Almora Hotels, Travel Guide for Almora

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Almora Hotels and Travel Guide

Spread over a horseshoe ridge at a height of 1,646 metres is Almora, once the centre of Kumaoni culture and the capital of the Chand dynasty . To the north of the ridge is a breathtaking view of the trident shaped Trishul peaks. On the edges of Almora the Koshi and Suyal rivers cut through the mountains, while the hillsides are lined with fir and pine forests.

Away from the main tourist humdrum of Nainital or Ranikhet, Almora has retained much of its traditional values and old-world charm. One of the few hill stations that predated the British, the town still has cobbled streets and fascinating stone houses with exquisite carved wooden facades. The presiding deity of Almora is Nanda Devi, with a temple dedicated to her in the centre of town. A major festival devoted to the goddess takes place in August when people from all over Kumaon converge to worship and participate in the festivities.

SHOPPING:
When one comes to Almora one does not forget to taste the sweets here which are quite famous. Particularly Singora and Bal Mithaiare liked by one and all. Apart from sweets, Almora is famous for Rabbit wool cloths. A special breed of Rabbit, Angora produces wool which is very soft, fine and very warm. Warm clothes made from this wool is famous all over the world. In Almora one can get good bargains at comparatively low prices. Then there are decorative items, brass items and other kind of metal utensils which are quite popular among the visitors. One can purchase woollen garments at reasonable rates from the Garud woollens. This shop is part of the Kumaon Schedule Tribe Development Corporation at Shikhar Hotel compound. For Bronze and Brass wares & decorative items one can have a look in shops at Lal Bazaar and Chowk Bazaar.

CLIMATE:
Almora stands at a height of 1,638 meters. It has a moderate and salubrious climate. The best season is April-June and September-November. For those interested in snow views the best time to visit is in early summer and autumn. The rainy season is also very pleasant here.

EXCURSION:

Jageshwar ( Almora ): Jageshwar is located 34 kms from Almora. There is an ancient Shiva temple at Jageshwar. This temple is surrounded by huge fur trees. In fact, this temple is in the series of ancient temples which were built in Kumaon region many centuries ago. The Jageshwar Shiva temple carries archaeological importance too. the architecture of this temple is worth giving a close examination.

Gannath ( Almora ): Gannath is known for natural caves and ancient Shiva temples. This place is 47 kms from Almora. It is good place for nature lovers and ideal for spending your day with surpassing beauty. Every year on Kartik Purnima day a fair is organized here.

Kalimath ( Almora ): From Kalimath one gets a good view of Almora town and the adjoining area. The sight of the nearby hills is amazing. This place is 4.5 kms from Almora. Close to Kalimath is Kasar Devi. There is temple dedicated to Kasar devi. This temple dates back to second century. One can go on foot from Kalimath to Kasardevi which is hardly one kms.

Almora City - Almora

Almora Lake Shores - Almora
Almora Lake Shores - Almora

Watershed in Almora
Watershed - Almora

Katarmal ( Almora ): After the Sun temple at Konark, Orissa, Katarmal has the second important sun temple in the country. This temple is almost 800 years old. But this temple has not received the amount of attention it must have received. Due to neglect, the sun temple at Katarmal in Almora is in very bad shape. One feels very sad that a monument of such historical importance has been left to decay like this. This temple has some unique architectural style and the images carved on the walls are very intricately done. All this is bound to attract attention of the visitor to Almora. This place is 17 kms from Almora.

Binsar ( Almora ): This place has received its name from Lord Binsar Deo or Shiva. Binsar is 30 kms from Almora. The Shiva temple was built by the Chandravansi King Kalyan. This temple is built at a height of 2,412 meters. The peace and calm of Binsar provides peace of mind and soul.

Bageshwar ( Almora ): Bageshwar is the commercial town of Kumaon region. This town is some 90 kms from Almora. It is located along the River Saryu. There is temple dedicated to Lord Bagnath from which this place derives its name. This temple was built in 1450. A little away from Bageshwar is the Pindari Glacier. At Bageshwar one has good accommodation facilities.

Baijnath ( Almora ): Baijnath is a place of much historical importance. This is 71 kms from Almora and 21 kms from Bageshwar. There are many ancient temples at Baijnath. These temples have historical and archaeological importance. These temples have Shiva, Ganesha, Parvati as the presiding deities. Most of the temples are located along the Gomti River. These temples were built in 12th and 13th century by rulers of Katyur dynasty.

Attractions and Places to Visit in Almora

Public Museum in Almora: Near Almora bus stand is the Govind Vallabh Pant Public Museum. This museum provides a deep insight of the development of art, culture, life style of this region. It has a very rich collection items relating to Archaeological, Historic and cultural significance. This museum has unique collection of 'Apen', a folk style of painting. One can have a good view of the various aspect of this style painting in Almora. This museum is open from 10:30 in the morning to 4;30 in the evening.

Nanda Devi Temple - Almora: This ancient temple is one of the main attractions of Almora town. This temple is hundreds of year old and carries deep faith of many people from this area. The images and statues on walls of this temple are intricately and delicately carved. They are very attractive and almost true to life depiction has been done. Every year a fair, Nanda Devi Fair, is organized in Almora. People from all over the place come and participate in this fair. Groups of young men & women dance on the pulsating music of the mountains.

Chetai Temple - Almora: The local people have much faith on this temple. The Chetai temple is located eight kms from Almora. This temple is surrounded by dense fur and pine tree forest. If you are a nature lover then you will certainly enjoy this place. { Book Temple Tours }

Bright & Corner - Almora: Two kms from Almora is situated Bright and Corner. This place became famous for excellent sight of sunset and sunrise. From Bright and Corner a different kind of view is obtained of dawn and dusk. The unusual calm and peacefulness during this time is rarely felt on any other hill station offering a similar view. Serene and calm circuit house very close to this point is an added attraction. Nearby is the Vivekanand library in Ramkrishna Kutir. In this library one can find many books relating to philosophy and spiritual thinking. There is also a place dedicated to Swami Vivekanand. It was at this place Vivekanand spend few days while his stay in Himalayas.

Deer Park - Almora: Deer park is located some three kms from Almora. An evening stroll in Deer park has its own pleasure.

Simtola - Almora: This is a picnic spot about three kms from Almora town. The whole place is covered with pine and fur trees. The calmness and peaceful environment has fun of its own kind.

How to Reach Almora

By Air: The nearest airport is a Pant Nagar (Nainital). Regular flights operate during the summer.

By Rail: The nearest railhead for Almora is Kathgodam.

By Road: Almora is well connected with all-important cities by road.