Hill Stations In India
Almora
INTRODUCTION
( ALMORA)
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.
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