Almora

The ancient town of Almora, before it's establishment was under the possession of Katyuri king Baichaldeo. He donated major part of this land to a Gujrati Brahmin Sri Chand Tiwari. Later on when Chand kingdom was founded in Baramandal, the town of Almora was founded at this centrally located place in 1560 by Kalyan Chand. In the days of the Chand Kings it was called Rajapur. The name 'Rajpur' is also mentioned over a number of ancient copper plates. The town of Almora is situated over a horse saddle shaped ridge of a mountain. The eastern portion of the ridge is known as Talifat and the western one is known as Selifat. The market is at the top of the ridge where these two, Talifat and Selifat jointly terminate.

Bright End Corner:2 kms. A highlight of this point is the sunset and the sunrise seen through the Himalayan peaks. A circuit house close by allows tourists to spend some time in this peaceful surrounding. Close by is the Vivekanand Library which has many books on literature. A little away is the Vivekanand Memorial where Swami Vivekanand had stopped for a while on his journey to the Himalayas.

Martola:This picnic spot amidst gardens is 10 kms away from Almora. Most of the people who live here are foreigners. Buses and taxis come up to a point called Panuwanaula and from there onwards one has to walk.

Kalimutt: 4.5 kms from Almora, this picnic spot gives a lovely view of the Himalayan Peaks.

Deer Park:3 kms from Almora this park is in NTD (Narayan Tiwari Dewai).

State Museum:This museum is near the bus stand . It is closed on Mondays and other Government Holidays. It is open from 10:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.

Simtola:3 kms from Almora Simtola is a picnic spot from where one can view the beautiful mountains covered with pine and deodar trees.

Chitai Temple:This is a very busy area. This temple is dedicated to Lord Golu. The people of Kumaon worship him. Once a wish is fulfilled people hang little bells in this temple. Therefore there are thousands of little bells hanging there. The view of the Himalayas is extremely beautiful from here. This temple is 8 kms away by walk through a beautiful pine forest, but one can go by cart too.

Katarmal:800-year old Sun Temple is the second in importance after the Sun Temple of Konark in Orissa. Seven kms away from Almora this historical important temple is an example of intricate sculpturing. This temple is in need of restoration now.

Binsar:30 kms from Almora Binsar has a temple of Shiva who is also called Bineswar. 2412 mts above sea level this temple was constructed by King Kalyan of the Chand Dynasty. Visiting this temple gives one peace of mind.

Jageshwar:34 kms.Temple of Shiva is situated amidst a dense Deodar forest and has a lot of mythological importance. Here there are about 164 temples of this kind.

Nanda Devi Temple:1000-year old temple is one of the main attraction of Almora. Its walls have carvings on them. Every year a festival is held here in which youth from various mountainous areas come here to participate in this dance festival.

Gannath:47 kms.An ancient Shiva temple with natural caves. 2116 mts above sea level this place is a favourite with nature lovers.

Kasar Devi:Near Kalimutt is the temple of Kasar Devi. This ancient temple was built on a mountain peak in the second century. The distance between Kalimatt and Kasar Devi is less than 1 km and can be easily covered by foot. The surrounding area has become the home of many foreigners. The main town is 6 km away.