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India --» Nature Tour Destination in India --» Mukteshwar
Mukteshwar

Uttaranchals Kumaon Hills are dotted with any number of gorgeous hill
stations, each with its own special charm and easy accessibility. One such
splendid hill resort is Mukteshwar, 2300 m, a secluded retreat blessed with
pleasant weather and heart-stopping vistas of the Himalayas.
The town of Mukteshwar is associated with a legend of Shiva who gifted immortality
or Mukti to a demon that he slew. Mukteshwar was a quiet mountain hamlet
till the turn of the last century.
It owes much of its present day status to the Indian Veterinary Research
Institute, which possesses a large part of the land and most of the deep
forests that surround Mukteshwar. Rhesus monkeys and langurs jabber in the
trees, deer and birds abound, and the occasional mountain leopard and Himalayan
black bear can be spotted.
It was in the forests of the Kumaon region that Jim Corbett hunted half
a dozen of the famous man-eating tigers of Kumaon, including the notorious
Champawat Tiger and the Panar leopard that had killed hundreds of people.
The evergreen forests and deciduous woodlands are home to the Himalayan
ruby throat, white-crested laughing thrush, red-billed leothrix, black
winged kite and a host of other mountain birds. The elusive Himalayan
Mountain Quail was last seen in the Nainital vicinity near Mukteshwar.
Beyond the forests, past fields and farms are lush fruit orchards that
grow apples, plums, peaches, apricots and pears.

From Mukteshwar there is a divine view of the Himalayas, each peak with
a sacred identity and myth of its own. See the 6596 m high Neelkantha
(Blue-throated Shiva), the 7120 m Trishul (Shivas Trident), Nanadadevi,
7817 m (Goddess of Bliss), Nanadaghunti 6310 m (the Veil of the Goddess)
and the five-pronged chimneys of the Panchuli peaks.
Another awe-inspiring view is from Chauthi Jali, where rocks jut out from
the hill face at a bizarre angle. This is a great place to observe eagles
and other feathered scavengers as they swoop down at their prey.
Ramgarh, 26 km away, has blissful fruit orchards, Bhowali, 40 km is a health
resort and Ghorakhal, 37 km has the temple of Gollu Devta, an important
deity of the Kumaonis. Other excursions are the Devidhura temple, 120 km,
the Reetha Sahib Gurdwara and the Punyagiri temple.