Places

Ranikhet – The Queen’s Land

About Ranikhet

Ranikhet is an amazingly beautiful hill located in the Almora district of Uttarakhand. This charming hill station which has been immensely blessed by nature is one place that attracts nature lovers from all nooks and corners of the country.

Ranikhet, which literally translates into Queen’s Land or Queen’s meadows, had descended into oblivion before it was finally rediscovered by the Britishers in 1869 who transferred it into headquarters of the Kumaon Regiment.

There is an interesting legend behind the origin of this pleasing and picturesque hill station which does an amazingly good job of pleasing one and all with it incredible natural beauty.

According to a belief, Rani Padmini of Kumaon was deeply enchanted by its natural splendour and its splendid beauty. King Sudhardev in order to fulfil the wishes of his beloved queen built a palace for her here and named it Ranikhet (The Queen’s Land).

The palace no longer exists but the beauty and charm of this little paradise continues to enthral and rejuvenate people, who come to this place for few moments of calm and solitude amidst its lush green forests, panoramic views of the Himalaya, sweet and fresh mountain air and evergreen pine and fir trees.

Located at an altitude of 1,829 meters above sea level, and with an area of 21.76 sq. km Ranikhet offers visitors a pleasant climate, tranquil environment, vast green meadows and abundance of plant and animal wildlife.

How to reach Ranikhet

Ranikhet is well connected by road. A journey from the state capital Delhi to this picturesque hill station is going to take around 8-10 hours. What it means is that within one night you will find yourself far removed from the hectic and stressful city life, soaking in the pure mountain air and enjoying the natural splendour the hill station is renowned for. You can also take a train from New Delhi to Kathgodam and then travel by road to this alluring hill station.

Ranikhet Travel Guide

The small but captivating hill station in addition to its natural beauty also has a lot of popular tourist’s spots and destinations. If you are a golf lover then Ranikhet is a dream come true for you as it has one of the best hill golf courses in the country.

Other important tourist attractions in Ranikhet include the Bhalu Dam (known for beautiful artificial lakes), Binsar Mahadev Temple, Chaubatia Gradens, Majkhali( for splendid view of snow-capped Himalayas), Khairna( fishing), etc.

Image Source: “commons.wikimedia.org”

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