Almora, Uttarakhand
Almora; the perfect meeting ground of culture, history, heritage and natural beauty, is located in the Kuamon region of Uttarakhand. Situated in one of the eastern corners of Uttarakhand, it is the home to some of the notable temples like Nanda Devi, Asht Bhairav, Rudreshwar Mahadev Temple and many more. Almora was established in 1568. Almora is an amazing hill station to expediently enjoy the impressive snows cape of the Himalayas. Almora is placed at the top of a peak that is half round. Almora is a town in the figure of a horse shoe. Almora is approx 5 km long mountain range. Almora has its own cultural, political and historical importance. In the olden time, it was the capital of Kumaon. It was set up by King Balo Kalyan Chand in 1563. The courts, governmental offices, forts and other historical monuments are still present today. Two rivers, Suyal and Koshi flow close to the Almora. The snow capped peaks of the Himalayas seem like a long train of ice and snow from here.Every spot of Almora is full with charming beauty and the city has maintained its olden tradition even today. Almora is also called a city of temples. Placed in the middle of the city is the temple of Goddess Nanda Devi. Not like Nainital, Ranikhet and Shimla, which were developed by the English, Almora is a totally developed by the Indians. Almora has lot of fruit gardens like apricots, plums, apples, peaches, etc.
This beautiful place bears a very striking resemblance to Switzerland’s topography, the well-known romanticizing location. Khajjar is located at the foot of Dhauladkar, in the lap of Himalayas and is 2000 meters above sea level.Khajjiar (Hindi: खज्जियार) is a hill station in Chamba district, Himachal Pradesh, India, located approximately 24 km from Dalhousie. Khajjiar sits on a small plateau with a small stream-fed lake in the middle that has been covered over with weeds. The hill station is surrounded by meadows and forests. It is about 6,500 feet (2,000 m) above sea level in the foothills of the Dhauladhar ranges of the Western Himalayas and peaks can be seen in the distance. It is part of the Kalatop Khajjiar Sanctuary.Khajjiar can be reached from Dalhousie, the nearest major town and hill station, by bus in an hour or so. It has a rare combination of three ecosystems: lake, pasture and forest. The best entertainment in Khajjiar is to walk around the lake or to go for long walks in the thick pine forests. Children enjoy this place because of the freedom of movement and the sloped terrain which permits them to roll down to the lake without getting hurt. Another attraction is horse riding. Khajjiar Lake is a small lake, surrounded by saucer-shaped lush green meadow and a floating island. The dense growth of weed called vacha has made its earth spongy. Now the banks stand covered by a thick layer of earth, formed by the years of dust settling down on the weeds. Khajjiar offers numerous trekking opportunities. Khajjiar to Dainkund is a 3.5 kilometre easy to moderate trek. The trek starts 6 kilometres from Khajjiar on the Dalhousie-Khajjiar road and ends at Pholani Devi Temple at Dainkund. This trek with a well-defined trail and moderate ascent is an excellent trek for beginners and children. The trek offers excellent views and a beautiful camping site.
