Wildlife & Walking in the Kumaon Hills

Made of white marble and crowned by a gilded onion dome, the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib and shimmering pool inside it are places of great sanctity for Indian Sikhs, and offer the most atmospheric introduction possible to capital. The complex in its present form dates from the late 18th century and was constructed on a spot associated with the eighth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Krishnan, who resided in a bungalow on the spot. At a langar canteen in the temple, pilgrims are fed nourishing, free meals of chapatis and black dal by volunteers. If you’re lucky, you may see groups of Akalis, members of a Sikh warrior sect, dressed in traditional ceremonial garb.

One of India’s seven most sacred Hindu sites, Haridwar marks the exact point where the choppy, grey-brown waters of the Ganges flows on to the plains of northern India. Hindus regard this as one of the key “crossing places”, or thirtha, capable of giving release from the cycle of rebirth. The riverside ghats are the venue for a particularly charged evening aarthi ceremony, when priests swing flaming lamps in closely choreographed routines, as thousands of worshippers place diyas – little leaf boats holding incense, flowers and candles – on to the water.

Rishikesh has been sacred for hundreds, and possibly thousands, of years. It traditionally served as a waystage for sanyasins, sadhus and yogis travelling to and from the sacred sites of the Himalayas, and for generations has attracted seekers on spiritual quests, among them the Beatles, who famously spent time here in 1968. The town continues to be an important New Age religious centre. Numerous ashrams overlook the waterfront. When in residence, most of the local gurus and their acolytes attend the evening aarthi ceremony, when scores of floating lamp-boats (diyas) are released into the current.

Corbett National Park is the oldest sanctuary in India. The name derives from that of the legendary British hunter-turned-conservationist who killed 33 man-eating tigers in the area – a tally that earned him great respect and gratitude among the local villagers. Thankfully, enough survived to form the basis of a viable breeding population. Today’s tigers are somewhat elusive thanks to the dense undergrowth that is a feature of the park, but sightings are nonetheless frequent. Huge herds of wild elephant, a couple of hundred strong, are a trademark of the park. The river is also teeming with crocodiles, and a staggering 586 species of bird have been recorded here.

Home of the legendary Kumaon Rifles, Ranikhet is essentially a cantonment town retaining more than a hint of the Raj era about it. After a wander around the market area, you can visit the town’s old-fashioned Golf Course.

Almora, too, is very redolent of a bygone era, particular the bazaar district, with its narrow, flagstone-lined alleyways and carved wooden facades. At the top of town, a cluster of stone temples with traditional umbrella finials recall the settlement’s 15th century origins, when it was ruled by the Chand dynasty.

The activities for this slot in the tour will depend on your choice of accommodation, but wherever you stay you’ll enjoy wonderful forest walks at various altitudes in woodland rich with birdlife. Typical hill shrines dating from the 9th century offer targets for leisurely ambles, invariably rewarded by extraordinary views of the Himalayas. From the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, near Almora, visitors are treated to an uninterrupted view of sacred Nanda Devi peak.

Set around lake high in the foothills of Kumoan, Nainital is the region’s largest town and principal hill resort, attracting large numbers of visitors from Delhi at the height of summer. Its focal point, as it was in the 19th century, is the Mall, a promenade lined by hotels, restaurants and nick-nack shops. The main reason to come here, however, is to admire the panoramas of the nearby Himalayan snows peaks from vantage points around the town – the perfect way to bid farewell to the mountains.