Almora is one of the most beautiful places in Kumaon region. The glamour and glitter which is seen in Ranikhet and Nanital is totally absent in Almora. In this point of view Almora is very virgin hill-station and is full of scenic beauty. It appears that mother nature has spread and blessed this place with her pure love. Nestled in the lap of nature this region has small houses built on the slopes and splendour of this place are added colourful attire of the natives. Just besides city flows the Koshi (Kaushaki) and Suyal (Salmali) rivers. The mountain on which the Almora is located is described in the famous Hindu epic Manaskhand as follows :-
Kaushiki
Shalmali Madhyey Punyah Kashaya Parwatah'
'Tasy Paschim Bhagam Kshetra Vishnyo Pratishthtam'
In the 9th century Almora was ruled by Katyuri dynasty. By 16th century this place was ruled by rulers from Chandravansh. This town was established by King Balo Kalyan Chand in 1563. This place was then capital city of Kumaon region. The forts, monuments and palaces built by the rulers of Chandravansh and Katyuri dynasty are even today evidence of the splendour this place had in the past. In 1790 Almora passed in the hands of Nepali Gorkhas. The Britishers gained control of this place from Gorkhas in 1815.
In the days of the Chand Kings it was called Rajapur. The name 'Rajpur' is also mentioned over a number of ancient copper plates. The town of Almora is situated over a horse saddle shaped ridge of a mountain. The eastern portion of the ridge is known as Talifat and the western one is known as Selifat. The market is at the top of the ridge where these two, Talifat and Selifat jointly terminate.
The main Mohalla (wards) of Almora are as follow :-
Selifat :- Joshikhola, Shelakhola, Dyodhipokhar, Thapalia, Kholta, Champanaula, Gururanikhola, Chaunsar, Galli, Karadiyakhola, Kapina, Paniudiyar, Ranidhara, Chaudharikhola, Pokharkhal, Jhijad and Kasoon.
Talifat :- Chinakhan, Makedi, Dharanaula, Chandani Chowk, Vishtakuda, Tyunara, danya, Bansbida, Upretikhola, Khasiya-khola, Badekhola, Dubkiya, Nayalkhola, Tiruvakhola, Dugalkhola and Tamtyuda etc.
Almora is situated on a hillock which is in Horse shoe shape and is surrounded by dense forests of fur and pine trees. In the backdrop are the lovely snow-capped peaks of Himalayas. Almora has been able to retain the tradition and ancient culture even when other places are being influenced by modern trends. The absence of any town planning and inclusion of tiles and stones on the pavements and houses prove that this place has not yet adopted the modern technology in a big way. Right in the middle of the town is the Nanda devi temple and Narsingh temple are evidence of the great faith of people in their God. Culturally also this place is very rich and all round the year Almora celebrates many festivals and cultural events.
Mostly the wards have been named after the communities that inhabited them. Market :- Lala Bazar, Karkhana Bazar, Khajanchi Mohalla, Jauhari Mohalla, Malli Bazar and Thana Bazar.
The market
is 1.25 miles long and is covered with stone slabs. The place of the present
cantonment was formerly known as Lalmandi. Presently where the collectorate
exists, the 'Malla Mahal' (Upper Court) of Chanda kings was located. The
site of present District Hospital used to be 'Talla Mahal' (Lower Court)
of Chand rulers.
SIGHTSEEING: Public Museum - Near Almora bus stand is the Govind Vallabh Pant Public Museum. This museum provides a deep insight of the development of art, culture, life style of this region. It has a very rich collection items relating to Archaeological, Historic and cultural significance. This museum has unique collection of 'Apen', a folk style of painting. One can have a good view of the various aspect of this style painting. This museum is open from 10:30 in the morning to 4;30 in the evening.
Nanda Devi Temple - This ancient temple is one of the main attractions of Almora town. This temple is hundreds of year old and carries deep faith of many people from this area. The images and statues on walls of this temple are intricately and delicately carved. They are very attractive and almost true to life depiction has been done. Every year a fair is organized here. People from all over the place come and participate in this fair. Groups of young men & women dance on the pulsating music of the mountains.
Bright & Corner - Two kms from Almora is situated Bright and Corner. This place became famous for excellent sight of sunset and sunrise. From Bright and Corner a different kind of view is obtained of dawn and dusk. The unusual calm and peacefulness during this time is rarely felt on any other hill station offering a similar view. Serene and calm circuit house very close to this point is an added attraction. Nearby is the Vivekanand library in Ramkrishna Kutir. In this library one can find many books relating to philosophy and spiritual thinking. There is also a place dedicated to Swami Vivekanand. It was at this place Vivekanand spend few days while his stay in Himalayas.
Deer Park - Deer park is located some three kms from Almora. An evening stroll in Deer park has its own pleasure.
Chetai Temple - The local people have much faith on this temple. The Chetai temple is located eight kms from Almora. This temple is surrounded by dense fur and pine tree forest. If you are a nature lover then you will certainly enjoy this place.
Simtola - This is a picnic spot about three kms from Almora town. The whole place is covered with pine and fur trees. The calmness and peaceful environment has fun of its own kind.
EXCURSIONS:
Jageshwar : 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.
Gannath : 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.
Kalimath : 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 : 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.
Binsar : This place has received its name from Lord Binsar Deo or Shiva. Binsar is 30 kms from Almora. The Shiva temple was built by the Chandravansi King Kalyan. This temple is built at a height of 2,412 meters. The peace and calm of Binsar provides peace of mind and soul.
Baijnath
: Baijnath is a place of much historical importance. This is 71 kms
from Almora and 21 kms from Bageshwar. There are many ancient temples
at Baijnath. These temples have historical and archaeological importance.
These temples have Shiva, Ganesha, Parvati as the presiding deities. Most
of the temples are located along the Gomti River. These temples were built
in 12th and 13th century by rulers of Katyuri dynasty.
Martola : This lovely place with gardens and forests is located 10 kms from Almora. Martola is so scenic and picturesque that many forgeiners decided to settle here. This place is a good picnic spot.
Koshi : 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.
GETTING THERE: The best way to access Almora is by bus. The winding and spiralling roads take you though deep valleys and dense forests. One enjoys the journey to Almora by bus as the speed is slow, scenic beauty of the region are clearly visible. There are bus services to Almora from almost any where in Uttar Pradesh and some of the services operate from outside the state too.
The conducted tours by private travel agents and tour operators are always there. The nearest airport is that of Pantnagar. The nearest broad gauge railway head is Kathgodam. Kathgodam is 91 kms from Almora and is connected by trains from cities all over the nation. The small gauge line terminates at Lalkuan which is 112 kms from Almora.
