Almora

Almora is a hill station in Uttarakhand State. Almora was the seat of power of the Chand Dynasty who ruled the land of Kumaon for almost one thousand years. An interesting fact about the discovery of Almora is 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, till it made way for the Chand dynasty. Raja Balo Kalyan Chand made Almora as his new capital in 1560 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 around Almora providing a natural barrier. There is an interesting local legend about the discovery of Almora. Raja Kalyan Chand, the ruler of the Chand Dynasty was riding on the horseshoe shaped ridge in the pursuit of a prey. The hunted quarry protected its life by taking refuge behind the thick bushes of Kilmora, a local wild barberry bush and revealed the place to the king. The story might not be corroborated by any literary or archaeological evidences but continues to be told by the locals. The Gorkhas captured Almora in 1790 AD and finally British took it over from the Gorkhas after the Gorkha wars of 1814-1815.
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.

Best Season / Best time to visit
Almora has a pleasant and cool climate all through the year. But the best time to visit Almora is during March to November.

Winters (December to February) offer chilly cool climate with temperature touching down to 4°C. December and January months are freezing.

Summers (April to July) are moderate with maximum temperature below 30°C. The weather is perfect for Almora tourism.

Monsoons (August to October) are associated with moderate rains, it makes Almora beautiful and attractive with fresh greeneries. March to June is good for outings and sightseeing.
July to November is really beautiful with intermittent showers and those who like to be in rains are welcomed. December to February offers chilly climate with snowfalls and dew.