A Himalayan hill station is known for snow-clad mountain peaks, fresh air, and picturesque location. But Landour is famous for one more thing which is unique only to Landour and cannot be seen anywhere else in India. And that is, Winterline.
What is Winterline
Winterline is a unique natural phenomenon in which a second horizon gets created when warm air is trapped beneath the cold air. As the sun sets, the sun rays would refract back off this dense air creating a colourful line in the sky. This false horizon which is a colourful combination of yellow, red, and mauve colour is called Winterline. Winterline can be seen in Landour during winters between mid-October and January end. The uniqueness of this natural phenomenon can be gauged from the fact that apart from Landour, it occurs only in Bern in Switzerland.
My Experience
I had gone to Landour in mid-October 2019 and I was not sure whether I would get to see Winterline. While having breakfast at Anil’s Cafe at Chardukan road, I asked Mr Anil if Winterline is visible in the evening. And to my joy, he nodded and told me that Winterline can be seen from the front to the cafe.
I had done the research beforehand to know that the best place to experience the Winterline is from the balcony of Cafe Ivy. There are no tourist attractions as such in Landour but loads of peace in the air. I decided to wait around Cafe Ivy till the evening instead of going back to the hotel. I spent my time walking around the Landour, listening to piano music in the church, playing with the dog, and sitting on the bench in a park feeling the cool breeze on my face.
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I entered the Cafe Ivy at around 6:30 when the sun had started to set and went straight to the balcony. At that time, the light yellow colour had started to appear as the horizon and seeing that I knew that as it gets darker, I would witness an incredible sight.
I ordered a tomato and basil soup and a buttered toast as there was still some time to get dark. As I was taking the meal, I witnessed the horizon to change colour from light yellow to then orange with a big yellow flare to finally settling into reddish-orange. The colour which was also scattered in the beginning was now settled to a narrow line. I had never seen a natural phenomenon before which was so beautiful and breathtaking.
That forty-five minutes in Cafe Ivy seeing the Winterline over the hills was the best moment of my Landour trip. It was the perfect end to an uneventful but amazing day.
Note: Cafe Ivy is permanently closed now. Winterline can still be observed from the front of Anil’s Cafe but views are not as unhindered as seen from Cafe Ivy.
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