Having finished with the natural wonders of Binsar, we decided to explore some of the places around.

The first of these was the temple complex at Jageshwar . The complex has over 200 temples, small and big, and the main temple is considered by some to be one of the Jyotirlings. However, what is fascinating about this place are the Deodhars – these huge trees cover every part of the mountain and the valleys around this temple. What is interesting is that the Deodhar forest exists only in the area around the temple…. all other parts of the mountains abound in pines, with the occasional Deodhar and oaks. But here, you can barely see any other types of trees!

The temples are all beautiful, and have wonderful sculptures, taking us back to the era when they were built by the hardy residents of this area. Some of the more beautiful ones excavated here have been kept in the ASI museum.

If Jageshwar was fascinating for the beauty of its man made creations, our next destination was a triumph of nature, and to the imagination of man! Patal Bhuvaneshwar is an ancient cave with natural formations of stalactites and stalagmites. However, what is fascinating here is that our imagination has converted the natural miracle into a religious destination! So, while one outcrop becomes a snake, another becomes Ganesha and yet another becomes Lord Shiva. What’s so wonderful about it? You may ask, but it is interesting to see where the imagination stems from – the sight of a small, jet black rock might make us think of a Shiva Lingam, but when you see pure white stalactite dripping water right onto the rock at the base, the water collecting in a pit nearby, not overflowing, but not stagnating either, it becomes much, much more easier to imagine that is indeed Lord Shiva there, with the Ganga emanating from his tresses! Unfortunately, photography is not allowed in the cave.

A relatively less known place near Almora is Lakhudiyar, the site of prehistoric cave paintings. Under a rocky outcrop are a few remaining prehistoric paintings, which will soon disappear if care is not taken.

One of the most famous temples in the area is the temple of Golu Devta, a local deity, where devotees tie bells in the belief that their prayers will be answered. The temple is filled with bells of all sizes – thousands of them! people come to this temple not just to pray, but also to see the ‘bell temple’ as it is now popularly known!

The sight of a swift sitting in its nest, and its baby peeping out for food made my day…..

…while the sight of a river bed full of stones and another river full of hungry fishes thrilled my son!

Towards the end of our trip, the sight of a forest fire made us aware of the problems caused by sheer carelessness.

We rounded off our trip with a visit to Nainital, and boating on the famous lake…

We have returned with some wonderful memories to treasure….. And a desire to go back sometime!

LOCATION: Binsar is about 30 Kms from Almora and 383 Kms from Delhi.
The nearest railway station is Kathgodam, and the journey takes about 3 ½ hours by car. Plenty of taxis are available for hire outside the station, and the typical cost is about Rs.1000-1200/-
There are plenty of buses available from Haldwani, just 4kms before Kathgodam.

The KMVN guest house is located within the sanctuary. It is most conveniently located for treks and exploring the jungle, and a large number of birds can be seen from the resort itself. Bookings can be made online through the KMVN website.
Another option within the sanctuary is Khali Estate, which is slightly on the expensive side, but offers some great sights as well as experiences.
The best options outside the sanctuary are Club Mahindra Binsar Valley resort, and The Binsar retreat.