Almora Local Sightseening

Travel Almora

Almora was the seat of power of the Chand Dynasty who ruled the land of Kumaon for almost one thousand years. While you travel Almora, you will discover interesting fact that unlike other hill stations, it was not discovered and developed by the British. The Katyuri Dynasty ruled the region around Almora from the 9th century AD. Raja Balo Kalyan Chand made Almora as his new capital in 1568 AD, when he transferred his capital from Champawat to Almora. The Chands occupied Almora till the 19th century AD. The rivers Kosi and Suyal flow through Almora providing a natural barrier.

Almora Tourism

Almora is surrounded by the mighty Himalayas, known as the king of the mountains and the abode of the gods. It is a very famous hill station. Almora is a good place to enjoy the spectacular view of the snow-capped mountains of the central Himalayas. There are some beautiful and interesting- places to see in a Almora. The temple of Nanda Devi, Jageshwar Almora are one of the main attractions of Almora.
Most of the Almora hotels e.g the snow view resort Almora, Almora hotel shikhar are located in Almora town. During daytime Almora town is bit crowded as roads are narrow and traffic jams are frequents during the daytime While hotel Imperial Heights is located away from hustle and bustle of Almora city in rich natural surroundings. It provide the best view of Almora Valley from all its rooms - that hotels in Almora are famous for.

The Chitai temple

 is 8 km away from the main city. The people of Kumaon have strong faith in the local god Golu. The temple of Chitai is dedicated to him. It is visited by thousands of Kumaonis living in Kumaon or outside. People write letters to the god to fulfill their desires and in return they hang bells in the temple. You can see several thousand bells hanging all around the temple. The 800-year old Sun Temple at Katarmal is 7 km from Almora. It is exceptional for its architecture and intricate carvings. It is one of the few sun temples of Uttaranchal and probably the biggest group in Uttaranchal. Jageshwar is 34 km away from Almora. There is a group of almost 125 temples dating back to 7th to 11th century AD. The majority of the temples are dedicated to Lord Shiva and a few to various goddesses. The group of temples is situated amidst a dense Deodar forest. Jageshwar is considered as one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva.
Bright End Corner, 2 km from Almora, is a picnic spot. The spot gives a superb view of the sunrise and sun set. The Vivekananda Memorial and the Library is a little away from here. Swami Vivekananda stopped here while on his journey to Himalayas. Martola, another picnic spot surrounded by gardens, is 10 km from the town. Govind Vallabh Pant Museum is near the main bus stand. On the display are the idols and statues found during the excavation in the region of Kumaon.

Almora - Getaway

Almora has attracted many people including famous personalities and dignitaries. Swami Vivekananda visited Almora at the turn of this century. The famous lectures 'From Almora To Colombo' quotes that he was spellbound by the beauty of the mountains here as much as by the ocean at Kanyakumari. The headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission was earlier located at Mayawati Ashram then in Almora. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore came here to spend his summers to forget the personal loss of a beloved child and found the environs of the hill station salubrious. The internationally acclaimed dance choreographer Udaya Shankar fell in love with this place and set up a cultural center here. Sitar player Ravi Shankar, artist Zohra Sehgal, the film star Guru Dutt, painter Brewster, mystic Lama Govinda and scientist Boshi Sen have stayed and enjoyed the natural beauty of Almora. Jawaharlal Nehru served a term of imprisonment in the Jail at Almora during the British rule. He had left behind an elaborate account of the pleasures of solitude and the varied moods of nature in his various letters written from this place to his daughter.