated, Wikivoyage says, to the young Garhwali soldiers of the Garhwal Rifles who helped to build it. In Garhwali, bhulla is a younger brother. Paths, lawns and a footbridge circle the water, and small boats go out on it.

How far is Bhulla Tal from Lansdowne town?

About 1.2 km and 3 minutes by road on our routing, and an easy walk downhill from the market. Wikivoyage gives about a kilometre. It is the natural first stop of a day in Lansdowne, before you climb to the ridge for St Mary's Church and the Tip-n-Top viewpoint.

When is the best time to visit Bhulla Tal?

Spring and autumn, when the paths are dry and the days are mild. Wikivoyage says Lansdowne has cool summers, a wet and foggy rainy season, and cold winters with snow, and that May and June are the crowded weeks. On a busy weekend, come early in the morning, before the day visitors.