Overview

Almora is located in the Kumaon region of the state of Uttarakhand in northern India.Almora is one of the three hill districts of Kumaon. The other two being Nainital and Pithoragarh. It is the cultural capital of Kumaon. Almora is situated on a three-mile long horse saddle-shaped ridge and is surrounded by four hill ranges - Banari Devi, Kasar Devi, Shayahi Devi and Katarnal. The three peaks have temples of Goddesses while Katarnal has an ancient Sun temple worth visiting.

There are many beautiful temples in Almora. The 1000 years old Temple of Goddess Nanda Devi is located right in the middle of the town. The Chitai Temple is the temple of Lord Golu, worshipped by the people of the Kumau region of Uttaranchal. There are quite a few temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, few dedicated to Goddess Durga .

Almora rests among a picturesque setting. On a horse saddle shaped hillock, surrounded by thick forests of pine and fur trees, flowing alongside the city are rivers of Koshi and Suyal and to top it all are the snow capped Himalayas in the background.Almora is a good place to conveniently enjoy the spectacular snowscape of the central Himalayas.

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.

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