Lohaghat : The hills of Kumaon are famous for big cats. In the first decade of the twentieth century. Jim Corbett came to this region to hunt man-eating tigers. In fact, the book man Eaters of Kumaon begins with a story set in the forested hills of Champawat. For years, Corbett had roamed in the forests of Kumaon, savoring the beauty of the region, the hospitality of the simple hill folks and confronting the man eaters. Lohaghat is also one of the important places for its beautiful temples. This ancient town of Lohaghat has immense historical and mythological importance which attracts a number of tourists. Mostly devotees and pilgrims from all over drop into Lohaghat before visiting Advaita Ashram which is also called the Mayawati Ashram. A sleepy little town of Uttaranchal it shot to fame because of the beautiful temples and fascinating locales near by. There is also remains of the fort of Banasur, Varansur fort (Vanasur-Ka-Kila), near by, who was killed by Lord Krishna. Apart from being a favourite destination for tourists, this place is famous for its celebration of Holi and Janamashtmi.The Khadi bazaar of the town is an added attraction, and the scenic Galchaura.Setting our before sunrise the first stop of our journey was Lohaghat. We journeyed through the undulating roads flanked by deep bowls of greenery. As we wound our way down to Lohaghat, the quaint little town on the banks of river Lohawati, we marvelled at the unspoilt beauty of nature around us.
Lohaghat is a dusty and nondescript place. But you have to traverse breathtaking landscapes and terraced fields, which cover the valley to get to the town. It is also perfect for those with a yen for outdoor adventure as Lohaghat has a number of trekking trails, too.
Askot : The Askot Sanctuary stands at a heightof 5412 feet and is popular amont wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers. Although it is supposed to house snow leopards and Himalayan black bears, we didn’t come across any.The Askot Musk Deer Sanctuary is also close by. We did manage to catch glimpse of some deer, and a whole lot of exotic birds.
Abbot Mount:Aboot Mount is a few kilometers uphill on the Marorakhan turn off the Lohaghat road. Clouds floated over and settled down on the road and we drove right through them. After this exhilarating experience, we reached the second highest cricket pitch on earth. The sprawling cottages that surrounded the ground were deserted too, with not a human voice or movement. We chose to stay the night at Mount Abbot and woke up to a melodious orchestra of bird song the next morning. It was almost noon by te time we could tear ourselves away from the place.
Getting There:
The nearest airport is at Pantnagar near Nainital, which is about a seven and a half hour drive away from Pithoragarh.
Distance: Pithoragarh to Abbot Mount 65 km.Aboot Mount to Lohaghat: 6 km.Lohaghat to Mayawati: 15 kmPithoragarh to Askot: 55 km.
All hotel and travel arrangements can by done by http://www.awesometravels.in/
