Almora

Almora अल्मोड़ा Home of Bal Mithai
Hill station
Almora City in Uttarakhand, India
Nickname(s): Cultural City
Almora Show map of Uttarakhand Almora Show map of India Location in Uttarakhand, India
Coordinates: 29°37′N 79°40′E / 29.62°N 79.67°E / 29.62; 79.67Coordinates: 29°37′N 79°40′E / 29.62°N 79.67°E / 29.62; 79.67
Country	India
State	Uttarakhand
Division	Kumaon
District	Almora
Established	1568
Founded by	Kalyan Chand
Government
• Type	Mayor–Council
• Mayor	Prakash Joshi
Area
• Total	20.66 km2 (7.98 sq mi)
Elevation	1,642 m (5,387 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	135,500
• Density	6,600/km2 (17,000/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	Hindi Sanskrit
• Spoken	Kumaoni
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	263601
Telephone code	91-5962
Vehicle registration	UK-01
Sex ratio	1132 ♂/♀
Climate	Alpine (BSh) and Humid subtropical(Cwb) (Köppen)
Avg. annual temperature	−3 to 28 °C (27 to 82 °F)
Avg. summer temperature	12 to 28 °C (54 to 82 °F)
Avg. winter temperature	−3 to 15 °C (27 to 59 °F)
Website	almora.nic.in

Almora is a municipal board and a cantonment town in the Almora district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Almora district. Almora is located on a ridge at the southern edge of the Kumaon Hills of the Himalaya range, at a distance of 365 km from the national capital New Delhi and 415 km from the state capital Dehradun. According to the provisional results of the 2011 national census of India, Almora has a population of 35,513. Nestled within higher peaks of the Himalaya, Almora enjoys a year-round mild temperate climate.

Almora was founded in 1568 by King Kalyan Chand, however there are accounts of human settlements in the hills and surrounding region in the Hindu epic Mahabharata (8th and 9th century BCE). Almora was the seat of chand kings that ruled over the Kumaon Kingdom. It is considered the cultural heart of the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. Almora got its name from "kilmora" a short plant found nearby region, which was used for washing the utensils of Katarmal Temple. The people bringing kilmora were called Kilmori and later "Almori" and the place came to be known as "Almora".

Almora was founded in 1568 by Kalyan Chand during the rule of the Chand dynasty. Prior to that the region was under the control of Katyuri King Bhaichaldeo who donated a part of Almora to Sri Chand Tiwari. Almora was known as 'Rajapur' during the rule of Chand Kings. The name 'Rajpur' is also mentioned over a number of ancient copper plates.

According to local tradition, the earliest inhabitants in Almora were Tewaris who were required to supply Sorrel daily for cleansing the vessels of sun temple at Katarmal. Ancient lore mentioned in Vishnu Purana and Mahabharata present primordial accounts of human settlements in the City. The Sakas, the Nagas, the Kiratas, the Khasas and the Hunas are credited to be the most ancient tribes. The Kauravas and Pandavas of the Hastinapur royal family were the next important princes from the plains who are said to have affected the conquest of these parts. After the Mahabharata war the district seems to have remained for some time under the sway of the kings of Hastinapur whose authority was never more than nominal. The actual rulers were the local chiefs of whom the Kulindas (or Kunindas) were probably strong in the southern and western part of the city. The Khasas were another ancient people who belonged to an early Aryan stock and were widely scattered in those times. They gave this region the name Khasadesha or Khasamandala.