Temples :
Almora, being called the Town of Temples, has some spectacular examples of the same. Let’s see what they are:
Nanda Devi Temple - This auspicious temple is situated in the middle of the town. The deities worshipped there are Hindu Goddesses Nanda and Sunanda. Visit when are fairs are organised, which starts on Nag Panchami every year. Surrounded by snow- capped mountains; the entire location is enchanting and mesmerising.
Kasar Devi Temple - This is a famous temple in Almora which is frequented by the locals and the tourists too. Built around 2nd century, the temple offers splendid views to the nearby valleys. Situated at the top of a mountain, this temple was visited by Swami Vivekananda in 1890-s and he meditated there. A fair is organised every year during the Kartik Poornima, in the honour of Devi.
Jageshwar Dham - Jageshwar Dham is an auspicious village with around 124 stone temples dedicated to Shiva. The biggest among them is Dandeshwar temple. Apart from his, the other temples are Surya mandir, Nau Durga mandir, Mrityunjay mandir, etc. The place is frequented by the locals as they are all devotees of Shiva. During the annual festival on Shivratri, the village gets crowded by the locals from the entire Kumaon Region.
Jhula Devi Temple - The story behind the establishment of the Jhula Devi Temple is very interesting. When the temple was not there, the villagers were too much scared of the wild animals like tigers, leopards, bears, etc., dwelling in a nearby jungle. They were attacked by the animals several times which made their living in that place almost impossible. They started praying to Maa Durga, goddess of strength and power. It is believed that Devi Durga appeared in the dream of a villager and she ordered to dig a place to discover an idol of her. Hence, the idol was taken out and a temple was constructed there. Since then, the villagers started to live freely and the children started playing without fear. The girls used to swing and enjoy. Then Maa Durga appeared again in someone’s dream and ordered to offer a swing to her. A wooden swing, called jhula in Hindi, was made and the idol was placed on it. Since then, the temple is known as Jhula Devi Temple, which means goddess on swing.
Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary
If you are in Almora, you can never afford to miss this beautiful sanctuary with a great variety of flora and fauna. There are almost seven types of grasses. The entire place is covered with lush Rhododendron and pine trees. You can see Himalayan Gorals, wild boars, pine martens, red foxes, grey langurs, and a lot of other animals. Visit the place in March to see the beautiful red rhododendron flowers bloom.
Zero point
This is a view point inside the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary. You will get spectacular views of the Kedarnath, Trishul, Nanda Devi and shivling peaks of the Himalayan range.
Kumaon Regimental Centre Museum
This is a spectacular museum run by the Kumaon Regiment of Indian Army. The museum showcases the selflessness of the Kumaon Regiment soldiers and the memories of the soldiers who lost their lives safeguarding their motherland.
Bright End Corner
The Bright End Corner is a View Point to encounter spectacular sunrise and sunset. The place is calm and serene with a library nearby, the name of which is Vivekananda Library and as the name suggests, it houses a lot of books on Swami Vivekananda.
Archaeological Museum, Jageshwar
The museum showcases the antique sculptures of the Jageshwar temples. There are almost 175 sculptures relating to Jageshwar. The main attraction of the museum, Pona Raja sculpture, is situated in its central hall. Pona Raja was a king in Kumaon. You can visit the museum from 10 am to 5 pm, except on Fridays.
Govind Vallabh Pant Museum
If you are interested in knowing the Kumaoni culture, visit Govind Vallabh Pant Museum. The museum showcases various photographs, sculptures and artefacts relating to the exotic Kumaon region. The visiting time of this museum is 10.30 am to 4.30 pm.
Rock Shelter
Called the Painted Rock Shelters, the place has a number of caves, where ancient humans used to dwell. It is named painted as you will find ancient paintings depicting their daily life, on the walls of the caves. Most of the paintings show animals, trees, humans, hunting processes, etc., in red and white colours. It is really fascinating to see what life was like then.
Simtola
This is picturesque picnic spot near Almora. It also acts as a view point to see the adjoining serene valleys. Opposite to the Horseshoe Ridge, this place is a major tourist attraction. The dense pine vegetation is worth visiting.
