Festival · UTTARAKHAND
July-August (Shravan) · Almora
Month-long fair at the 9th-century Jageshwar Dham temple complex of 124 Shiva temples in a deodar forest, with special Shravan Monday worship.
Why it mattersJageshwar is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas according to some traditions; the monsoon fair amid ancient deodar forests is a deeply atmospheric pilgrimage.
July is full monsoon in Almora. Clouds swallow the Himalayan views for weeks at a time. Rain is daily, often heavy. But the forests explode into impossible green, waterfalls cascade off every hillside, and the town smells of wet earth, pine, and chai.
Live in Almora
Run by a retired army couple. Home-cooked Kumaoni meals, a garden with bird feeders that attract 30+ species, and army stories over evening whisky. The warmth here is unmatched.
Set in a fruit orchard with 180-degree Himalayan views. Stone cottages, no TV, and a library full of mountain literature. The kind of place where you sit with a book and forget your phone exists.
Signaturebal mithai (original 1865 recipe)
Ask for the singauri — fresh khoya wrapped in a malu (oak) leaf cone. Eat it the same day; the leaf gives a herbal note that fades by morning.
Signaturebal mithai
Cash only — no UPI or card. Open 6:30am-8pm; pick up a kilo at ₹380 before catching a Roadways bus, the shop is steps from the stand.
Signaturebutter chicken
The Mughlai side outperforms the Chinese — order butter chicken with tandoori roti rather than the chowmein. Around ₹500 for two; near Hotel Shikhar on the L. R. Sah Road stretch of Mall Road.
Signaturekumaoni thali with mutton
Order the Kumaoni thali with mutton (not the mixed Asian items) — that's where the kitchen delivers. Call ahead +91 95363 61171 in season; only 50 covers, and Kasar Devi crowds drop in unpredictably.
Sunrise and sunset viewpoint with panoramic views of the Himalayan range including Nanda Devi.
Cluster of 124 large and small stone temples from 7th-14th century. Important Shiva worship center in dense deodar forest.
Famous for Almora's bal mithai (chocolate-coated fudge) and singori (sweet wrapped in malu leaf).
Ancient temple on a ridge with geomagnetic properties (NASA-detected Van Allen Belt anomaly). Cosmic energy site.
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