ALMORA

ABOUT ALMORA

Almora, 66km from Nainital, at an altitude of 1650m, was the headquarter of the Chand dynasty. Invaded by Gurkhas in 1798, it was taken over by the British after the Gurkha war of 1814-15. Today it is an important commercial town and administrative centre. The town is an amalgamation of social & cultural influences of Kumaon. Traces of the old Chand Forts, beautifully carved wooden homes decorated with traditional murals reflect its rich heritage.
Almora was the capital of the Chand dynasty, which ruled Kumaon for more than one thousand years. One remarkable fact about Almora is that while almost all hill stations were discovered and developed by British, Raja Kalyan Chand founded Almora in the year 1568 when he transferred his capital from Champawat to Almora.
Almora perched on a 3 km long saddle shaped ridge, is called Kashaya Parvat and is situated in the middle of the Kosi & Suyal rivers. The district is adorned with garden orchards and numerous places of sanctity. One can get a panoramic view of the Himalayas from a number of places in the district. Quaint hill resorts such as Chaukori, Ranikhet, Sitlakhet, Binsar, Kausani & Bageshwar are all around Almora. Almora also offers those seeking adventure, trekking to Jageshwar (34 km) & Binsar (30 km).

HOW TO REACH THERE

Air : 127km from Almora, Pantnagar is the nearest airport. At present flights are however not operational.
Rail: Kathgodam (90km) is the nearest railhead with connection to Delhi, Howrah & Lucknow.
Road: Buses connect Almora with Kathgodam, Nainital (66km), Ranikhet, Pithoragarh(122km) & Delhi (380km) directly. There is also direct connection to Nepal Border, Banbassa (7 hours). Buses depart at a regular interval, every half of an hour for Kathgodam (3 hours). It takes about 2 hours to travel to Nainital & 4 hours to Pithoragarh. Infact road transportation is the most convenient way to travel to Airnora.
Private taxis & jeeps are also available from Kathgodam & other places. The rate for share taxi is around Rs. 60 per person from Kathgodam.
Local Transport : Taxis & Jeeps are available for hire. The main road in Almora town allows only one way traffic. Taxis normally charge for full day sight-seeing nearly Rs. 600 Rates can be negotiated for sight-seeing and half day excursion .

DISTANCES FROM MAJOR CITIES

» Lucknow (466)
» Dehradun (412)
» Nainital (71)
» Delhi (382)
» Bareilly (205)
» Kathgodam (90)
» Pithoragarh (122)
» Haridwar (357)
» Haldwani (96).

SIGHT SEEING IN ALMORA

Nearby places of tourist interest where an excursion can be made within a day are Bright End Corner's unforgettable sunset, Chitai temple with it's unique collection of brass bells of all sizes, gifted to the temple by devotees since centuries, Kasar Devi which houses many Europeans who fell in love with the place so much that they settle down, Nanda Devi Temple the cultural and religious center of Almora for now hundreds of years and Lala Bazaar a unique market of more than two hundred years with paved streets of stone.
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 Vivekanand Library which has many books on literature. A little away is the Vivekanand Memorial where Swami Vivekanand had stopped for a while on his journey to the Himalayas.
Martola : This picnic spot amidst gardens is 10 kms away from Almora. Most of the people who live here are foreigners. Buses and taxis come up to a point called Panuwanaula and from there onwards one has to walk.
Kalimutt : 4.5 kms from Almora, this picnic spot gives a lovely view of the Himalayan Peaks.
Deer Park : 3 kms from Almora this park is in NTD (Narayan Tiwari Dewai).
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.
Simtola : 3 kms from Almora Simtola is a picnic spot from where one can view the beautiful mountains covered with pine and deodar trees.
Chitai Temple : This is a very busy area. This temple is dedicated to Lord Golu. The people of Kumaon 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.
Katarmal : This 800-year old Sun Temple is the second in importance after the Sun Temple of Konark in Orissa. Seven kms away from Almora this historical important temple is an example of intricate sculpturing. This temple is in need of restoration now.
Binsar : 30 kms from Almora Binsar has a temple of Shiva who is also called Bineswar. 2412 mts above sea level this temple was constructed by King Kalyan of the Chand Dynasty. Visiting this temple gives one peace of mind.
Jageshwar : 34 kms away from Almora this temple of Shiva is situated amidst a dense Deodar forest and has a lot of mythological importance. Here there are about 164 temples of this kind.
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.
Gannath: 47 kms from Almora this is an ancient Shiva temple with natural caves. 2116 mts above sea level this place is a favourite with nature lovers.
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.

EXCURSIONS FROM ALMORA

Almora is situated in the midst of the Himalayas, the king of mountains and abode of the gods. From time immemorial people have visited this region for peace, solitude and liberation of the soul.
Almora is a good place to conveniently enjoy the spectacular snowscape of the central Himalayas. On a clear day - and most days in Almora are flawless - you can see forever and almost every peak. Almora allows you to enjoy the mighty Himalayas together with ridge after ridge of hills painted in different hues of blue and green. The terraced fields, the stone slatted barrack-like village houses have so far put up a valiant fight against the encroachments of urban expansion and destructive development.
Almora also has some beautiful health resorts. The chief among them is Ranikhet (1,829 meters). Ranikhet literally means queen's field. It is said that a Rani camped here once and gave this name to the city. During the days of the Raj, Ranikhet was a British cantonment.
There are a number of places of tourist interest around Ranikhet. Chaubatia is famous for its orchards; Tarikhet, eight kilometers away, was once the nerve center of the Freedom Movement. Mahatma Gandhi also lived here for a while; Majkhali presents a fascinating view of snowy peaks and Upat, about six kilometers from Ranikhet, has an exquisite golf course. Kausani, 32 miles from Almora, is situated at a height of 1,890 meters. An enterprising Englishman, Mr. Norman Troop, developed it as a tea garden. Binsar, about 32 kilometers from Almora is situated at height of 2,412 meters. The Chand Rajas used to camp here during summer. It offers a wonderful view of the Himalayas.
Bajinath situated on the banks of the Gomti (a local river) in Garur Valley, is an idyllic place. It is famous for its 13th century temples. Jageshwar has a group of Shiva temples and is on the Almora-Pithoragarh road and is situated in a densely wooded beautiful narrow valley. The temples were constructed in the 13th century.
They are a marvel to see for their artistic beauty and craftsmanship. Jageshwar is among the 12-jyotir lingas in the country. Bageshwar and Sitalakhet are other places of 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. Kafni Glacier is also close by (3,860 meters) and Sitalakhet is the new tourist resort on the Syahi Devi hill.