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Almora
- Uttar Pradesh
The
small town of Almora is perched on a five-kilometre long horseshoe-shaped
ridge, 1,650 metres above sea level. The town looks out over
a fertile terraced valley and four ranges of hills - Banari
Devi, Kasan Devi, Shayahi Devi and Katarmal. Beyond them you
can see Trishul and Nanda Devi in the Great Himalayas.
Unlike most hill stations, Almora wasn't an empty hillside
'discovered' by the British. It was already an established
town with a long history. The Kashaya Hill on which Almora
is built is mentioned in the Hindu scripture, the Skanda Purana.
It is believed that the great god Vishnu dwelt here. The area
has been inhabited since the earliest historical times, but
it was in 1560 that Raja Kalyan Chand of Kumaon decided to
make it his capital. Gorkha invaders put an end to the Chand
dynasty in 1790 and occupied Almora fort, but after the Gorkhas
were themselves defeated by the British in 1815, Almora gained
a new lease of life as a minor hill station.
What to See
The Mall: The main thoroughfare
in Almora is the Mall, which has the bus stand, small restaurants
and hotels. Almora's chequered past is reflected in the buildings
along the local styles of architecture. You can see the indigenous
hill cottages with bunglow trimmings and British bunglows
half Indianised with great slabs of stone for roofs.
The post office and the clock tower: The
post office, built in 1905, is still very British but
the main clock tower opposite
the tourist office, erected in 1886 by an Indian but constructed
by a British engineer, shows a strange confusion of styles.Temple
of Nanda Devi: Old Almora still survives in the temple
of Nanda Devi the patron goddess of the Chand rajas, which
stands in the antechamber of a Shiva
temple, and also in the bazaars above and adjoining
the Mall.
Khazanchi Mohalla: The best examples of the old styles
of architecture is the Khazanchi Mohalla, the area which once
belonged to the state treasures. Collectorate
: The highest point of the Almora bazaars, above the
Mall, is the Collectorate. This is in fact the old Almora
fort, from where you can get a wonderful view of Almora and
the surrounding mountains. Tamta Mohalla:
One of the traditional crafts of Almora is copperware and
some of the best coppersmiths still work from their traditional
area in the old city, Tamta Mohalla.
Brighton End Corner: Named after England's popular
seaside resort, the Brighton End Corner is two kilometres
from the bus station on the Mall and is the most popular point
for sunset and sunrise views of the Himalayas.Simtola:
Simtola, three kilometres from Almora, on the opposite side
of the horseshoe ridge, is a pine-covered picnic spot. Close
by are Hiradungi , once a diamond
mining centre and the scenic Greynite
Hill. Kalimath : Excellent
views of Almora and the Himalayan peaks can be had from Kalimath
four and a half kilometres from Almora.
Kasar Devi temple: Six kilometres from Almora, Kasar
Devi stands on what is still known as the Crank's ridge, formerly
a haunt of artists and writers. D H Lawrence spent two summers
here, and it has also attracted Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens and
Timothy Leary, the father of the hippy movement. Upreti
Khola: Two kilometres from the Kasar Devi temple,
in Upreti Khola district, is a second-century -BC rock inscription
dedicated to the goddess.Chital :
Another hilltop temple stands six kilometres from Almora at
Chital. The god here is Lord Golla, a deified general of the
Chand dynasty and his shrine is decorated with a canopy of
bells offered in thanksgiving by devotees.
How to Get There
By rail: The nearest railhead
is Kathgodam, 90 kilometres from Almora via Khairua and 133
kilometres via Ranikhet.
By road: Almora is 335 kilometres
from Delhi and 196 kilometres from Bareilly on a direct bus
route.
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