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Tourist
Attractions in Almora
About 400 temples were built during 700 and 1300 AD in
Almora district. The Sun Temple is one of the most
famous temple in Almora. The other tourist attractions
in Almora are Almora Fort, Brighton End Corner, Nanda
Devi Temple, Kalimath and Simtola. |
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point
for sunset and sunrise views of the Himalayas.
Simtola
Simtola is situated about 3 km from Almora. It is a
popular picnic spot covered by a thick blanket of pine
trees. Simtola was selected by Uday Shankar for his
cultural centre and studio.
Nanda Devi Temple
The Nanda Devi temple is approached through Lala Bazaar.
The temple was an important meeting place during the
freedom movement. In September, the Nanda Devi Mela is
also held here.
Kalimath
Kalimath is situated about 5 kms. from Almora. Kalimath
is famous for its scenic grandeur and the view of Almora
Town. Kasar Devi, about 0.8 km beyond Kalimath commands
an excellent view of the neighboring area and the
Himalayas.
Excursion from Almora
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Binsar
Binsar is situated about 30 kms. from Almora. Binsar is
one of the most beautiful place in Almora, famous for
the closer and wider view of the Himalayas. It was also
the summer capital of Chand Kings. The whole region is
now under the Binsar Sanctuary. This region is very rich
in biodiversity and a centre par excellence for
Himalayan views as well as for a holiday in
uninterrupted solitude. On moonlit nights, the view of
the sparking snow clad peaks is an exhilarating
experience. Binsar is a deliciously quiet and peaceful
wildlife sanctuary in the Kumaon Hills. It is also an
interesting place for the bird watchers, with at least
166 identified bird species in the region. Some of the
birds are the brain fever, streaked laughing thrush,
spotted dove, large pied wagtail, yellow backed sunbird,
white-capped redstart and butterflies. The newly
inaugurated little museum at the entry barrier to Binsar
can also be visited here. There is also the option of
hanging around Khali Estate, once the home of Sir Henry
Ramsay and later Jawaharlal Nehru’s sister Vijay Lakshmi
Pandit. At the Zero Point, there is a viewing tower that
affords a remarkable panoramic view of distance of
barely 25 km and is the best spot to view the sunrise
and sunset. |
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temples
are the Mrityunjaya and the Jyothirlinga itself. Aarti
is generally held around 6 pm while the morning bhog
takes place around 10 am. The Dandeshwar Temple Complex,
a few kilometers away, is also worth visiting place. A
trek upto the Briddha Jageshwar Temple is rewarding too
for the journey more than the destination. The recently
opened Archaeological Museum can also be visited here.
It houses some exquisite idols and statues removed from
the Jageshwar shrine dating back as far as the 10th
century.
Kausani
Kausani is situated about 52 km from Almora at 1890
meters and is a popular holiday centre. This small
settlement, on top of a mountain, offers views of nearly
400 km of snow peaks. The peaks of Kedarnath, Chaukhamba,
badrinath, Nandghunti, Trishul, Nanda Devi Panchachuli,
Api and Nampa are breathtakingly beautiful. Kausani is a
little less accessible to the madding crowd, perched in
a corner of Kumaon, who prefer not to venture further up
from the yachts at Nainital. It is a peaceful hill
station, with plenty to offer in terms of both peace and
amusement. The best time to view these places is between
September and May. In the summers, rhododendrons flower
in such profusion that they practically carpet the
route. There is a pleasant tourist bungalow and also the
Anashakti Yoga Ashram where Mahatma Gandhi once stayed
for a fortnight writing his commentary on the Anashakti
Yoga in 1929. In fact, it was he who christened Kausani
“the Switzerland of India”. The ashram affords a
glorious panorama of the Himalayas. The Katarmal Sun
Temple, also known as the Surya Mandir, and second only
to Konark is the famous temple in Kausani. The complex
of 44 temples is over 800 years old, and if you can get
there at dawn, then you can witness the first rays of
the sun streaming through a square apeture in one of the
smaller temples to pay homage to the presiding deity in
the main temple. Of the nearly 60 idols there, the
oldest idol is 900 years old. The memorial of noted
Hindi literature Sumitra Nandan Pant is also worth
visiting place. Some of his furniture is still kept here
and the memorial also serves as a reference library. On
his birth anniversary (20th May) every year, kavi
goshthis and sammelans attended by local poets are
organised here. You can also visit the tea gardens in
Kausani.
Baijnath
Baijnath is situated at an altitude of 1125 meters on
the banks of the Gomti river in the Garuda Valley. It is
an ancient religious centre, situated about 20 km from
Kausani. The main attraction here is the temple complex.
The Parvati temple enshrines a beautiful sculpted, human
size black image of the goddess Parvati and belongs to
the 12th or 13th century. The large round stone which
nine men can lift using only a finger each, is located
just outside the temple compound. The Kali Temple, known
as Kot-ki-mai is situated about 8 km from here.
Bageshwar
Bageshwar is located at the confluence of the Gomti and
Saryu rivers at 3,200 feet. The temple complex is one of
the main tourist attraction. The Temple is strung with
bells, the traditional Kumaoni offerings. They come
truly alive during the Uttarayani Mela in January every
year. Neeleshwar and Bheeleshwar are two facing hills,
within easy distance of the town center. There is a
Chandika Temple atop Bheeleshwar and an old Shiv Temple
atop Neeleshwar. Bageshwar is also popular with trekking
enthusiasts. It is the base camp for trek to Pindari,
the most accessible glacier in the region.
Gwaldam
Gwaldam is a small market town where the British
established tea plantations. These have since been
abandoned. There is a Tourist Bungalow. From its garden
there are splendid views, especially at dawn and dusk of
Trisul and Nanda Ghumti. Gwaldam is one of the starting
points for the trek to Roopkund. It overlooks the
beautiful Pindar river which the road follows down to
its confluence with the Alaknanda river at Karnaprayag. |
