Bespoke Odysseys
Travel itineraries, independent or assisted, offering you an immersive experience of the Kumaon - be it history, religion, architecture, culture, language, food, wildlife, geography etc.
Katarmal Sun Temple
Katarmal is known for a relatively rare Surya temple, constructed by the Katyuri Kings in the 9th century CE and bears witness to the architecture of the day. Masons of the time used a mixture of lime and lentil paste to make the adhesive agent. Katarmalla, a Katyuri king, constructed the temple, which has 44 smaller temples around the main deity of Surya, called Burhadita or Vraddhaditya. Other deities like Shiva-Parvathi and Lakshmi-Narayana. are also established in the temple complex.
Almora
Almora was founded in 1568 by King Kalyan Chand. However, there are accounts of human settlements in the hills and surrounding region in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Almora was the seat of Chand kings that ruled over the Kumaon Kingdom. It is considered the cultural heart of the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. Almora got its name from Bhilmora, a kind of sorrel, although some have tried to derive it from Berberis 'kilmora', a short plant commonly found there which was used for washing the utensils of the sun temple at Katarmal. The people bringing the Bhilmora/kilmora were called Bhilmori/Kilmori and later 'Almori' and the place came to be known as 'Almora'.
Ranikhet
Ranikhet is a hill station and cantonment town near Almora Town. It is the home of the Military Hospital, Kumaon Regiment (KRC), one of the oldest infantry regiments of the Indian Army and Naga Regiment that is maintained by the Indian Army. Ranikhet is located at an altitude of 1,869 metres (6,132 ft) above sea level with majestic western peaks of the Himalayas visible effortlessly. Ranikhet means Queen's Meadow in Kumaoni with a local legend to claim its roots in Raja Sudhardev, a Katyuri ruler, won the heart of his queen, Rani Padmini and subsequently chose the area for her residence, giving it the name, Ranikhet. However no such residense exists in the area.
