Himalayan splendour

 

 

Uttarakhand, a land of celestial beauty, is inarguably amongst the most enchanting places in northern India. Nestled peacefully in the lap of the Himalayas, it offers a complete package of delightful experience to tourists. Uttarakhand surprises at every step with natural and spiritual bliss. Most of the places of Uttarakhand are still waiting to be explored and that is the big advantage with the place.

Uttarakhand not only provides glimpses of raw natural beauty but much more than that. It is not only Kumbh that draws the attention of tourists across the globe. Devidhura and Purnagiri Mela of Champawat, Nanda Devi Mela of Almora, Gauchar Mela of Chamoli and Maga Mela of Uttarkashi offers a whole range of exciting experiences. We list some of the most exciting places to watch in the Devbhoomi called Uttarakhand.

Almora
The moment you land up in Almora, you will be spellbound by the sheer scenic beauty of the place. It is a virgin hill station and it seems mother nature has blessed this place with her pure love. Just besides the city flows the Koshi (Kaushaki) and Suyal (Salmali) rivers. Almora is well connected with all important cities of India by road and the nearest airport is Pant Nagar (Nainital). During the summers, regular flights are operational.
The nearest railway station near Almora is Kathgodam.

Mussoorie
The name, Mussoorie, is derived from plants of 'Mussoorie' which were found in abundance here. Gun Hill is the second highest peak of Mussoorie. It can be reached by a ropeway ride. Nag Devta Temple, Mussoorie Lake, Sir George Everest House, Bhatta Fall, Kempty Fall are other worth-seeing places. The most suitable period of travel is September to November. It is well connected by road and there are direct flights from Delhi to Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun.

Nainital
This is surrounded by mountains on three sides. Once this area had many lakes and it was called the City of 60 Lakes. Most of the lakes in the region have disappeared. Today, the life of Nainital revolves around the lake of Naini. However, there are few other lakes around Nainital, which are equally beautiful and attractive as the Naini Lake. Pantnagar Airport is just 71 km away from the city and the nearest railway station is at Kathgodam which is just 35 km away. Pithoragarh
It is often referred to as Miniature Kashmir. The town is also known as Sore Valley and was an important landmark of the Chand Rajas of Kumaon. It is situated at an altitude of 1,650 meters above sea level. Three languages are spoken here, namely Hindi, Kumaoni and English. There are frequent buses to Pithoragarh from Almora, Nanital and Delhi. The closest railhead is at Tanakpur and the closest airport is at Pantnagar, which is 249 km from Pithoragarh.

Ranikhet
At the onset of winter, the softly falling snow flakes cover these environs in sheets of pure whiteness. Today it is an important Army town and the head quarters of the Kumaon Regiment. One can enjoy a walk, hold a picnic or go for an exciting trek. Ranikhet has one of the best mountain golf courses (9 holes) in the country surrounded by a dense oak forest. The Jhoola Devi Temple, Chaubatia are places worth-seeing. Kathgodam is the nearest railway station and Pantnagar is the nearest airport, 119 km away.

Kausani
The Kumaon Hills region offers the magic of the deep pine forests and the majestic mountains. Kausani is the birthplace of the famed Hindi poet Sumitra Nandan Pant. The beauty of Kausani is still largely untapped and it is often referred to as the 'Switzerland of India'. In fact, very few hill stations can compete with the scenic beauty of Kausani. Lakshmi Ashram, Pinakeshwar, Baijnath, Someshwar, Sundardoonga and Kafni Glaciers are a few places to visit here. Kausani is well connected to other hill stations of the state.

The Valley of Flowers is one of the natural wonders of the world which has recently been declared as a world heritage site. The carpet of flowers, 10 km in length and 12 km in width, is spellbinding. During the rains, the entire Valley is transformed into a natural garden with an innumerable variety of alpine flowers.