Kalsi

Located at an altitude of about 780 m, and just 60 km from Mussoorie, Kalsi is a beautiful little village situated at the convergence of the Yamuna and Tons rivers. Nestled between looming mountains and low plateaus (Kalsi lies in the buffer zone between Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh), with thickly wooded silver-oak and sal forests, and a river flowing through, this is a good spot to visit for its natural beauty—you can cycle through its wide winding roads devoid of traffic, go on a mountain hike or enjoy leisurely picnics beside the river—and also presents the perfect opportunity for a spot of mahseer fishing. Most tourists however, visit for the Ashoka rock edict found here—dating back to 253 BC, the pear-shaped quartz rock measures 10 ft in length and height, 8 ft in width, and features the outline of an elephant, along with inscriptions (in Brahmi and Prakrit script) promoting the message of non-violence and love. While you’re there, you can also visit the Asan Barrage (constructed in 1967), which harnesses water from the Asan and Yamuna rivers to create the Dhalipur lake, which supports a large variety of fish and bird life.