Described by some as the gates to the heavenly abode that is the Himalayas, Lansdowne (in Uttaranchal) is also one of the most unusual hill stations in India. Far from the crowded, overdeveloped and noisy places that most of the popular hill stations of the north have become, Lansdowne has retained its quiet and serenity thanks to the presence of the local Army Cantonment Board which manages and regulates the development in the town.