As the summer heat tightens noose in the plains, candid images of the sprawling alpine pastures, the tree-lined trails and the clean-green environs of Morni hills near Chandigarh, a quaint countryside hill resort in Haryana’s Panchkula district, stir you out of your reverie. An idyllic Morni hill resort, tucked away in the foothills of the Himalayan ranges, it offers a perfect getaway for Tricity residents just about a hour or two journey from Chandigarh. Here, you can check out the places to visit in Morni hills where you can experience trekking, rock climbing, paramotor, paragliding, and many other water sports.
Places to Visit in Morni Hills Chandigarh:
1. Tikkar Taal- 7 km From Morni Hills Chandigarh
The visiting nature lovers have a slew of surprises in store for them as they leisurely go around places of tourists’ interest in and around the charming hill getaway. A visit to Morni Hills is considered incomplete without visiting Tikkar Taal, nestled 7-km away from Morni, also known as ‘Chhota Taal’ and ‘Bara Taal’. Linked to the Pandvas’ exile, the lake has been segregated by a hillock, offering a magnificent view of divine surroundings.
The alluring man-made lake at Tikkar Taal offers ample opportunities for boating, aero and other water sport, including jet scooter, jet sofa, paramotor, parsailing, paragliding et al. All kinds of boats, including two-seater manual boats and motor boats are available for the intrepid few: courtesy the state government’s initiatives aimed at upgrading the infra to promote tourism! An ancient Shiva temple dating back to 12th century in its close proximity attracts devotees from far and wide.
2. Morni Fort
Another interesting tourists’ resort is the historic Morni Fort, perched on the spur of a hillock. The 17th century fort offers a breathtaking view of the village around. The historic fort in Morni Hills near Chandigarh, a mute witness to history, was given a facelift to woo tourists to savour its rustic charm! Other places one would love to hang around include the Karoh Peak, Ninc Tours, Samlotha Devi temple, Sri Baglamukhi Dham, and other places of worship, et al.
3. Adventure Park
There is an adventure park in Morni Hills for the intrepid adventure junkies, offering a raft of opportunities for fun-freaks, like climbing nets, vertical ropes, a Burma bridge, the spooky house, a maze, a catwalk and even a small zipline, besides some other fascinating features that keep them amused as they indulge in a heady spree of sheer fun and frolic.
Kids have a fare share of amusement flings with swings and slides they love to go about, and their hot favorite games like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Spiderman, and Skeletons to make the best of their leisure time. The cafeteria here offers chips, soft drinks and snacks, et al.
Morni Hills View :
The unique hill destination Morni hills near Chandigarh, popularly known as the mini ‘Kashmir’ of Haryana, is a sleepy hill outpost sedately nestled in the sylvan surroundings of the hills at an altitude of 4,000 feet from sea level.
An offshoot of the erstwhile Sirmaur kingdom, Morni derives its name from the queen of the times, named Morni, who was infatuated by this place of celestial solitude and serenity. Commanding a captivating view, the unique tourists’ Mecca, is known for its rugged grandeur, gingerly punctuated by heritage homes and homesteads, terraced fields, groves of undulating pine trees, fascinating flora and fauna, inviting adventure-freaks, holiday-makers, young and old alike, the year round. The sunup and sundown here in Morni Hills present a rainbow of colours, including red, russet and yellow, adding to the divine moment.
Known as the trekkers’ paradise, Morni hills, offer optimum opportunities for trekking, rock-climbing, walking or just lazing around in the paradisiacal ambience, away from the deafening din of city life. The pine-fringed Morni is dotted with rows upon rows of ornamental and fruit-bearing trees, like oak, jamun, sheesham, ritha, neem, mango, peepal, banyan and so on, with the rolling hills making a perfect backdrop. With the advent of the spring season, there is a visible riot of colours as it is time for the multi-hued flowers to bloom.
Avians’ paradise- Morni Hills
Morni, the proverbial avians’ paradise, is the bird-watchers’ dream-come-true destination as they are ears to the chirruping feathered friends creating a symphony of musical score perched on treetops. Home to exotic species of both resident and migratory birds, Morni hills near Chandigarh offer a wonderful time for bird-watchers to be eyes to myriads of species of avian population, like the crested-kingfisher, wall creeper, pheasant, red peafowl, Himalayan bulbul, bar-tailed treecreeper, and oriental turtle and dove, inviting enthusiasts to watch them from a closer range and know more about them. Among the wild neighbours commonly spotted in the forested area are the wild boar, hyena, hare, monkey, langur, jackal, sambar, and often, leopard, et al.
Wonderful Picnic Spot Near Morni Hills Chandigarh
Morni Hills offer wonderful picnic spots for those who come from nearby Chandigarh on a day-long visit to this scenic spot love to relish alfresco home-made food and indulge in a flurry of fun-filled sport and other recreational activities.
The charming tourist destination, Morni Hills is spread over 93 square miles, bordering Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. The solitary hill retreat of Haryana beckons tourists from Chandigarh Tricity and other far away places, be it any season of the year, especially summers, to savour the hidden bounties nature has bestowed upon this land of wonders.
Hotels and Homestays at Morni Hills
Some high-priced posh and pocket-friendly hotels and homestays at the resort offer cozy and customer-friendly stay for tourists coming from Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali, even during the peak season of the year. They include three-star hotels, the Haryana Tourism Department-run hotels and scores of other privately-run hotels and homestays offering a wide range of options for tourists. Prominent among them are the Morni Heights, Morni Hills Resorts, Hotel Classic Residency, Bushman Resort, Nancy Hotel and Surya hotel and many more that have mushroomed here over the years.
Those visiting Morni Hills must Know how to reach the destination:
All modes of transport are available from the Chandigarh and Panchkula bus stands, railway station and international airport. Morni Hills is about 52 km from Chandigarh International Airport and 41 km from Chandigarh Railway Station.
(The writer , Ramesh K Dhiman, is a former staffer of The Tribune and freelance writer. He has written extensively for leading newspapers and magazines on art, culture, mythology, besides travelogues.)
No doubt Morni is fortified with many pictursqe locations and has lot to offer to the adventure loving tourists but it lacks the much needed facilities…lake is not very well maintained and road network is also not upto the mark…proper infrastructure is the need of the hour to attract tourists…
Absolutely very charming place. Writer explored each and evry part of a Devine place.