Kaushani

There are very few places in the Himalayas  which can compare with the beauty of Kaushani. Situated among mountains and trees,  the peaks Trishul and Nanda Devi are clearly visible from here. In 1929, Mahatma Gandhi spent 12 days here. He was so enamoured  of Kaushani that he called it the Switzerland of India and brought his thoughts out in his book called Anasakti Yoga. The place where he stayed is called the Anasakti Ashram. This Ashram was earlier the guest house in a tea estate.

After Gandhiji's visit, this place was made a memorial for him. Even today tourists go there to see the sunset and sunrise. 300 people can be accommodated in this ashram. Every evening prayers are conducted in the main hall. The famous poet of Hindi literature, Sumitranandan Pant was born here. In his earlier writings a beautiful description of Kaushani is seen.  

Kaushani is ideal to visit with the family. Because of its beauty, tourists come here all through the year. From morning to evening, from valleys to peaks, thousands of different colours can be seen here. 

Places of Interest:

Pant Museum:  A little away from the Kaushani bus stand is a museum named after the Hindi poet Sumitranandan Pant. The house which has the museum is the poet's house of his childhood days. His daily use articles, drafts of his poems, letters, his awards etc. are displayed here.

Lakshmi Ashram: 1 km away from the Anasakti Ashram, this place is a center run by women who do social service. Gandhiji's disciple, Sarala Behen  spent her life here doing social service. This ashram is  located in a solitary area in a dense jungle.

Pinakeshwar:  9050 feet above sea level, this hill station is 20 kms from Kaushani. Here there is a temple of Shiva from where one can view many valleys. Around Pinakeshwar are other places like Old Pinakeshwar, Gopalkot, Huria etc.

Baijnath: 17 kms from Kaushani, the most important  historical place in Uttarakhand is Baijnath which is situated on the banks of the Gomti river. The Baijnath temple here was built thousands of years ago and can still be admired for its carvings and sculptures. Some old temples can also be found here.

Someshwar: 15 kms away from Kaushani, this famous Shiva temple was built by King Somchand of the Chand Dynasty. In March every year a festival is held here .

Chaukori: Chaukori is 75 kms away from Kaushani and is well known for the view it gives of the Himalayan peaks. A person viewing the  Himalayas from here feels like he can touch them. For an overnight stay there is a tourist bungalow.

Pindari Glacier: 25 kms from Bageshwar passing through Thapkot, another 16 kms. later the last bus stop is Loharkhet. From here is a 35 km trek to the famous Pindari glacier. To see this majestic glacier tourists  camp on the way to reach the Zero Point (3000 mts). From here is a close-up view of the glacier. All though the way there are places to eat. A village called Khati which is 18 kms after Loharkhet  is one of the camping points. From Phurkia to Zero point it is just 5 kms.  The best time to visit here is April, May, September and October. This glacier is  58 kms from Kaushani. It is 3 kms long and 250 mts. wide. Trekking equipment can be hired at Bargeshwar.

Sundardoonga & Kafni Glaciers: For the more adventurous trekkers these two glaciers  are ideal. Both these glaciers are located in the Pindari Glacier area in different spots.  It is advisable to visit these places with an experienced guide and proper equipment. Sundardoonga is known for its beautiful rocks. One has to pass through Umla Jatoli village to go there. Dhakudi is a camping point which is 35 kms away. To go to Kafni (3800 mts) one has to go through a rough trek of 20 kms. from Dwali camp.

Temperature:

Hotels :

Kumau Corporation run Lodges:

Pine View
Neelkanth
Uttarakhand
Shakti Lodge
Anasakti Ashram
Tourist Bungalow 
Forest Rest House
Krishna Palace Rest House

Distances from Cities and Towns :

How to Get there :

Air: The closest airport is Pantnagar which is 180 kms away.

Rail: The closest railway station is Kathgodam. This is 142 kms away from Almora.

Road: Kaushani is connected by road from Delhi, Chandigarh, Lucknow,  Nainital, Pantnagar, Ranikhet, Gopeshwar etc..

Tourist Season : All through the year except  during the monsoons which are in July-August.  The ideal time is April to June and September to November.