Almora district, Uttarakhand :

Almora district is a district in the Kumaon division of Uttarakhand state, India. The headquarters is at Almora. It is 1,638 meters above sea level. The town of Almora is surrounded by Pithoragarh district to the east, Garhwal region to the west, Bageshwar districtto the north and Nainital district to the south.

The hill station of Almora is situated on a horseshoe-shaped ridge of a mountain, the eastern portion of which is called Talifat and the western one is known as Selifat. The landscape of Almora attracts tourists each year for its views of the Himalayas, cultural heritage, handicrafts and cuisine, and is a business hub for the Kumaon region. Developed by the kings of Chand dynasty, it was later maintained and further developed by the British regime.

History :

Founded at this centrally located place in 1568 by Kalyan Chand. In the days of the Chand Kings it was called Rajapur. The name 'Rajpur' is also mentioned on a number of ancient copper plates.

Almora town was the administrative headquarter of the Kumaun district; that was formed in 1815 following the defeat of Gorkha army in the Anglo-Gorkha war and the 1816 Treaty of Sugauli. The Kumaun district then consisted of the complete Kumaon Divisionexcluding the Terai district with its headquarters at Kashipur. In 1837, Garhwal was made a separate district with its Headquarters at Pauri. The Nainital district was carved out of the Kumaun District in 1891, and the Kumaon District was then renamed Almora District after its Headquarter.

In the 1960s Bageshwar district, Pithoragarh district and Champawat district had not yet been formed and were part of Almora district.[4] Pithoragarh district was carved out of Almora on 24 February 1960 and Bageshwar district on 15 September 1997. In 2011, Ranikhet District was proposed to be carved out of the Almora District and yet to come in existence.

Geography :

The town of Almora is situated over a horse saddle-shaped ridge of a mountain. The eastern portion of the ridge is known as Talifat and the western one is known as Selifat. The market is at the top of the ridge where these two, Talifat and Selifat jointly terminate. Simalkhet is a village situated in the border of Almora and Chamoli. People of this village can speak both kumauni and garhwali languages. On the top of a hill there is a temple called Bhairav Gadi.

Gori River flows through Almora District.

Demographics :

According to the 2011 census Almora district has a population of 621,927, roughly equal to the nation of Montenegro  or the US state of Vermont. This gives it a ranking of 517th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 198 inhabitants per square kilometre (510/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was −1.73%.  Almora has a sex ratio of 1139 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 81.06%.

Hindus 621,203, Muslims 7,283 (1.15%), Christians 959. Most of the population lives near the main market of almora that forms nearly 45% of the population. In 2012 Almora city census 1,00,000 and area of city is 20.2 km2.

Administrative subdivisions :

District of Almora is divided into nine tehsils: Almora, Bhikiyasain,Bhanoli, Chaukhutiya, Dwarahat, Jainti, Ranikhet, Someshwar, and Sult. Its Assembly constituencies are Dwarahat, Salt, Ranikhet, Someshwar (SC), Almora, and Jageshwar.

Culture and literature :

Almora was also the site of the dance academy set up by Udai Shankar, danseuse, in 1938 – several well-known Indian and French dancers trained there. The Almora dance academy was housed in Pine Lodge on the outskirts of the town (Ranidhara). The site has views of the Himalayas and the city.

Tourist Attractions :

Chitai Golu Temple: 

Situated somewhere about 8kms from Almora, Chitai Golu is quite a famous temple in Uttarakhand. Presided by the deity of Golu Ji, an incarnation of Lord Shiva in the form of Gaur Bhairav, Chitai Temple is easily recognised by the amount of copper bells hung in its premises. Golu Ji is reckoned to be the God of Justice and it is a common belief that when someone worships him in one of his temples in Uttarakhand, Golu Devta provides justice and makes wishes of his devotees come true.

Jageshwar Dham Temples :

One of the finest examples of architecture in Uttarakhand, Jageshwar Dham is a group of temples dedicated to Lord Shiva.  There are 124 big and small temples that look simply beautiful with a gorgeous backdrop of rolling green mountains and a gurgling Jata Ganga stream. As per ASI (Archaeology Survey of India), the temple dates back to post Gupta and pre-medieval era and said to be 2500 years old. Stone lingams, stone sculptures and carving on altars are the highlight of the temple. The temple’s location is ideal for meditation as well.

Gairad Golu Dev Temple :

Golu Devata or Lord Golu is the legendary mythological and historical God of the Kumaun region and is their deity. The Dana Golu devata Gairar, temple is about 2 km from the main gate of Binsar wildlife sanctuary & about 15 km. from Almora. Origin Golu Devata is thought to be as an incarnation of Gaur Bhairav (Shiva), and is worshipped all over the region and regarded as the dispenser of justice by the devotees with extreme faith. 

Ranikhet :

Around fifty Kms from Almora the quiet and beautiful cantonment township of Ranikhet, is famous for it’s salubrious climate, balmy breeze captivating and panoramic Himalayan View and soothing and pollution free greenery of pines and oaks. It is also famous as the regimental center of the Kumaun Regiment of Indian Army- one of the most prestigious and the most decorated of all. The Kumaun Regimental museum and amicably maintained grassy and green golf course are memorable experiences even for the most experienced tourists. From Ranikhet four Kms sojourn takes you to the Chaubatiya gardens famous for it’s sprawling orchards of delicious apples, plums, peaches and apricots. It is result of the pioneering efforts of a British settler 150 years ago. In and around Ranikhet there are some famous temples of the Hindus for religious minded like Jhoola Devi Mandir, Ram Mandir, Herakhan Mandir, Kalika Temple and Binsar Mahadeva.

Bright End Corner  : It is 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the main city of Almora, is a beauty spot visited at sunrise and sunset. A circuit house, Swami Vivekanand Memorial and Vivekanand Library is also situated here.

Binsar MahadevTemple :Temple was built around the 9-10 century A.D. It is believed locally to have been built in a single day. Ladies come here on Vaikunth chaturdashi and light a lamp on their palm to fulfill the desire of child. Binsar Mahadev is 19 kilometres (12 mi) from Ranikhet, and is surrounded by thick forests at an altitude of 2,480 metres (8,140 ft). It is known for its archeological significance and its dense forest.