Ranikhet Travel Guide

Distance : 45 km from Almora, 59 km from Nainital, 367 km from Delhi

A Perfect Destination To Escape The Heat of Plains

Travel to a picturesque little hill resort, Ranikhet, which literally means ‘The Queen’s Field’, was named after the wife of a 12 th century ruler, Sudhar Deve.
However, there is no evidence to suggest that the queen ever lived here, and the land remained in the hands of farmers for centuries.
Ranikhet was a forgotten town until the British stumbled upon it, in 1869. For the English, the plains of India, which could fry like a furnace in summer, were excruciating.

Come May, and they needed to make a quick getaway to the mountains. Which is why, in summertime, the capital of British India shifted from Delhi to the more salubrious climes of Simla.
The heat and dust of the North is probably what motivated the English to ‘discover’ Ranikhet as well, and they converted it into military cantonment.

The resort is sprawled across an 1830 metre high rift and is an ideal travel spot for a bit of rest and recreation. It has a balmy climate and its dense cover of pine and oak forests are the lungs of the town. In fact, Lord Mayo, the Viceroy of India, found the town so arresting that he wanted to move the army’s Summer Headquarters lock stock and barrel from Simla to Ranikhet. Although the British have long since gone back to their little island nation, the place is still home to the Kumaon Regiment – one of India’s best. Many buildings in Ranikhet bear the regimental crest, and most of the vehicles driving along the Upper Mall belong to the regiment.


¤ Places of Interest

Like Almora, the nearest railhead to Ranikhet is Kathgodam, which is only about 84 kilometres away. Ranikhet is accessible by road via Ramnagar as well.

As you approach the area, the clatter of the Sadar Bazaar – the town’s main thoroughfare reaches your ears. The Sadar Bazaar is the noisiest and most crowded place in Ranikhet, and the din during peak hours can be deafening.

The Upper Mall on the other hand, presents a striking contrast – an evening constitutional through its peaceful promenades can be quite invigorating.

Bang in the middle of the Mall lies the Jhula Devi Temple. Apart from the usual crowd of devotees that throng the place, a leopard visits the temple once a month. However, local legend asserts that only the high priest of the shrine can see the feline animal.

Next to Jhula Devi, lies the Temple of Lord Rama – dedicated to the hero of the Hindu epic, Ramayana.

Travel a few kilometres along the Mall and you hit the Chaubatia. Originally a sanatorium for British troops, it now houses the Government Fruit Garden and Research Station that grows no less than 200 varieties of fruit.

Six kilometres from Sadar Bazaar is Uphat – the site for one of the highest golf courses in India. Just beyond the fairways lies the Kalika Temple and a Forest Nursery that is run by the government.


¤ Most Preferred Tourist Destination

Ranikhet is a humdinger of a destination for a quiet vacation. For those fed up of the hurly-burly of everyday life – it is the perfect getaway retreat. Nestling on the foothills of the Himalayas – a few days of rest and recreation to recharge your batteries at this tourist hot spot, will be time well spent.