Ranikhet travels and tour Attractions

Come to the land of  “The Queens Field” or Ranikhet, which is a great hill destination in India. A lovely picturesque land filled with the greatest travel delights, this is a beautiful holiday resort and was named after the wife of Sudhar Deve in the 12th century. Though there is no proof that the queen lived here but it is known that the land was in the hands of the farmers for many years. This town was forgotten for a long time, and then the British found it in the year 1869. When the British were here, they found the climate very hot, so places like Ranikhet were a welcome delight. The English found this place very pleasant and nice.

So in the months of summer it was a quick away to get relief and to bask in the pleasures of the mountain regions. The capital of the British often used to be in the pleasant ambience of Shimla, away from the heat of the capital city of Delhi. With the heat and the dust that is so typical of the North Indian regions, Ranikhet was a welcome rejuvenation spot in this part of the country. So the British made Ranikhet a military cantonment and this lovely region spanning around 1830 metre high this was the best recreation zone in those days.

With the dense forests of pine and oak trees, the town with its mesmerizing scenic sights, totally enchanted Lord Mayo the Indian Viceroy who actually totally moved from Simla to Ranikhet. This is  place the  where the Kumaon Regiment is based and is actually also one of the best in the country. There are many buildings here in Ranikhet which has the regimental crest, and in fact most of the vehicles that drive in the Upper Mall region are part of this regiment.

There are many places to see in Ranikhet and the din made by the thoroughfare in the city sometimes becomes a discomforting experiencing yet there is something about this place that makes it a perfect getaway spot. There is the Upper Mall which is a beautiful ideal for promenades and is a very fascinating experience. Here is where the Jhula Devi temple lies. This place with its crowd of pilgrims is a great tourist spot and the fact that there is a myth which says that a leopard visits the temple every month makes it a more attractive spot. It is also a legend that only the temple priests can see the leopard.

The temple of Rama is another place we went to when we were in this lovely land of Ranikhet. This temple is devoted to the Indian God Lord Rama. Then you also have the Chaubatia here which was initially a sanatorium for the British soldiers but today has the Government Fruit Garden and also the Research Station. Here you would see not less than 200 types of fruits. Then there is the Uphat the golf region here and also the Kalika temple and the Forest Nursery which are other places to see.

Ranikhet is thus a combination of great hill views and ideal military cultures. Located in the state of Uttaranchal this is a lovely hilly area in the Kumaon hills and has the most pleasant alpine weather. The place can be visited any time of the year.

Legend

It is said that Rani Padmini was the queen of the Raja Sukherdev who was the local ruler here. She was so enamored by this place that she decided to stay on and the place thus began to be called Ranikhet or Queen’s field.

We had been there at the time of the Nanda Devi Mela which is a cultural and religious fair. Held at the Nanda Devi temple, this is a fair which is held in memory of the Goddess Sunanda and Nanda. It is believed that the people of Kumaon started it when Raja Kalyan Chand used to rule here sometime in the 16th century. Nanda means prosperity as also well being. This fair symbolizes prosperity and spiritual gain. This fair was at many other places besides Ranikhet and these are Almora, Nauti, Nainital, Dandidhara and Munsyari.

We went to Upat which is a boon to the sports enthusiast as it has the best 9 hole golf course in the whole of India. There are private orchards here which add to the beauty. Then you have Kalika where we went and saw the Indian Goddess Kali here. We got lovely views of the snow clad peaks from here.

The next day we went to the Government Fruit Research Centre and also saw the four fruit gardens here. There was a fruit sales depot and also a cafeteria here. This is around 10 kms from Ranikhet.

The next place we saw was the Bhalu Dam which is the place where the town gets its water supply from. This is around 3.2 km from Chuabatia. We saw many people fishing here.

That day we also went to Majkhali which is a lovely paradise with its greatly fascinating views and absolutely mesmerizing sights. The U.P. Government Agriculture Farm is located here.

Almora is another interesting place that we should not miss to visit if we go to Ranikhet.

Come to Ranikhet and bask in the pleasures of beautiful travel memories. With Pantnagar as the nearest airport and Kathgodam as the nearest railway station it is easily accessible.