Almora heritage town in the Himalayas.

Almora is a hill station in Uttarakhand State.It 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. Almora is situated at the eastern part of Uttarakhand. It is one of the three hill districts of Kumaun region. The snowy region of mighty Himalaya attracts a large number of tourists here. The social and cultural background is so rich.It depicts about the old Chand forts, majestic wooden houses which are traditionally decorated.Its history is so old that reflects the period of Mahabharata. A Chinese visitor of seventh century had revealed that the Almora city was known as the Kingdom Brahmaputra.It was surrounded by hills and snowcapped peaks. During the days of Raja Chand.

Almora was also known by the name of Rajapur. Many other historical sites are associated With this town.In 1744 Ali Muhammad Khan marched here aggressively.The two most fascinating rivers "Koshi" and "Suyal" flow through this aromatic town of Uttarakhand. The temple of Nanda Devi is 1000‐year old temple and is one of the main attractions of Almora. A festival is held every year where youth from different region come to participate in this dance festival.

As One of the popular hill stations in uttarakhand,The scenic beauty and the charming weather make it an ideal tourist destination.The town is situated at an altitude of 5,417 feet amidst the southern part the Kumaon Hills of the Himalayas.Almora in Uttarakhand was established in the 16th century. The best time visit Almora is between the months of March and October when the weather is pleasant. Nature and adventure lovers can also make trips during the winter months. Being a hill station,
Almora experiences a temperate climate all through the year. The summer months are pleasant while the winter months are chilly.

The town is surrounded by beautiful pine, fir and rhododendron trees. There are a number of tourist attractions in Almora which travelers should visit. Almora also offers a lot for adventure lovers who can enjoy a wide range of sports like trekking, mountain biking, river rafting, mountain hiking and so on.Tourists can choose their ideal lodging center from a wide variety of hotels in Almora according to their budget, requirements and preferences. Almora is home to a number of first class and luxury hotels as well as middle range and budget hotels.Almora is easily accessible. The nearest airport is at Pant Nagar in Nainital. Road transport is also well developed and the city is connected with other major cities like Chandigarh, Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow and other places.


How to Get there:

Nearest Airports: Nearest Airport is Pantnagar (Nainital): 127 km. Pithoragarh airport 125 km and the Major airport is Delhi.

Main Railway Station: Nearest Railway Station is located at Kathgodam

Main Bus Station or Road: Buses connect Almora with Kathgodam

Distance of a few Major Towns from Almora:

Delhi (378 km), Lucknow (460 km), Nainital (66 km) (via Ranikhet 103 km), Kathgodam (90 km), Haldwani 93 km Ramnagar 135 km

Places of Tourist interest:

The Mall:

The Mall of Almora is the hub of administrative activity. Parallel to the Mall is the market area, which is only open to pedestrian traffic. It has a
distinctive hill station character with traditional carved wooden facades on buildings and shops at ground level.

Nanda Devi Temple:
Main temple complex with shrines dedicated to Nanda Devi and Lord Shiva. The temple of Nanda Devi, presiding deity of Almora and named after the region's
highest peak, is built in the typical Kumaoni style of stone temple architecture.The temple complex throbs with music and dance during the Nanda Devi
festival in August.

Bright End Corner:
A hilltop site 2.5 kms from Almora, has a magnificent view of the valleys and soaring peaks of Kumaon. It is also a good place to catch the sunrise and
sunset that transform the surrounding landscape into a myriad hued spectacle of gold, green and red. There is a Circuit House for staying overnight at
this secluded spot.

Deer Park:
A Deer Park has been created amongst towering pine trees about 3 kms from town. With a collection of some deer species, leopards and the Himalayan black
 bear, the park is a good place for a walk, though the wildlife is not too exciting.

Martola:
Martola, which is a wonderful picnic spot set amidst forested hills and beautiful gardens.

KATARMAL SUN TEMPLE
It is the second most important temple to Sun God in India, the first one being Sun Temple of Konark in Orissa. Katarmal temple is believed to be is more than 800 years old. Situated 7km
from Almora this historical important temple is an example of intricate sculpturing.

KASAR DEVI TEMPLE
Kasar Devi Temple is situated at a distance of 7km from Almora. This sacred temple is mentioned in Skanda Purana and it is also said that Swami Vivekananda meditated here in the year 1920.
An inscription found on a stone boulder, indicates that the temple was built by a king named Rudrak. The place offers enchanting view of the splendid Himalayas.

CHITAI TEMPLE OR GOLU DEVTA
Chitai Temple is dedicated to Golu Devta, an incarnation of Gaur Bhairav. Situated 8kms from Almora the deity of this sacred temple is reputed to make every wish come true, provided the
worshipper ask for it with a clear conscience. All he asks for in propitiation is a bell, as is evident from the thousands of bells strung across the temple premises. Anyone can even seek
Gollu Devta"s divine intervention by writing to him. Stacks of letter are pinned all over the temple along with bells.

Best time to visit:
April- June, September- November is the best time to visit
Nanda Devi Festival- September.