Bhowali main junction - the road from top side leads to Nainital
Bhowali can be called the nerve centre of Kumaon, as
in order to proceed towards a majority of destinations in Kumaon, one has to
pass through this nondescript little village town, which is also known as the
fruit market of the region.Situated at
a distance of about 34 kms. from the railhead of Kathgodam, one can approach
Bhowali either from Nainital side through Jeolikote or from Bhimtal side, which
is a wee bit shorter road.If one
approaches from the Nainital side, one will have to cross this destination even
for visiting the Champawat side.However, if one is traversing from Bhimtal side, the road towards
Champawat bi-furcates mid-way.For
visiting Mukteshwar, Almora or Ranikhet and beyond, one has to cross this
nondescript township and hence I call it the nerve centre of Kumaon,
specifically as the all arterial roads lead through this destination.
Panoramic view of Bhowali village
Perched at an altitude of about 1650 meters, the
township enjoys a salubrious climate all year round.Being an old market, it has been the outlet
for sale of stone fruits like plum, pear, apple et al that grow around it in
Nainital, Ramgarh etc.and available
during summers and early monsoon.During
the fall season, other fruits like walnuts, hazelnuts, chestnuts etc. make an
appearance in the market and is a main attraction for the tourists passing by,
who enjoy these mountain fruits, as per the season and this at times creates a
traffic jam in the region, as not enough space is available for parking of the
vehicles.Apart from fruits, I
personally while traversing through this market, especially on my way back to
Delhi, source fresh vegetables, be it cabbages, peas, cauliflowers (during
summers also) or various kinds of other local green leafy vegetables (known as
‘saag’ in Hindi), as I find them to be more tasty and fresh, than from what we
get here in Delhi.
One of the hotels in Bhowali - on road towards Almora
During monsoons this hotel is full of Begonia flowers (tuberos variety) - a close up of the same
Bhowali township is almost as old as Nainital, as
because of its salubrious climes it housed a Sanatorium for Tuberculosis
patients that was built way back in 1912.The place is named after a small village that is placed about3 Kms. from the main road that runs from just
below the Sanatorium gate and goes by the same name i.e. Bhowali.Bhowali, apart from the Kumaon Mandal Vikas
Nigam managed Tourist Rest House (TRH), now has quite a few homestays just beyond the
municipal limits on way of Mukheshwar and Almora, hence can be easily be used
as a base point for day visits to places like – a) The famous Ghora Khal temple
dedicated to Golu Devta (a local and reverend God of justice); b)Ramgarh & Mukteshwar; c) Kainchi Dham
(only eight Kms. Away) and on other side d) Bhimtal; e) Sattal etc., many such
nondescript little destinations are also placed within the Bhowali Tehsil.It would be a good idea to stay in such a
location, being cheaper but with all amenities during travel.The STD code for the destination is – 5492
and PIN Code is – 263132.
Panoramic view of Kosi River meeting Khairna River at Khairna
Having described
Tarikhet in my previous blog, as I reiterate my steps back towards Kathgodam
from my village Badankhet in Tarikhet Block in Ranikhet Tehsil of Almora
District in Uttarakhad in Kumaon region of the State, one passes through the
junction of Ganiadholi, wherefrom the road bifurcates towards Ranikhet and
Tarikhet.Thereafter, as one heads away
from Ranikhet, one comes across villages like Pilkholi, known to the travellers
where one can buy traditional Kumaoni sweets like Choclate (a milk based
product), Bal Mithai and Singhori (remaining ones too be milk based
sweets).Thereafter, across the twenty
three kilometres journey from Tarikhet to Khairna one passes by many other
villages perched by the roadside in the following sequence - Bajol – Bhujan –
Majhera.Thereafter, one crosses the
bridge across Kosi River and turn right towards Kharina and the other road from
here, towards the left hand side, heads
towards Almora.Thus, Khairna (PIN Code
– 263135/STD Code – 05942) is also basically a junction point, wherefrom the
road bifurcates towards Ranikhet and Almora.
Ganiadholi - wherefrom road bifurcates towards Ranikhet & Tarikhet
A panoramic view of villages perched on the road from Ranikhet to Khairna
Khairna is also a
market township that caters to the needs of the villages all around it that are
situated on the road towards Betalghat and other villages of Naintial district
around it.Earlier, the two destinations
of Khairna and thereafter, Garam Pani were distinct and separate, but over the
years, with the spread of the market area along the highway, the distinction
has all but faded.There is a Petrol
pump situated in this quaint village town, being bang on the National Highway
109.Khairna is situated on the
confluence of the Kosi and Khairna Rivers, the first one flowing from Almora
side and the second one from Nainital side.Khairna is thus, placed in the valley perched in between mountains at an
altitude of 913.34 meters i.e. about 2996.51 feet above mean sea level
(MSL).Therefore, during the day time in
summers it is considerably hot and heat is modest during the nights.However, during winters it is quite cold but
not totally unpleasant.
Khairna by night - shot taken from KMVN, Khairna
A Crested Kingfisher in Kosi River - early morning shot
View of TRH at Khairna managed by KMVN - sourced from internet
There are no distinct
travel landmarks in Khairna, but can be used as a transit point while
travelling to distant destinations in the Kumaon region.Although fishing is prohibited, but one can
enjoy feeding the fishes by going down the stairs of the KMVN managed Tourist
Rest House in Khairna, which also offers a restaurant as well as rooms to stay
for the tourists/visitors.The freshly
cooked food in this restaurant has always been my favourite and whenever, I
traverse through this part, especially when travelling by train upto Kathgodam,
I stop here for either lunch or snacks and never had any complaint regarding
the quality of food.Various aquatic
birds can also be spotted in this region, especially early in the mornings and
hence a short stopover for birders is also advisable.So next time you are in Kumaon, remember this
quaint nondescript destination.
A panoramic view of main road & market of Tarikhet
Tarikhet is a big
hamlet, which is the Block headquarters that goes by the same name and
comprises of 134 village Panchayats. The STD code of the destination is –
05966 and PIN code is – 263663.It is at
a lower elevation of about 1500 odd meters above mean sea level and apart from
the Block Development Office, it houses banks, ATMs, a Primary Health
Centre, Govt. Inter College et al. With Indian
independence struggle movement in its credit, Tarikhet is a charming, verdant
and beautiful cute village nearby Ranikhet on the way to I have been away from
writing blogs for a long time and as I am struck down because of the pandemic,
while searching for smaller destinations in the region of the internet, I could
find only some scanty and scattered information.Accordingly, I decided to gather information
and put them on the internet in form of blogs for the readers and hence
starting this series as ‘Nondescript destinations of Kumaon’.In this series, I am starting with Tarikhet
being the nearest township from my village.
A panoramic view of Tarikhet from Gandhi Kutir
Tarikhet is a
charming, verdant and beautiful cute hamlet nearby Ranikhet on the way to
Ramnagar. It is a rather big hamlet, which is the Block headquarters that goes
by the same name and comprises of 134 village Panchayats. It is perched at a lower elevation of about
1500 odd meters above mean sea level, but has salubrious climate the year
round.Being the block headquarters, apart
from housing the Block Development Office, it also has two banks and their
ATMs, a Primary Health Centre, many private run as well as Government run
schools, Govt. Inter College et al. The STD code of the
destination is – 05966 and PIN code is – 263663.
Outside view of the Gandhi Kutir
Close up of the pillar commemorating visit by Gandhi ji
A plaque indicating the Gandhi kutir
Tarikhet is well
known for its association with the Indian independence struggle movement in its
credit.The recognition of Tarikhet and
its association with freedom struggle is attributable to the famous ‘Gandhi Kutiya', a small hut where Mahatma
Gandhi stayed for three days in June, 1929. Tarikhet was the nerve
center for all the activities related to the freedom struggle. This is a must
place to be visited to get the feeling of the history of India and
its independence. This prime attraction is now in a rather neglected
state here, which is the small hut known as Gandhi Kuti, where Mahatma Gandhi,
the great symbol of peace and tranquility and Father of our Nation, stayed once
during the freedom movement. This place is thus,
a symbol of India’s freedom struggle against the British Raj.
However, as you approach this venerated place, the government apathy is palpable
& noticeable straight away. The condition of the approach road is
atrocious, with no maintenance whatsoever. Even more so is the actual
Kutir, which is ceremonially spruced and decked up during the Gandhi Jayanti
etc., as informed by the local residents, or else in case when some local
leaders troop in and make tall claims, only to disappear later. The
staircase is in bad shape, the place where Gandhiji stayed was converted into a
school but the same is now in a state of total disrepair and the locals have
even removed the doors & windows from the building, that sans any kind of
security or periphery wall whatsoever. The statute of Ghandhiji that was
placed inside the Kutir and was on verge of being vandalized, has been kept in
safe custody by the Principal of the local school of Prem Vidyalaya,
Tarikhet.
The statue of Gandhi ji kept in Prem Vidyalaya in Tarkhet
The
place bristles with activities all round the year, with people moving to and
fro in the market or visiting Government offices for their works.The market is spread across both sides of the
State Highway that connects Ranikhet with Ramnagar and is the main market for
local villagers for sourcing their requirements, be it clothes or other day to
day sundry requirements.It houses some
quaint little sweetmeat shops and a few restaurants that cater mainly to local
cuisine.There is a small hotel or
rather a home stay that goes by the name of ‘Pine grove Hotel’ and is situated
in the outer vicinity of the township.The
place also offers an opportunity to visit a temple housing the famed Golu Devta,
the reverend deity of the region and also is home to a small temple dedicated
to Lord Hanuman inside the temple complex.
Thus, this destination
known as Tarikhet, although may not be a destination of great tourist
attraction, but is definitely a quaint and tranquil little destination, where
the nature lover traveler can spend a few days in solitude.
Here is a link to a short video of the destination
