North India Hill Stations

Almora Hill Station

Almora is a wonderful place to conveniently enjoy the spectacular snowscape of the central Himalayas. Most of the days in Almora are flawless. Almost everyday the tourist can see almost every peak. Almora allows you to enjoy the mighty Himalayas together with ridge after ridge of hills.The terraced fields, the stone slatted barrack-like village houses have so far put up a valiant fight against the encroachments of urban expansion and unplanned development.

Almora also has some beautiful health resorts. The most famous among them is Ranikhet (1,820 meters from sea level). Ranikhet depicts queen' s field. It is said that a Rani while spending some time here once gave this name to the city. During the days of the British Raj, Ranikhet was a British cantonment.

Ranikhet is surrounded by a number of tourist spots. Chaubatia is famous for its orchards; Tarikhet, around eight kilometers away, was once the nerve center of the Freedom Movement against the British. Mahatma Gandhi also lived here for sometime.The snowy peaks of Majkhali presents a fascinating view. 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. Binsar, about 32 kilometers from Almora is situated at height of 2,412 meters above sea level. The Chand Rajas used to spend their summer here. It offers a wonderful view of the Himalayas.

Bageshwar and Sitalakhet are other places of tourist interest. Bageshwar is one of the main camping sites for the journey to Pindari Glacier, which is situated at a height of 3,820 meters.Sitlakhet is the new tourist resort on the Syahi Devi hill.Kafni Glacier is also close by(around 3,870 meters above sea level).

On the banks of Gomti (a local river) Baijnath is situated in Garur Valley, is an idyllic place. It is famous for its 13th century temples. Jageshwar has Shiva temples and is on the Almora-Pithoragarh road and is situated in a densely wooded beautiful narrow valley.They are a marvel to see for their artistic beauty and craftsmanship. Jageshwar is among the 12-jyotir lingas in the country.

The Nanda Devi temple in the heart of the Almora city is very famous.Almora has a museum that is a storehouse of information about the cultural heritage of Kumaon. There is a deer park on the outskirts of Almora.

ALMORA - A Famous GETAWAY
Almora was founded in 1568.There are lots of attractions at Almora.Swami Vivekananda gave famous lectures here and included it in his itinerary at the turn of this century. From Almora To Colombo record that he was stirred as much by the stark beauty of the mountains here as by the ocean at Kanyakumari. The headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission, was located at Mayawati Ashram then in Almora. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore spent a summer to get over the personal grief after the loss of a beloved child.A little later followed the great dancer Udaya Shankar. Ravi Shankar, Zohra Sehgal, Simki and the youngster Guru Dutt have all been here. Others have followed in their footsteps.Pundit Nehru had served a term of imprisonment in the Jail at Almora and has left behind an evocative account of the pleasures of solitude and the changing moods of nature in his various letters written from this place which acted as inspirational guide for the Indians.

AROUND ALMORA
Almora, is surrounded by many sightseeing places. Binsar hill, locally known as Jhandi Dhar, rises to a height of 2,412 meters and offers a panoramic view of Almora town,Binsar, is an hour' s motor drive from Almora,the Kumaon hills and the Greater Himalayas. The region around in alpine flora, ferns, hanging moss and innumerable species of wild flowers. The brow is reached by an unpaved ridge lined by prosperous private estate. A walk through the woods comprising mostly oak and rhododendron forest, leads to a vantage point at the summit, which offers an uncluttered view of the Himalayan ranges and the surrounding valley. Hindi poet Ajneya treated it as a famous summer spot.

In 1929, Mahatma Gandhi spent three fruitful weeks at this charming spot called Kausani (51 kilometers from Almora) and described it as India' s Switzerland. Quaint villages, orchards laden with fruit and hill slopes covered with pine trees are responsible for the outstanding beauty of Kausani. The snow mantled peaks glitter in the sun and the breeze carries with it much of the cool freshness of the snows.

The mountains around Kausani seem to change in shape and color all through the day. The Anakshakti Ashram on the top of a hill where the Mahatma stayed commands one of the most magnificent views of the mountain ranges around Kausani. The vast sweep of the mountain view , which encompasses a remarkable 350 kilometers at Kausani, is the central point of attraction in this little hill station.

There are shady paths carpeted with pine needles and in the air is the wonderful, inimitable fragrance of pine. Terraced fields add a distinctive touch to the pastoral picture around kausani.

VISITING ALMORA
By Road: Almora is well connected with all-important cities of India by road.
By Air: The nearest airport is a Pant Nagar (Nainital). During the summer regular flights are operational.
By Rail: The nearest raiway station near Almora is Kathgodam.

Almora Hill Station Tour Reservation Form

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