Almora Hills

Almora is a wonderful place to conveniently enjoy the spectacular snowscape of the central Himalayas. Away from the bright lights of cities, in a peaceful atmosphere lies Almora which brings alive all that is beautiful in nature. Almora is situated at the top a peak that is half circular. Almora is a town in the shape of a horse shoe. It is on a 5 km long mountain range. It has its own historical, cultural and political importance. Once upon a time, it was the capital of Kumau. It was set up by King Balo Kalyan Chand in 1563.The descendents from the Kyutar dynasty and the Chand dynasty ruled here in the old times. The forts, other historical monuments, courts and governmental offices are still present today. The two rivers, Kaushik (Koshi) and Shalmali (Suyal) flow near the town. The snow capped peaks of the Himalayas look like a long train of ice and snow from here. Each and every inch of Almora is filled with scenic beauty and the town has maintained its ancient tradition even today. This is clearly evident in the construction of the houses and in the roads made out of slate stone. Almora is also called a town of temples. Situated in the centre of the town is the temple of Goddess Nanda Devi. Unlike Shimla, Ranikhet and Nainital which were developed by the English, Almora is a hill station totally developed by the Indians. Almora has many fruit orchards like apples, peaches, apricots, plums, etc.. . ALMORA - A Famous Gateway Almora was founded in 1568.There are lots of attractions at Almora.Swami Vivekananda gave famous lectures here and included it in his itinerary at the turn of this century. From Almora To Colombo record that he was stirred as much by the stark beauty of the mountains here as by the ocean at Kanyakumari. The headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission, was located at Mayawati Ashram then in Almora. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore spent a summer to get over the personal grief after the loss of a beloved child.A little later followed the great dancer Udaya Shankar. Ravi Shankar, Zohra Sehgal, Simki and the youngster Guru Dutt have all been here. Others have followed in their footsteps.Pundit Nehru had served a term of imprisonment in the Jail at Almora and has left behind an evocative account of the pleasures of solitude and the changing moods of nature in his various letters written from this place which acted as inspirational guide for the Indians. Places To See In Almora: Chitai Temple: This is a very busy area. This temple is dedicated to Lord Golu. The people of Kumau worship him. Once a wish is fulfilled people hang little bells in this temple. Therefore there are thousands of little bells hanging there. The view of the Himalayas is extremely beautiful from here. This temple is 8 kms away by walk through a beautiful pine forest, but one can go by cart too. Bright End Corner: Almora is 2 kms away from here. A highlight of this point is the sunset and the sunrise seen through the Himalayan peaks. A circuit house close by allows tourists to spend some time in this peaceful surrounding. Close by is the Vivekananda Library which has many books on literature. A little away is the Vivekananda Memorial where Swami Vivekananda had stopped for a while on his journey to the Himalayas. Deer Park: 3 kms from Almora this park is in NTD (Narayan Tiwari Dewai). Nanda Devi Temple: This 1000-year old temple is one of the main attraction of Almora. Its walls have carvings on them. Every year a festival is held here in which youth from various mountainous areas come here to participate in this dance festival. Kasar Devi: Near Kalimutt is the temple of Kasar Devi. This ancient temple was built on a mountain peak in the second century. The distance between Kalimatt and Kasar Devi is less than 1 km and can be easily covered by foot. The surrounding area has become the home of many foreigners. The main town is 6 km away. State Museum: This museum is near the bus stand . It is closed on Mondays and other Government Holidays. It is open from 10:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Around Almora : Bageshwar (90Km.): Bageshwar and Sitalakhet are other places of tourist interest. Bageshwar is one of the main camping sites for the journey to Pindari Glacier, which is situated at a height of 3,820 meters.Sitlakhet is the new tourist resort on the Syahi Devi hill.Kafni Glacier is also close by(around 3,870 meters above sea level). Binsar(30Km.): Binsar, once the summer capital of the Chand Rajas (7th to 8th centuries) is located at a distance of 34 kms from Almora. Baijnath (70Km.): From Kausani, the road descends to Garur & Baijnath (70 km Almora, 26 km from Bageshwar and 19 km from Kausani) on the bank of Gomti river in a flat valley. Perched at an altitude of 1126 m. below Kausani is the famous temple complex of Baijnath in the Garur valley of Katyur. A group of ancient temples dating back to the 12th & 13th century line the banks of the river, presenting a beautiful sight. The temples are remarked upon, for its carving stone work & heritage. Built by Katyuri Ruler, these have over the time become synonymous with India's rich mythology. The mail 10th century temple houses a beautiful idol of Goddess Parvati chiseled in black stone. Shiva & Parvati are believed to have married at the confluence of the Gomati & Garur Ganga. Innumerable tales of Lord Shiva & Parvati make these temples a fascinating experience. The Katyur Dynasty is believed to take their name from Kartikeya the mythical son of Shiva & Parvati. Gannath (47Km.): Gannath is known for natural caves and ancient Shiva temples. This place is 47 kms from Almora. It is good place for nature lovers and ideal for spending your day with surpassing beauty. Every year on Kartik Purnima day a fair is organized here. Jageshwar (34Km.): Jageshwar is located 34 kms from Almora. There is an ancient Shiva temple at Jageshwar. This temple is surrounded by huge fur trees. In fact, this temple is in the series of ancient temples which were built in Kumaon region many centuries ago. The Jageshwar Shiva temple carries archaeological importance too. the architecture of this temple is worth giving a close examination. Kalimath (5Km.): From Kalimath one gets a good view of Almora town and the adjoining area. The sight of the nearby hills is amazing. This place is 4.5 kms from Almora. Close to Kalimath is Kasar Devi. There is temple dedicated to Kasar devi. This temple dates back to second century. One can go on foot from Kalimath to Kasardevi which is hardly one kms. Katarmal (17Km.): After the Sun temple at Konark, Orissa, Katarmal has the second important sun temple in the country. This temple is almost 800 years old. But this temple has not received the amount of attention it must have received. Due to neglect, the sun temple at Katarmal is in very bad shape. One feels very sad that a monument of such historical importance has been left to decay like this. This temple has some unique architectural style and the images carved on the walls are very intricately done. All this is bound to attract attention of the visitor. This place is 17 kms from Almora. Koshi (12Km.): Natural beauty of this place surpasses any other place. Koshi is 12 kms from Almora. The Govind Vallabh Pant Environment Research Institute is located here. There is guest house which provides good and comfortable stay at Koshi. Travel Information : By Road: Almora is well connected with all-important cities of India by road. By Air: The nearest airport is a Pant Nagar (Nainital). During the summer regular flights are operational. By Rail: The nearest raiway station near Almora is Kathgodam.