त्योहार · UTTARAKHAND
January 14 (Makar Sankranti) · Mukteshwar
Makar Sankranti celebrations in the Kumaon hills with community bonfires, traditional Aipan art displays, and local markets selling woolen handicrafts.
क्यों मायने रखता हैMarks the sun's northward journey and is celebrated across Kumaon with distinctive local traditions different from plains Sankranti.
January Mukteshwar is a frost-covered cliff edge with views that steal your breath—literally, at 2286m in cold air. Temperatures: -2°C to 8°C. The Kumaon orchards below are bare. The famous cliff face, used for rappelling and rock climbing in season, gleams with ice. Snow caps Nanda Devi and the entire Himalayan chain in sharp white against blue sky.
Mukteshwar में अभी
Boutique homestay in a converted colonial cottage. 3 rooms, each with valley views. The host couple grows organic produce and cooks with it. Evening bonfire with homemade apple cider.
सिग्नेचरKumaoni thali
Order the apple jalebi for dessert — it's a Kumaon-orchard riff most cafes don't attempt. Lunch fills up by 1pm on weekends; ring +91 97588 00050 ahead.
सिग्नेचरfresh-baked bread
Bread is baked overnight and sells out by mid-afternoon; arrive before noon if you want a loaf. The cookies are the takeaway buy — they survive the drive home.
सिग्नेचरcold coffee with chicken pizza
Grab the corner balcony seat for the unobstructed Trishul-Nanda Devi panorama on a clear morning. The cafe is also a small property — they have rooms upstairs if you want to stay where you eat.
सिग्नेचरragi-base organic pizza
Pair lunch with a stop at the in-house store — the wild Mukteshwar honey is a useful gift to take back to the plains, and prices are direct-from-farmer.
Shiva temple at 7,500 ft perched on a cliff edge with chauti ki jali (rock overhang for adventure).
Rock formation with natural holes through which you can see the valley below. Rappelling point.
ALSO ON NAKSHIQ
Guides
Everything the guidebook won't tell you — written for India in 2026.
Blog
Long-form reads on regions, festivals, and the offbeat circuit.
Road trips
Driving itineraries with day-by-day stops, distance, and difficulty.
Collections
Wettest places. Sacred lakes. Solo-female-safe. Curated cuts.
NakshIQ 100
India's highest-scoring places, ranked across all 12 months.
The Window
One honest spread, every Sunday. The full back catalogue.
Skip list
Overhyped places with honest alternatives.
First trip
Safety, scams, what to wear, food survival, solo female travel.
