Almora

Almora is well known Hill Station situated at an altitude of 1,640 m above sea level and built on a horse shoe shaped ridge of a hill spread over 5 km in Uttarakhand India. The eastern part of this ridge is called Talifat whereas the western side is known as Selifat. Almora is known for its panoramic view of the Himalayas, cultural inheritance, outstanding beauty, delicious cuisines and exclusive handicrafts. On the east of the Almora is Pithoragarh, on the west is the Garhwal region, on the north is Bageshwar and on the south is Nainital.

Almora was founded in 1568 by Kalyan Chand during the rule of the Chand dynasty. Prior to that the region was under the control of Katyuri King Bhaichaldeo and he has donated part of this land to a Gujrati Brahmin Sri Chand Tiwari. In the days of the Chand Kings it was called Rajapur and was also mentioned over a number of ancient copper plates. Later it was occupied by British forces.

Almora is famous for its alluring beauty, panoramic view of the Himalayas and rich cultural heritage. Kasar Devi, Katarmal, Banari Devi, Chitai, Jageshwar, Binsar Mahadev, Govind Vallabh Pant Public Museum, Nanda Devi Temple, Almora Fort and Bright End Corner are important attractions in Almora. It also serves as the starting point for many treks like Mornaula, Mukteshwar, Binsar, and Ranikhet among others.

Almora is known for its indigenous handicrafts, local cuisine and its rich culture and tradition. The traditional Panchmarchi Shawls in soft wool, decorative candles, drift wood statues and copperware are popular. Almora has been an important location for shooting Bollywood movies because of its exquisite landscape. Almora town has a several accommodation options from budget to mid-range hotels and also has a few resorts. During September, hotels are usually crowded as tourists throng the town to attend the Nanda Devi fair and so it is advisable to make your travel plans in advance.
Pantnagar Airport is the nearest airport, which is about 119 km from Almora. It has direct flights from Delhi. The nearest railway station is Kathgodam, approximately 82 km from Almora. It is connected by train with Delhi, Agra, Lucknow, Jaipur, Patna, Kolkata and Mumbai. Almora is well connected by road with Nainital, Ranikhet, Kathgodam, Delhi and Haldwani.

History
Almora was the capital of the Chand dynasty, which ruled Kumaon for more than one thousand years. One remarkable fact about Almora is that while almost all hill stations were discovered and developed by British, Raja Kalyan Chand founded Almora in the year 1568 when he transferred his capital from Champawat to Almora.

Legend has it that about 500 years ago Raja Kalyan Chand, then the ruler of Kumaon with its capital at Champawat, was riding hard in pursuit of prey on this horseshoe shaped spur. The hunted quarry saved itself by taking refuge in a thicket of Kilmora - a wild bush - and revealed to the royal hunter the site of his would-be capital. The origins of settlement in Almora may have been different but the story continues to hold sway in the minds of many of the locals. Bounded by the Kosi and Suyal rivers, the local of the new capital was well suited strategically. Till the Gurkha onslaught, in the last decade of the 19th century, Almora remained well protected naturally.

Major Attractions in and Around Almora
1. Zero Point. Zero Point is situated in the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary and is also considered to be the highest point in Binsar town itself. From here, the views of the sky seem so majestic, you won’t be able to forget them for a lifetime. And the best part is that you get to witness Himalayan peaks like Kedarnath Peak, Shivling, and Nanda Devi from Zero Point.

2. Chitai Temple. Also referred to as the Golu Devata Chitai Temple, it is sited about 9 km from Almora. As the name suggests, it has been dedicated to Gollu or Goljyu Devta who was considered to be an avatar of Lord Shiva. Perhaps it is due to this, that the temple is also known to be the abode of God of Justice and because of its religious significance, a great number of devotees come here to offer their prayers here.

3. Jageshwar. The best part to know about Jageshwar, a town in Uttarakhand is that one of the twelve Jyotirlingas is situated here. Apart from this, Surabhi and Nandini rivers also flow through the town invoking life within it. Jageshwar is full of medieval architectural styled buildings which in turn was greatly influenced by the Buddhist style craftsmanship. It is indeed one of the most profound places to visit while on your trip to Almora.