ALMORA - RANIKHET (FROM DELHI)

At a distance of 3 km from Almora Bus Stand, Bright End Corner is a vantage point situated at the end of Almora ridge. The place offers some of the most picturesque views of the sunrise and sunset amidst the mighty Himalayas. The point marks the beginning of the Mall Road at Almora and is named after Mr. Brighton.

It is also known for its various meditational centers like Sri Ramakrishna Kutir Ashram and the famous Swami Vivekananda Library. Tourists from across the world travel to this place during April to June and September to October seeking to take up meditation classes. A little away is the Vivekananda Memorial where Swami Vivekananda had spent some time on his journey to the Himalayas.

At a distance of 700 m from Almora Bus Stand, Sri Govind Ballabh Pant Government Museum is situated at Central Lodge and is one of the popular places to visit in Almora city.

Govind Ballabh Pant Government Museum was established in the year 1980. It was built in honor to Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant's contribution as a freedom fighter as well as his efforts to develop Uttarakhand. The museum is known for possessing a varied and good collection of ancient antiques which date back to the Katyuri and Chand dynasties that ruled Uttarakhand for several centuries.

The museum has an interesting collection of art and crafts. It includes folk arts, textiles, Boshi Sen's personal collection, miniature paintings, woodworks. The museum also has an assortment of sculptures, terracotta, coins, bronzes, musical instruments, ivory copper plates, beads, manuscripts and many other things. There is a good collection of Kumauni ancient style painting called Aspen in the museum. These painting are .....

At a distance of 500 m from Almora Bus Stand, Nanda Devi Temple is situated above the Mall Road in Almora. It is one of the most famous and sacred temples in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand.

The temple is dedicated to Goddess Nanda Devi, the patron goddess of the Chand Dynasty. She is believed to be the destroyer of evil. Nanda Devi temple dates back to 11th century and is built in Kumaoni-style architecture within the premises of a Shiva temple. The idol of the goddess Nanda is a huge monument with a stone crown encircled by a wooden roof. The surrounding walls are graced by intricate stone carvings of several life size statues.

Nanda Devi temple is quite famous not just in Kumauni people but whole of Uttarakhand. There are numerous temples of Nanda Devi in Kumaon hills and the hills of far-western Nepal dedicated to goddess Parvati as the daughter of Himalayas. The temple is most famous for the Nanda Devi Fair that is hosted every year in the month of September. Tourists .....

At a distance of 37 km from Almora, Jageshwar is a Hindu pilgrimage town in Almora district of Uttarakhand. It is located at an altitude of 1870 m on the banks of Jataganga River.

Jageshwar was once the center of Lakulish Shaivism (Lakulish is 28th Avatar of Shiva). Origin and history of Lakulish (Shiva with a wooden stick) traverse back to Gujarat region of current India. The temple city comprises a cluster of 124 large and small temples with many preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India, which include Dandeshwar Temple, Chandi Temple, Jageshwar Temple, Kuber Temple, Mritunjaya Temple, Nanda Devi or Nava Durga, Nava-grah temple, a Pyramidal shrine, and Surya Temple, amongst which the oldest shrine is the Mrityunjaya Temple and the biggest shrine is the Dandeshwar Temple.

There is no definite dating of the construction of Jageshwar group of temples but according to the ASI, they belong to the post-Gupta and pre-medieval eras. These temples range in the period from the .....

At a distance of 10 km from Almora, Chitai Temple is a sacred temple situated near Falsima in Almora district of Uttarakhand.

Chitai Temple is devoted to the mythological and historical God of the Kumaon region, Golu Devata or Lord Golu. Perched on a hilltop, this temple was constructed in the 12th century by a general belonging to the Chand dynasty. Golu Devta is famously regarded as God of Justice.

According to the legend, once a king went into the forest for hunting, when the king became thirsty he ordered one of his servants to fetch water for him. In turn the servant disturbed a female saint deep in meditation. The woman, in a fit of anger, insulted the king. The king got fond of the lady and married her. As the other queens of the king became jealous of the new queen they stole the newborn child of the queen and replaced it with a stone and threw the kid in a lake where a fisherman found him. Later when the boy realized about his true identity he decided to seek on the .....

At a distance of 10 km from Almora Bus Stand, Kasar Devi Temple is a famous Hindu shrine at Kasar Devi village in Almora district of Uttarakhand. It is one of the oldest Hindu temples of the region.

Kasar Devi Temple is believed to be built in 2nd century AD and is dedicated to Kasar Devi. The temple is adorned on a hillock at an altitude of 2116 m overlooking the town of Almora. In 1890's Swami Vivekananda came to this temple for meditation. Alfred Sorensen who is also known as the Sunyata Baba stayed here for many years in 1930s. Several saints reported the presence of a divine power in these areas. It is said that this place is exposed to Van Allan belt, that's why a special natural powers are felt among people who come here.

Many foreigners came here in search of spiritualism with the effect of Sunyata Baba. The constant presence of foreigners conforming to the Hippie culture of the late 70s and early 80s led to the naming of this place as Hippie Land.

Kasar Devi .....

At a distance of 6 km from Almora Bus Stand, Deer Park is situated in Narayan Tiwari Dewai in Almora Town.

Deer Park is one of the major attractions of Almora and it features tall pine trees which add to the rich natural beauty of the place. This park preserves a huge collection of deer, furious Himalayan bears and wild leopards, which can be seen wandering around freely in the park. Besides, the place is an ideal place to take a leisure walk during the evening time.

At a distance of 20 km from Almora and 30 km from Ranikhet, Katarmal Sun Temple is an ancient Hindu temple situated at Katarmal village in Almora district of Uttarakhand.

Katarmal Temple is dedicated to Lord Burhadita or Vriddhaditya (the old Sun God) and is one of the famous historical places of Kumaon hills in Uttarakhand. The present image of Surya in the temple dates back to 12th century. Built in the 9th century by Katarmalla, a Katyuri king, this temple is perched at an altitude of 2116 m.

The Sun Temple is noted for its magnificent architecture and is a monument of historical importance. The temple complex has one main temple surrounded by 45 smaller exquisitely carved temples. The idols of Shiva-Parvati and Lakshmi-Narayana can also be spotted in this temple. The building faces the east in a way such that the first rays of the sun fall on the Shiva Lingam. Stone-built walls, intricate figures, beautiful pillar carvings and exquisitely cut out wooden doors are among .....

At a distance of 6 km from Ranikhet Bus Stand, Upat Golf Course is one of the highest golf courses of Asia, located at Upat village near Ranikhet.

This Golf Course is a 9-hole course making it one of the prime attractions of Ranikhet and is maintained by Kumaon Regiment. The green meadow of the golf course at such high altitude is awe-inspiring. This place is famous for providing panoramic views of surrounding snowcapped Himalayan peak. The area is surrounded by lush green forests densely populated with pine and oak trees.

Though primarily used by the army men, golf course is open to general public as well for a nominal fee. The golf club provides membership plans for outsiders as well. Few domestic tournaments are held at this course.

Timings: 7 AM to 7 PM

At a distance of 1.5 km from Ranikhet Bus Stand, the Kumaon Regimental Centre Museum and Memorial is situated near Somnath Ground. The Memorial was built in 1974, as a symbol of bravery and sacrifice made by soldiers of the place. The young soldiers take the pledge of loyalty to their motherland at this memorial. To commemorate the sacrifice of soldiers, a parade is also held here every year.

Apart from the memorial, this center also comprises a museum which was built in the year 1978. This Regiment Museum showcases the history of Kumaon and Garhwal regiments. It displays admired treasures like Rani Jhansi's argent scepter, Chinese rifles from the 1962 war, a World War-II Japanese wireless acreage blast and abstracts accompanying to the Kargil War. The Kumaon Regiment Widows Welfare Association runs a shawl weaving center here.

Entry Fee: Rs. 20 per person

Timings: 9 AM to 5 PM

At a distance of 500 m from Ranikhet Bus Stand, Mankameshwar Temple is a Hindu shrine situated next to Narsingh Maidan in Ranikhet town of Uttarakhand.

The Mankameshwar Temple was built in 1978 by the Kumaon Regimental Centre of the Indian army. This temple is dedicated to three main deities namely Goddess Kalika, Lord Shiva and the pair of Radha-Krishna. Mankameshwar Temple is surrounded by eternal beauty and hence it is one of the most picturesque spots in Ranikhet.

Mankameshwar temple is a popular temple for locals and remains busy with devotees throughout the year. People, especially the family members of military units in the Kumaon regiment frequently visit to worship in this shrine. The temple is particularly popular during the months of Sawan; unmarried girls keep fasts during this time and pray for a happy married life. The tourists can also visit the Gurudwara and a woolen garment factory, which is located near the temple.

Timings: 5 AM - 12 PM and 4 PM - .....