The beauty of the hills has captivated millions including Swami Vivekananda, who meditated here and wrote some of his popular speeches. It has provided a sanctuary for the people who visit the hills to find solace from the monotony of life. It was the serenity of the picturesque landscape that helped Rabindranath Tagore and many others in their conquest to rejuvenate the lost sparks of their lives. Considered the cultural center of the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, Almora is a popular hill station 316 km from the state capital Dehradun. Situated at 1646 ms, popular pilgrimage sites like Nanda Devi and Jageshwar are located near Almora and fairs held at these temples attract thousands of devotees from across the world. Almora also serves as the starting point for many treks like Mornaula, Mukteshwar, Binsar, Ranikhet among others.
Almora was founded in 1568 by Kalyan Chand during the rule of the Chand dynasty. Prior to that the region was under the control of Katyuri King Bhaichaldeo who donated a part of Almora to Sri Chand Tiwari. Almora is also a good place to catch up on history. Govind Ballabh Pant Museum houses a rich collection of artifacts belonging to the Katyuri and the Chand dynasty.Besides the museum and temples, Almora also has the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary for the wildlife enthusiasts. Cave paintings dating back to the Stone Age can be found on the outskirts of Almora at Phulaseema (4 km), Pharkanauli and Lakhuudiyar (20 km). Humans doing daily chores and dancing and animals and reptiles form the theme of the paintings.
