Sundays Around Doon – Kempty Fall

Photo bybijoymohan

Gods have gone benevolent on the Doon valley for sure. Cloudy days, a taste of showers, windy climate and a dip in the temperature- all these are ‘much-asked-for’ boons. But what the much-harried Doonite needs is the return of the good old days again. When a slight surge in the temperature was met with a ferocious (okay, moderate sometimes) rain bringing the mercury down as fast as it went up. Alas, the good old days are gone. So, let’s make the best of what we have. Let’s go visit another waterfall this week.

Kempty Fall has a unique story behind its name. As it goes, in the British period, it was a centre of frequent tea parties that were called ‘camp tea’, with the beautiful background of the waterfall. The term soon attained a local flavour and became ‘Kempty’.

Kempty is approachable from Mussoorie by road (15kms approx.). At first comes the Kempty village with a little market on the roadside, where tourist vehicles pay a tax for the ‘development of the tourist attraction’. The actuall Falls come a few turns ahead, preceded by a long winding market. As you park your vehicle along the roadside, trying to find space, you wonder what in the name of development is going on, when the place lacks even a basic organized parking lot. The wonder about ‘development’ turns into horror as you start descending the narrow stairs down to the set of 5 waterfalls, that everyone comes here to visit. The stairs are cramped with tiny shops, with colorful roofs shouting ads of MNCs. Finally, when you reach the bottom; you realize that what you have come to, is indeed the bottom of beauty and serenity.

Photo by ch-eeee-tos

But I don’t mean to discourage you from going there. One must visit it and enjoy the waterfalls. And believe me, it is heavenly standing under the long-necked falls (the tallest of the five is over 30 metres) showering down on you. But while you enjoy this beautiful experience, you must also think about the crass consumerist monster that has shaped it into an ugly mess. After all, it is OUR waterfall, it belongs to us, and we have all the right to claim that it remains beautiful.

A concerned citizen posted his views and observations here. The photographs confirm the alarm raised by him. Also follow the external links on the page. The comments by various companies in the article underline the utter neglect of civic decency and aesthetics.

While enjoying your dip in the water, be careful about your valuables. In the garb of tourists, miscreants also make their way in. So keep your wallet, cameras, and valuables safe with a family member. By the way, have you ever wondered where all this water comes from? Much of it comes from the Benog Hill (now Benog Wildlife Sanctuary) the large green area extending from Hathi Paon to just above the Kempty Falls. And that is where we will be going very soon. Have a nice dip!