Almora - The Switzerland of India

Most of you must have booked your ticket for some where or else for this summer vaccation and if not, try to enjoy this summers in Almora. And I am sure you would love to go again and again.

Mesmerizing hill station Almora is a no doubt a perfect mixture of magnificient mountain beauties, early cultural influences, blessed spots, densely wooded forests, old-fashioned cottages, crystal lakes, picturesque valleys, and garrulous rivers which inspires one to call it the 'Switzerland of India'. The town was founded in 1560 AD by King Kalyan of Chand Dynasty. The horse shoe shaped district is located between the river Kosi and Suyal.

Location – Almora is a hill district in the central Kumauni region of Uttarakhand at an altitude of 5900 ft. & surrounded by Pithoragarh from east, Garhwal from west, Bageshwer from north and in the South there is Nainital.

Language – Kumauni & Hindi are the main language spoken by the people. Local people prefer to speak in Kumauni however you can find people speak in Hindi.

Transport facility – Almora is well connected with other major cities of India through Road, Rail & airways. Local transport, private taxies & buses from Kathgodam are run by private operators to connect it with other cities. Private taxis can be hired for traveling inside the district.

People & culture

The town is renowned for its rich cultural heritage, splendid cuisine, unique handicrafts, wonderful wildlife and age-old temples coupled with an easy accessibility. Adding to the colors of nature is the colorful & vibrant culture, people with rosy cheeks dressed in colorful attires, all this adds to the charm of the valley. The places of hill station are untouched by urbanization and still people have preserved their culture and tradition well. 

Fest & festivals

The people here celebrate each & every festival with great enthusiasm. Out of innumerous fairs & festivals following are of considerable important fairs of Almora are:-

Nanda Devi Festival

The well-known fair of this region which held in the month of September is organized since the rule of Chand kings. It is believed that ‘Nanda’ which means prosperity was the family Goddess of Chanda dynasty. The temple of 'Nanda' in Almora was built in 17^th century by Dyot Chanda, the then ruler of this place. The duration of the Nanda Devi festival is five days and approximately twenty five thousand tourists come to attend this festival.

Dussehra Festival

The famous festival of Hindus, Dussehra, commemorates the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana, the ten-headed king of Lanka or Ceylon, is celebrated in a very unique way. Approximately five to six thousand tourists come to attend the festival from the outskirts of town. Symbolizing the victory of the truth the effigies of devils are prepared in a very artistic manner in almost all the localities of the town & the effigies are burnt in a social gathering.

Moreover, The Uttrain Festival & Jageshwar Monsoon Festival is also celebrated by people. The Uttraini Festival is celebrated at Bageshwar for a week in January. The Jageshwar Monsoon Festival is held between July and August in temples of Jageshwar for a month.

Tourist attraction

The innumerous tourist attractions in Almora attract numbers of tourists every year. The perfect blend of scenic beauty, holy shrines, culture & architecture makes it a perfect holiday spot. 

Govind Vallabh Pant Public Museum

The state museum Govind Vallabh Pant Public Museum is located near Almora bus stand. The museum is worth paying a visit due to its rich collection of items relating to the history, archeology and cultural significance. The rich collection of the state museum takes you on a journey of different phases of rich history of the hill station. 'Apen' a folk style of painting found in this region can be seen in this museum in its various aspects. The museum remains open for all days of week except Mondays and Government Holidays. It opens for visitors from 10:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. 

Bright end Corner

The Bright end corner is famous for its view at sunrise and sunset. The place is unusually calm & can be your silent retreat to find yourself in the mountains. It is said that the serenity of this place can not be matched with any other hill station of India. One can also visit the circuit house nearby which is also quite peaceful. There is no better place then Bright end corner for those who are in love with philosophy and spirituality. In close proximity there is Vivekananda Library in Ramakrishna Kutir where Swami Vivekananda had stayed during his time spent in Himalayas.

Nanda Devi Temple

The Nanda Devi temple is the most famous temple around with thousands of pilgrims paying it a visit every year. Nanda Devi was the family goddess of Chandravanshi kings. This is the most famous place in Almora believed to be over 1000 years old... The internal & external walls of the temple have been carved attractively with true to life images and the temple is especially busy during the annual Nanda Devi Fair, held in September. Every year in this festival, young boys and girls come here to take part in the dance festival. 

Chetai Temple

Chetai temple – the sacred temple of Gollu Devta is 6 Kilometers from Almora perched on a hilltop. Gollu Devta, one of the most prominent Kumauni gods, was blessed general of Chand dynasty who once ruled this city. Devotees offer bells here as thanksgiving which are decorated on the canopy of these bells. These bells are toll whenever a goat is forfeited before the deity. Surrounded by pine & fur tree forest, a stopover to this temple proves a true tourist attraction for nature lovers.

Kalimath

To take an excellent view of Almora, Kalimath is an ultimate place, just 4.5 kilometers away. It is a picnic spot which gives a lovely view of Himalayan peak & believed to be the spot where Swami Vivekananda meditated.

Kasar Devi: 

The Kasar Devi temple is nearby Kalimath and was built in the second century. The distance between Kasar Devi & Kalimat is not more than 1 km which can be effortlessly covered by walking.

Katarmal

Next to the Konark temple of Orissa, the 800-year old Katarmal's sun temple is the most significant sun temple. It is 17 kilometers from hill station from where you can see some attention-grabbing architecture and intricate images carved out on walls.

Simtola

Lying on the opposite side of the horseshoe ridge, Simtola is a quite picnic spot 5 kms from the city which fascinates with its picturesque view, miles of landscape with striking hills lined with pine and fur trees.. While a trip to Simtola, you can also visit Hiradungi which used to be a diamond mine and the nearby 'Granite Hill'.

Collectorate

Collectorate is the old Almora fort which is located at the peak of Almora bazaar. Climb up here to get a 360 – degree view of the beautiful hill station and the nearby mountain ranges.

Martola

Matrola is another beautiful picnic spot just 10 kms away. The place is a boast of gardens and forests & has ample of scenic beauty.

Accommodation – Hotels here offer numbers of accommodation depending on the budget and preference of the tourists. The accommodation ranges from luxury to budget, in peaceful atmosphere. Deluxe Hotels are marked with great ambiance and exceptional services. On the other hand there are numbers of cheap and best hotels where tourists expecting luxuries within the cheap budget will find more pocket friendly hotels.

What are you waiting for?? Rush to book your ticket to Almora for a peaceful holiday.