Almora

For other uses, see Almora (disambiguation).

Almora अल्मोड़ा
Hill station
Nickname(s): Cultural City
File:India Uttarakhand location map.svg Almora Location in Uttarakhand, India
Coordinates:
Country	India
State	Uttarakhand
District	Almora
Area
• Total	20 km2 (8 sq mi)
Elevation	1,642 m (5,387 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	1,50,550
Languages
• Official	Hindi
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	263601
Telephone code	91-5962
Vehicle registration	UK-01
Sex ratio	1142 ♂/♀
Climate	Alpine (BSh) and Humid subtropical(Bsh) (Köppen)
Avg. annual temperature	−3 to 28 °C (27 to 82 °F)
Avg. summer temperature	12 to 28 °C (54 to 82 °F)
Avg. winter temperature	−3 to 15 °C (27 to 59 °F)
Website	almora.nic.in

Almora is a municipal board and a cantonment town in the Almora district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Almora was founded in 1568. It is the district headquarters of Almora district.

It is considered the cultural heart of the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand.

The nearest railway station is Kathgodam 82 km (via Bhimtal), 86 km (via NH 87). Pantnagar Airport is the nearest at 113 km.

Administration

Municipal board Almora established in 1864.

Cantonment Board Almora established in 1815.

Census Town Khatyari, Almora.

Geography

Almora is at . It has an average elevation of 1,861 metres (6,100 feet). It is on a ridge at the southern edge of the Kumaon Hills of the Himalaya range. In the shape of a horse saddle shaped hillock, it is surrounded by thick forests of pine and fir trees. Flowing alongside the city are rivers of Koshi, (Kaushiki), and Suyal (Salmale). The snow-capped Himalayas can be seen in the background.

Almora got its name from "kilmora" a short plant found nearby region, which was used for washing the utensils of Katarmal Temple. The people bringing kilmora were called Kilmori and later "Almori" and the place came to be known as "Almora".

Distances

• New Delhi - 365 km
• Indira Gandhi International Airport Delhi - 379 km
• Bareilly - 185 km
• Lukhnow - 446 km
• Chandigarh - 565 km
• Dehradun - 415 km
• Kathgodam Railway station - 81 km
• Moradabad - 212 km
• Corbett national park - 120 km
• Kashipur - 151 km
• Kausani - 50 km
• Ranikhet - 44 km
• Bageshwar - 72 km
• Nainital - 63 km
• Haldwani - 87 km
• Pithoragarh - 119 km
• Mussourie - 445 km
• Noida - 340 km
• Rudrapur - 120 km
• Haridwar - 365 km

Demography

As of 2001 India census, Almora had a population of 30,613. Males number 16,443 and constitute roughly 53.7% of the population and females number 14,170 or roughly 46.3%. Almora has an average literacy rate of 84.09%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 86.39% of the males and 81.43% of females literate. Nearly 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Schools

Koormanchal Academy

NBU international school

Kendriya vidyalaya Almora

Vivekanand girls inter college

Vivekanand intermediate college

Adam's Girls inter college

Holy Angel Public school

New Modern public school

New inspiration school

Mahershi Vidya mandir

Beersheba sr. Secondary public school

Sharada public school

Almora inter college

Ramsay's inter college

Govt. Girls inter college

Govt. Inter college

Aarya kanya inter college

St. Paul public school

Army public school

Grace public school

Green field public school

Spring Dales public school

Saraswati shishu mandir Narsingh badi,shivaji nagar,jeewan dham

Lorraine's Public school

Mangal deep Vidya mandir

Quotes

These mountains are associated with the best memories of our race: Here, therefore, must be one of centres, not merely of activity, but more of calmness of meditation, and of peace and I hope some one to realize it.

— Swami Vivekananda (replying to the address given to him by the people of Almora.)

Temples

Almora has many noted temples, including Kasar Devi, Nanda Devi, Doli Daana, Shyayi Devi, Khakmara, Asht Bhairav, Jakhandevi, Katarmal (Sun Temple), Pataal Devi, Raghunath Mandir, Badreshwar, Banari Devi, Chitai, Jageshwar, Binsar Mahadev, Garhnath and Baijnath.

Kasar Devi temple was visited by Swami Vivekananda and this area has a Chabad House. Rudreshwar Mahadev Temple, near Sanara Ganiya, is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is beside the river Ram Ganga. A sun temple (only the second in the world) is at Katarmal, a short distance from the town. The famous temple of Manila Devi, Devi Maa, the family goddess of the Katyuri clan, lies around 85 km from Ranikhet. Udaipur a famous temple of Golu devta is 5 km. from Binta near Dwarahat.

Dunagiri has the highly revered temple of Shakti or Mother Goddess. Dunagiri is known as the birthplace of modern-day Kriya Yoga. There is a very famous and notable temple in Almora district which is in the village of Chaura near Bhaisor Gaun, Someshwar. This temple is dedicated to lord Golu who is considered as a lord of justice in Uttarakhand. This temple is about 40 km from Almora town. Another very famous temple of Almora district is Airdau which is in Someshwar. Someshwar is a small town of Almora which is very rich in agricultural way.

Pandu Kholi is another famous and ancient temple in Almora district. According to Hindu mythology Pandvas spent some time here to escape from Dhuryodhana. The distance of this temple from Almora is about 80 km. Another very ancient and holy Shiva temple in Someshwar town is known as Khakeshwar Mahadev temple. It is in the area of village Bhaisor Gaun on the bank of a river.

View of Almora, with soldiers of 3rd Gurkha Rifles, 1895.

District administration

Presently, district administration is headed by the District Magistrate, who is also the head of the Civil Service in the entire district. The District Magistrate is empowered to decide on issues relating to public law and order and general administration. Under the District Magistrate are Additional District Magistrate and Sub-divisional Magistrates. The number of sub-divisional magistrates varies from district to district. There are nine sub-divisions in Almora district. In Someshwar, Ranikhet and many other small areas exists tehsil as well.

List of district magistrates

• Shri Chanar Ram
• Shri Rajeev Chandra
• Smt. Nidhi Mani Tripathi
• Shri Suvardhan
• DS Garbyal
• Akshat Gupta
• Shri Vinod Kumar Suman

List of taluks

• Daulaghat
• Gobindpur
• Ranikhet
• Dwarahat

Institutions

• G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Ranikhet road
• ICAR Vivekanand Hill Agriculture and Research, Mall road
• GIHM Nainital road
• Govt. Girls Polytechnic College Patal Devi
• NRDMS Kumaon University
• CEMS Almora
• Govt. Law college SSJ Campus

Media and communications

All India Radio has a local station in Almora which transmits programs of mass interest.

Notable people

Almora Bazaar, c1860

Kosi River valley near Almora, Uttarakhand, India

• Rabindranath Tagore spent time in Almora and purchased a house in nearby Ramgarh where he stayed during the First World War.
• Swami Vivekananda spent some days in Almora in his Himalayan sojourn. He expressed great eagerness in making an Ashrama in the bosom of Himalayas for the practice of pure Advaita Vedanta.
• Swami Satyananda Saraswati of Bihar School of Yoga and Rikhiapeeth was born in Almora on 25 December 1923 in Zamindari Family of Bhikiyasen and Gaja.
• Govind Ballabh Pant (10 September 1887 – 7 March 1961), noted freedom fighter and first chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, was born in Almora.
• Uday Shankar's dance school was established at Almora. Among famous people who learnt to dance and act here were Guru Dutt, Zohra Segal, and others.
• Sumitranandan Pant, (May 20, 1900 – December 28, 1977) one of the most famous modern Hindi poets, was born at Kausani village of Bageshwar, in the hills of Kumaon.
• Bhairab Dutt Pande, former cabinet secretary of India and governor of West Bengal, Punjab is a resident of Almora.
• Sir Ronald Ross, winner of Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his path-breaking discovery in malaria parasite, was born here.
• American actress Uma Thurman spent large parts of her childhood at Crank's Ridge, near Almora. Her parents stayed briefly here.
• The lyricist Prasoon Joshi, the artist Uday Shankar, Mohan Upreti, and many other artistic gems have roots in Almora.
• Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Indian cricketer, has his roots here. Dhoni's father had a farm here before he settled in Ranchi in 1964.
• Begum Ra'ana Liaquat Ali Khan (née Sheila Irene Pant) (1905 - June 13, 1990) was born in a Kumauni Hindu-turned-Christian family at Almora. She was the wife of Pakistan's first prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan.
• P.C. Joshi, the first chairman of the Communist Party of India (CPI), was born in Almora.
• B.C. Joshi, General Bhuwan Chandra Joshi, PVSM, AVSM, ADC (1935 - November 19, 1994) was the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) of the Indian Army, belongs to Almora district (Talladaniya).
• Murli Manohar Joshi, the Union Human Resources Development minister of India (born January 5, 1934) in the NDA government.
• Ananda Shankar, musician
• Prasoon Joshi, writer poet-lyrcist Adguru
• Devendra Kumar Joshi is the current chief of Navy Staff, Admiral D. K. Joshi, PVSM, AVSM, ADC, YSM (born: July 4, 1954) in Almora
• Ekta Bisht is an Indian cricket player. She is a left-handed batswoman and slow left-arm orthodox bowler. She is the first International woman cricketer from Uttarakhand.
• Baba Hari Dass (Hari Datt Karnatak, also known as Haridas Baba, born in Almora, 26 March 1923), a silent master yogi, founder of several teaching projects in US, Canada, and India, builder of temples and the author of scriptural commentaries.
• Nilamber Pant, former vice chairman of ISRO and a Padma Shri winner.
• Roop Durgapal, actress

External links

• Official Website of Almora district