Katarmal Sun (Surya) Temple, Almora — Bara Aditya and its 44 shrines
temple · 4.6 km away
temple17 min from Almora
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.
What it is
Kasar Devi is a ridge village above Almora, named for its temple to the goddess Kasar Devi, a form of Durga. The village stands among deodar and pine forest, and the ridge beyond it is known as Crank's Ridge, or Hippie Hill. Wikipedia says Swami Vivekananda visited and meditated here in the 1890s, and that the present temple building was put up in 1948. Our pictures show the village and its views; none shows the temple itself.
Photos: Alexkom000 (CC BY 4.0) · Alexkom000 (CC BY 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Getting there
About 8 km and 17 minutes by road from Almora, by our routing, off the Almora–Bageshwar road. Wikipedia gives 10 km by road and mentions an 8 km hike from the town. A walkway climbs from the road to the temple, and we have not measured it, so allow extra time and ask locally before you set out.
What you find
The temple complex has a shrine to the goddess and another group to Shiva and Bhairava, according to Wikipedia, and the main shrine sits in a cave-like space among large rocks. The village is the reason most people stay: a ridge of guesthouses and cafés in the forest with long views over the Almora valley and, on clear days, the Himalaya. Wikipedia says the view stretches from Bandarpunch on the Himachal border to Api Himal in Nepal, which we cannot confirm from our own photographs.
The ridge drew a series of Western writers and seekers through the 20th century, among them Walter Evans-Wentz, the Danish mystic Sunyata Baba, and the teacher who became Lama Anagarika Govinda. Some popular accounts claim a magnetic anomaly over the ridge. We found no scientific source for that, so we do not repeat it.
When to go
The fair at Kartik Purnima, in November or December, brings the largest crowds. At other times the ridge is quiet. The best-time guide gives what is published about Almora's seasons.
Around it
Almora and its old temples are close, and Chitai Golu Devta pairs with it in the one-day plan. The Katarmal Sun Temple is the next outing in the two-day plan, and things to do in Almora lists every stop.
Plans that include this
All 2 plans that stop here →
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 →Nearby places
Questions people ask
What is Kasar Devi?
A ridge village near Almora named for its temple to the goddess Kasar Devi, a form of Durga. Wikipedia says Swami Vivekananda visited and meditated here in the 1890s, and that the present temple building dates from 1948. The ridge beyond the village is known as Crank's Ridge or Hippie Hill.
How far is Kasar Devi from Almora?
About 8 km and 17 minutes by road from our reference point in Almora, by our routing. Wikipedia gives 10 km by road, and says it can also be reached on an 8 km hike from the town. We have not measured the walk from the road to the temple, so allow extra time.
When is the Kasar Devi fair?
Wikipedia says a large fair is held at the temple on Kartik Purnima, in November or December, and the date follows the lunar calendar, so check it before you plan. Expect crowds on the day. We found no published entry fee or daily opening times, so we give none.