Almora

Location:Almora is a town within the district by the same name. It is located next to river Kosi and Suyal. It has a rich and bustling bazaar and a rich cultural heritage. Some of the important places in the district are Almora, Dania, Ranikhet,Someshwar,Dwarahat. History:Almora was established on land owned by Katyuri king Baichaldeo who donated the land to Gujrati Brahmin Sri Chand Tiwari. It became the capital of the Chand kingdom who ruled over big chunks of current Uttarakhand (see also history of Uttarakhand).

Travel Information

By Air:
The nearest airport is at Pantnagar (airport code is PGH) which is also the seat of a famous agricultural university and located about 127 Kms from Almora. Flights from Delhi are available through Jagson Airlines and others.
By Rail:
You can travel upto

• Kathgodam (90 Kms.away) through Ranikhet Express #5013/5014 which starts from Delhi
• Kathgodam(90 kms away) through KGM DDN Express #4319/4320 which starts from Dehradun the capital of Uttarakhand.
• Lal Kuan (115 kms away) through Bagh Express #3019/3020 which starts from Howrah/Calcutta and goes through Lucknow.

Good taxi/bus services are available from both Kathgodam and Lal Kuan for travel to Almora. Be prepared to haggle/bargain for fares with them. By Road:
Almora is connected to National Highway No. 87. Regular roadways buses run from Delhi (380 kms away), Agra, Dehradun (415 kms away), Haridwar, Lucknow (466 kms away), Kanpur & Bareilly daily (by Delhi Transport Coporation, KMOU Ltd, UP Roadways, Haryana Roadways).Beside this,luxury coaches are available from Delhi.

The unofficial things to do

• Walk in lala bazaar with brief stops in front of Ramjay college for breathtaking views of the himalayas. Be prepared to hear a mouthful from the gappi (gossipy)people of the area.
• Eat plenty of local sweets such as Baal mithai and Kachauri. If in season, don't forget to eat the local red berries named as Kafal.
• Avoid brushing against the local bush named Shishoona to avoid getting a nerve wracking sensation of needles on the skin for some time.
• Have a quick trip to Chitai temple (located around 20 kms from Almora). It has a good collection of brass bells. If you can count all of them in a day drop me an email.
• Chat with some locals about the family tree of the natives. Some of the common area include Palyon/Pandeykhola(house of Pandeys),Dania/Jhijar/Shailakhola(house of Joshis),Chidgal(house of Pants).
• If visiting during the month of September, do attend the Nanda devi festival.
• Learn to make aipan - the traditional form of rangoli