About Almora

Almora sits on a five-kilometre ridge at 1,650 m, with the Trishul and Nanda Devi ranges to the north and the plains falling away south. It was the Chand dynasty’s capital from the 1560s, and its old bazaar — Lala Bazaar — remains one of the finest living heritage streets in the state, with copper craftsmen (tamtas) still working at the same forges.

Modern Almora is the cultural heart of Kumaon: publishing houses, folk-music archives, the Anasakti connection through nearby Kausani, and a food culture that gave the state its most famous sweet, Bal Mithai.

History & Origin

Almora (Alamnagar) was founded as the Chand capital in the 1560s, replacing Champawat. Raja Rudra Chand (r. 1568-1597) built the Malla Mahal and received Mughal envoys; the town grew into the administrative and cultural centre of Kumaon. In 1790-91 the Gorkhas took it, and in 1816 the British made it their first Kumaon headquarters before shifting to Nainital.

Almora’s modern political story runs through the freedom movement — Govind Ballabh Pant was born in its district — and through the cultural institutions that made the town the Kumaoni language’s literary capital.

Culture & People

Almora is the guardian of Kumaoni culture: the Nanda Devi temple and its mela, Aipan floor-art on every threshold, the Ramleela grounds, and a bazaar culture of copper, woollens and sweets. Bal Mithai — the chocolate-brown khoya fudge rolled in sugar balls — is the town’s edible signature; Singori, wrapped in malu leaves, is its gift-box rival.

Food here is Kumaoni to the bone: bhatt ki churkani, aloo ke gutke, gahat ki dal, and the slow-cooked flavours of hill kitchens.

Climate & Best Time to Visit

Almora’s ridge position gives it clean, crisp air: mild summers, cold winters with occasional snow, and a monsoon that fills the valleys with cloud. The clearest Himalayan views come in the post-monsoon months.

How to Reach & Connectivity

By rail: Kathgodam, ~90 km. By air: Pantnagar, ~120 km. By road: about 365 km from Delhi — 9-10 hours, or a 1.5-hour drive from Nainital.

Almora is the junction for Binsar (30 km), Kausani (52 km) and the Jageshwar temple circuit.

Quick Facts About Almora