Katarmal Sun (Surya) Temple, Almora — Bara Aditya and its 44 shrines
The Katarmal Sun Temple, called Bara Aditya, is an ASI-protected stone temple with 44 smaller shrines, 44 minutes from Almora. Sources differ on its age.
Uttarakhand⛰ 1,604 m2 itineraries
Almora
Almora at 1,604 m on a Kumaon ridge: Kasar Devi, the Katarmal Sun Temple, Chitai Golu Devta and the Jageshwar temples, with measured drive times.
Itineraries you can copy
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Day plan · First visitTemples & heritage
One day in Almora — the old town, Kasar Devi and Chitai Golu Devta
A one-day Almora plan: the Nanda Devi Temple in the old town, the ridge village of Kasar Devi and the Chitai Golu Devta Temple, all within 20 minutes.
Best Mar–Apr · Oct–Nov
See the plan →
1 night · 2 days · First visitTemples & heritage
Two days in Almora — Katarmal, Kasar Devi and the Jageshwar temples
A two-day Almora plan: the Katarmal Sun Temple and Kasar Devi on day one, then the ancient Jageshwar and Dandeshwar temples on day two. Free copyable plan.
Best Mar–Apr · Oct–Nov
See the plan →Almora is a hill town on a ridge in the Kumaon hills of Uttarakhand, the seat of the Chand rulers of Kumaon and still counted as the cultural heart of the region. Wikipedia dates its founding to 1568, under the Chand dynasty. It sits at an average of 1,604 m, with the Himalaya in the distance on clear days.
From Delhi it is about 365 km by road. Free-flow routing says 6 hours, and traffic and hill roads usually add several more. The nearest railway station is Kathgodam, 88 km and about 3 hours below the town on our routing.
The town has its own old temples and bazaar, and the Nanda Devi Temple is 4 minutes from the centre. Out of town, Kasar Devi, the ridge village where Swami Vivekananda is recorded as meditating in the 1890s, is 17 minutes away, and Chitai Golu Devta, a temple to the Kumaoni god of justice, is 19 minutes out. The Katarmal Sun Temple, protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, is 44 minutes away, and the Jageshwar temples are 77 minutes up the valley.
A day covers the town, Kasar Devi and Chitai; two days add Katarmal and Jageshwar. See the one-day plan, the two-day plan, things to do in Almora, when to visit and how to reach Almora.
Photos: Harshit SR (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Harshit SR (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Rajarshi MITRA from Mumbai, India (CC BY 2.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Places worth the drive
Kasar Devi Temple, Almora — the ridge village above the town
Kasar Devi Temple stands in a pine-forest ridge village above Almora, 17 minutes away, where Swami Vivekananda is said to have meditated in the 1890s.
Jageshwar Temples, Almora — a deodar valley of old stone shrines
The Jageshwar temples are ancient stone shrines in a deodar valley 77 minutes from Almora, dated 7th to 14th century and protected by the ASI.
Chitai Golu Devta Temple, Almora — the temple of the god of justice
The Chitai Golu Devta Temple, 19 minutes from Almora, is the best-known temple of Golu Devta, the Kumaoni god of justice, where devotees leave petitions.
On the map
Open the Almora map →The places a Almora day reaches, with the road time from town. Each opens on the map with its plans and pages beside it.
Before you go
All articles →Things to do in Almora — 6 worth the visit, and how far each is
Six things to do in Almora by distance from town: Nanda Devi Temple, Kasar Devi, Chitai Golu Devta, the Katarmal Sun Temple, Binsar and the Jageshwar temples.
How to reach Almora — distances and drive times
How to reach Almora from Delhi, Kathgodam, Haldwani, Nainital, Ranikhet and Kausani by road, with measured times and the nearest railway and airport.
Best time to visit Almora — seasons, rain and festivals
The best time to visit Almora month by month: the dry months, the July and August rains, winter, and the festivals at Kasar Devi and Jageshwar.
Questions people ask
What is Almora known for?
A ridge town in Kumaon that the Chand rulers made their seat, with an old bazaar, the Nanda Devi Temple and views of the Himalaya on clear days. The places that draw visitors lie around it: Kasar Devi, the Katarmal Sun Temple, Chitai Golu Devta and the ancient Jageshwar temples.
How many days do you need in Almora?
One day covers the town, Kasar Devi 17 minutes out and Chitai Golu Devta 19 minutes out. A second day adds the Katarmal Sun Temple, 44 minutes away, and the Jageshwar temples, 77 minutes up the valley, which are a full outing on their own. From Delhi it is about 365 km, so most visitors stay at least a night.
What is the nearest railway station to Almora?
Kathgodam, about 88 km and 175 minutes below the town by road on our routing. Wikipedia names Kathgodam as the nearest station and Pantnagar as the main airport for Kumaon, which is 120 km and 201 minutes away by road on our routing. Agree a taxi fare before you set off, since we have no verified fares.
Photographs by Wikimedia Commons contributors (CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA), resized; each picture is credited on its own page.