Almora Travel Guide
Population : 23,000
Altitude : 1650 metres
Distance : 66km from Nainital
¤ A Picturesque Hill station
Travel to Almora, situated 90 kilometres from its nearest railhead
Kathgodam, the small town of Almora is perched atop a five kilometre
long, horseshoe-shaped ridge. The town is surrounded by a fertile
terraced valley, and boxed in by four ranges of hills – Banari
Devi, Kasan Devi, Shyahi Devi and Katarmal. Beyond them lie the
Trishul and the Nanda Devi peaks in the Great Himalayan Mountain
Ranges.
Almora is one of the three administrative districts which make up the
beautiful hilly region of Kumaon – the other two being Nainital
and Pithoragarh. The town is a relief of snow-clad mountains,
fast-flowing waters, placid lakes, and terraced fields clinging on to
steep slopes and small villages.
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Historic Perspective
Unlike many other hill stations in North India which were essentially
discovered by the British, Almora has a long history and has existed
since the Vedic Age. There is an allusion to Almora in the Hindu
scripture, the Skanda Purana. It was believed to be the abode of
Vishnu – the Preserver of the Universe according to Hindu
mythology.
The place gained in importance in 1560, when Raja Kalyan Chand of
Kumaon made it his capital. The Gorkhas of Nepal overran the town in
1790, but met their comeuppance at the hands of the British 25 years
later.
Almora gained a new lease of life under the British. Attracted by its
balmy climate, they developed the picturesque hill resort. The
circulation of air in Almora is much freer than at Nainital or Bhim
Tal, and the place is the most salubrious of all the hill stations in
Kumaon.
¤ Places of Interest
The main avenue in Almora is the
Mall, which is dotted with small restaurants and hotels. Almora’s
chequered past can be witnessed in its monuments – the buildings
are a confused amalgam of European and local styles of architecture.
You can see indigenous cottages with European-style trimmings, as well
as British bungalows, half-Indianised with great slabs of stone for
roofs. The main Clock Tower provides a perfect example of the melange
– erected in 1886, by an Indian but built by a British engineer,
it shows a strange discordance of styles.
Shiva Temple
Old Almora houses a Shiva Temple – a magnificent monument,
dedicated to the Destroyer of the Universe according to Hindu
mythology. In its antechamber lies the Temple of Nanda Devi – the
patron goddess of the Chand Dynasty.
The stone-flagged bazaars of Almora overflow with milling crowds in
the evenings. The architecture here is a blend of the traditional and
the modern. The older structures characterised by wooden doorways and
window frames present an attractive sight. Travel to the most noted
building in the area is the Khazanchi Mohalla – a historical
building which once belonged to the state’s treasurers.
Almora Fort
Perch yourself atop the Almora Fort to get a bird’s-eye view of
the town and its environs. This is the most valuable asset that the
Chand Dynasty has bequeathed to the people of Almora. After
Independence, the Fort was converted into a Collectorate and offers a
360o cycloramic vista of Almora and the surrounding countryside.
Adjacent to the Collectorate lie an array of smallish temples, and on
one of them is inscribed: ‘Fort Nanda Devi, erected by Chand
Rajas and strengthened by the Gurkha government, captured by the
British under Col. Nicholls on 26.4.1815.
The convention for the surrender of Kumaon was formed the next day.’
The convention being referred to is the ‘Treaty of Sagauli’,
whereby the entire area of Kumaon was ceded to the British.
Tamta Mohalla-- House of Traditional Arts
While in Almora, travel to Tamta Mohalla to catch a glimpse of one of
the traditional arts of Almora – copperware. Coppersmiths abound
in the area along with another local craft – the weaving of
traditional tweeds and shawls.
Kausani - A Beautiful Excursion From Almora
Kausani, 50 km from Almora
Popularised as the ‘Switzerland of India’ Kausani makes an
excellent travel excursion from Almora. It is a tiny settlement
situated on a hilltop. The view from Kausani is breathtaking –
some of the highest mountains in the world including Kedarnath,
Badrinath, Nanda Devi and Nampa are only a few kilometres away from
the town, as the crow flies. The town houses the Anashakti Yoga Ashram
where Mahatma Gandhi stayed in 1929. The beauty of the place enchanted
the ‘father of the nation’ and the ashram (cloister) abides
by his dictum of ‘simple living’.
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