Pindari glacier: A sight fit for the gods

The Pindari glacier lies some 278 km from Kathgodam railway station. Along the way, from Kathgodam one can see the mighty trees, feathered and festooned with ferns, pines, rhododendrons, and the forest floor a veritable carpet of flowers. Legions of long-leaved pines line the narrow road as it begins its snaking journey into the hills. The famed temple-town of Bageshwar stands aloof on the banks of the Gomti and Saryu rivers. Once upon a time, the priests here were famed Tantriks.

Tourist attractions
The crunchy balmithais sold at the shops at Bageshwar take some of the bad taste of one's mouth. It is a sweet unique to the Uttarakhand region and one will not regret trying it. But the mountains call out and what a host of them: Nandakot (7,878 m) and Pawali Dwar (6,663m) while flanking the actual glacier are Kafini and Sunderdhunga glaciers. Moving westwards, at Namik glacier one can see the headwaters of the Ramganga long before it becomes the mass of water flowing through the Corbett National Park.

Under the shadow of Nandakot, on the slopes too sharp to catch a foothold, the trail climbs towards Dhakuri Pass at 9,300 feet. Going towards Khati, just eight km away, one can hear the roar of the Pindar Ganga River.

Ahead is a maple-lined thicket en route to Dwali at 8,900 feet. Molten streams of quicksilver cascade in multitude of waterfalls, as one moves on towards Phurkia.

Now the destination is just another two-and-a-half thousand feet to climb. The ascent is steep till one gets to around Martoli, where there is a small shrine dedicated to the goddess Nanda Devi, the one who keeps a watchful eye on her devotees. Ice-bridge spans the river, which has to be crossed most gingerly. Six hours later, after several breaks for rest, one arrives at Pindari and what a sight it is. The primal forces are at work. The Great Sculptor has used his tools of ice here to carve a deep gorge into the face of the mountain and the waters have done the rest. The magnificent peak of Nandakot rises to 22,500 feet above the glacier's edge. It is a sight fit for the gods and one has no trouble understanding why the poets of ancient India waxed eloquent about the mystical beauty of the Himalayas.

How to reach
Air: Nearest airport is Pant Nagar, 206 km.

Rail: Nearest railhead is Kathgodam, 180 km.

Road: Bageshwar is well connected with all the major towns of the state. Taxis are available for local transport

Bageshwar

  Bageshwar lies at the confluence of Saryu and Gomti rivers with the blessings of Lord Sadashiv, the redeemer of all sins. There are numerous famous temples dedicated to Gods and Goddesses in the proximity of Bageshwar.

Bageshwar is a place of extreme religious and historic significance. The Bhileshwar and the Nileshwar mountains border the east and the west of Bageshwar while the north and south are surrounded by Suraj Kund and Agni Kund respectively. According to the puranas, this place has the power to liberate one from shackles of births and deaths. For the entire state, Bageshwar has been the symbol of faith. Bageshwar is the base camp for treks to popular glaciers like Pindari, Kafni and Sunderdhunga.

The most important temple of Bageshwar is Bagnath temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is situated at the heart of the city and thousands of devotees throng the temple on the occasion of Mahashivratri. The temple was constructed by Laxmi Chand around 1450 AD.

The temples of Baijnath are located on the left bank of Gomti. The main temple which is just below the house of Mahanta is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Since the construction of the temple is similar to the Tailihata group, it can be said that it belonged to the same period as Tailihta. About half a kilometre of Bageshwar lies the Chandika temple dedicated to Goddess Chandika. The Sriharu temple is located 5kms from Bageshwar and every year on Vijaya Dashami a large fair is organised here. The Uttaryani Fair is the most important fair of Bageshwar held on the occasion of Makar Sankranti on January 14th. The lace is considered to be as holy as the Ganga at Varanasi and therefore the fair attracts hundreds of devotees.

Bageshwar India travel guide with latest information of Bageshwar Tourism. Bageshwar is famous for temples and confluence of Saryu and Gomti rivers. Bageshwar is place of extreme religious and historic significance, Bagnath Baijnath temple. Best deals in Bageshwar tours travel packages, Plan your Bageshwar trip with eUttaranchal in Uttarakhand India.

Places to See

Bagnath Temple: Bageshwar got its name from an ancient temple of Lord Shiva situated in the heart of the town. According to myths and legends, sage Markandey was visited by Lord Shiva in the disguise of a tiger. This sacred shrine was built by the rulers of Chand Dynasty in 1602A.D. A fair is held every year on the auspicious day of Shivratri. This sacred temple is visited by thousands of devotees every month, throughout the year and especially during the period of ‘Shravan’. Bagnath temple holds the idols made from 7th to 16th century.

Chandika Temple: The deity of this sacred shrine is Goddess Chandika. The temple is situated very close to the Bageshwar town. Chandika Temple is flooded by devotees during ‘Navratras’.

Shri Haru Temple: It is situated at a distance of kms from Bageshwar town. On the auspicious occasion of ‘vijay dashmi’ a large fair is held at Shri Haru Temple. The people of Kumaon have strong belief in this sacred temple.

Gauri Udiyar: It is situated 8kms from Bageshwar. There is a huge cave in Gauri Udiyar enshrining the ancient idols of Lord Shiva.

Other temple near Bageshwar: Agnikund temple, Nileshwar temple, Kukuda Mai temple, Shitla Devi temple, Trijugi Narayan temple, Hanuman temple, Jwala Devi temple, Radha Krishna temple, Bhileshwar Dham, Suraj Kund, Golu temple and Praktishwar Mahadev.

List of Bageshwar Sightseeing and tourist spots in Bageshwar. There are many places to visit see of tourist interest in Bageshwar like: Bagnath Temple, Gauri Udiyar, Chandika temple, Shri Haru Temple, Bageshwar market, confluence of River Gomti and Saryu. All of these places are well known tourist spots in Bageshwar Uttarakhand India.

How to reach

Air: The nearest airport to Bageshwar is Pantnagar Airport situated 180kms away in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand state. Taxis and buses are available from Pantnagar Airport to Almora and Bageshwar.Pantnagar is connected to Delhi with daily flights. Pant Nagar Airport is well connected by motorable roads with Bageshwar.

Rail: The nearest railhead to Bageshwar is Kathgodam situated in Nainital district of Uttarakhand state. The distance from Kathgodam Railway station is situated at a distance of 149kms from Bageshwar. Taxis and buses are easily available from Kathgodam to Almora and Bageshwar. Kathgodam is well connected with major destinations of India like Lucknow, Delhi and Kolkata. Trains are frequent to Kathgodam as it is the gateway of Kumaon region.

Road: Bageshwar is well connected by motorable roads with major destinations of Garhwal and Kumaon region of Uttarakhand state. Buses from ISBT Anand Vihar are available to Almora, Nainital, Haldwani and many other destinations from where you can easily hire a local cab or bus to reach Bageshwar. Taxis and buses are easily available to Bageshwar from major destinations of Kumaon region.

Bageshwar can be reached easily by private vehicle or by luxury bus coaches. Get the latest updated driving directions, trains schedules to the nearest railway station and airport to Bageshwar at euttaranchal travels.

Source: http://www.euttaranchal.com/tourism/bageshwar.php

Kotagiri

 

The kaleidoscopic hill resort of Kotagiri is ideally situated at an altitude of 1950 m. Kotagiri literally means the lines of the house of the Kotas. Kotagiri is quietly tucked away in the Nilgiris and used to be the summer resort of the British. Till date the beauty of hill resort of Kotagiri attracts tourists and the sun scorched souls from far and wide.

Best time to visit: Kotagiri experiences pleasant and comfortable weather all through the year. Thus you may plan your trip to Kotagiri any time of the year

Location: The hill resort of Kotagiri is located in the famous Nilgiri Hills. Kotagiri is just 16 km away from Ooty.

Tourists attractions: The hill resort of Kotagiri has several tourist attractions.

In Kotagiri there are the landmark Catherine Falls. The double cascade waterfalls are a major tourist attraction in Kotagiri owing to the beauty of the natural environs. Then there are the Elk falls that offer panoramic views of the spectacular surroundings of Echoing Valley of Kookal.

Do visit the golf course where the gorgeous greens spread across the Earth to present an incomparable view. The tea plantations and the tea estates are the other places worth visiting in Kotagiri

At a distance of 16 km from Kotagiri is the sacred Rangaswamy Pillar. The excursion to the eastern slopes of the Nilgiris is popular with the tourists to Kotagiri. The Rangaswamy Peak is another vintage point to check out the wondrous vistas of the Nilgiris. The Kodanad is other point from where breathtakingly beautiful sights of the eastern slopes may be enjoyed

You may check out the local handicrafts at the Woman's Cooperative of Kotagiri near Ramachand Square for gift items and souvenirs from Kotagiri.

Further ahead from Kotagiri you may move to the other renowned hill resorts of Ooty and Coonor. There are several tea plantations and estates that wrap Kotagiri.

How to reach

Air - The airport at Coimbatore is the nearest to Kotagiri at a distance of over hundred km.

Road & Rail - Kotagiri is well linked with the other important places in Tamil Nadu through road transport. There are regular buses to Ooty, Mettupalayam and Coonoor

Shikhar

Shikhar is place where there is temple of 1008 Mool Narayan Bhagwan. Devotees come from different places for worship. Mool Narayan Bhagwan ji is called Nephew of Maa Nanda Devi. 

It is the Nanda Devi who brought Mool Narayan Bhagwan on her back from a place called Rikeshwar in Garwal Region of Uttarakhand. It is said Mool Naran Ji born in "Mool Nakshtra" which is considered inauspicious for the parent. 

It means a child who takes birth in mool Nakshtra his / her parent will die before death.  So Nanda Devi rescued Mool Narayan Bhagwan and brought this place. Mool Narahan Bhagwan has many temples in District Bagehswar. Like Jarti, Banlkesh etc.

Most of you might not have listened about this place. Shikhar is place which comes in District Bageshwar. Shikhar word itself donates of being a top height place.

Location: Shikhar location in Uttarakhand state Bageshwar distt. bye  Kapkot Bharadi, Sama, Bhanar   Then a steep height almost 3 hour journey on feet.

How to reach

This is easy way to reach Shikhar  

From District Bageshwar take right way for Reeema from Balighat, just 5 km ahead from Bageshwar, Reema is 35 km ahead from Bageshwar, From Reema - A place called Beesa, on foot journey starts from here. Shikhar is almost 3-4 hour steep height Journey from Reema

You can also reach Shikhar from Dharamghar.  For this you have to catch a bus via Vijaypur, Kamedi Devi and then to Dharamghar. From here you have to walk a long distance almost 5 hour.