The land of rivers and forests, this verdant district is famous as the hunting ground of Champwat Tiger. But I found my slice of heaven in the offbeat spots that make up this Kumaon region

Dotted with temples, Champawat district has beckoned solitude seekers and spiritual masters such as Swami Vivekananda. It falls under the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. For the uninitiated, the northern state can be broadly divided into Garhwal and Kumaon regions.

I have travelled across the Garhwal region many times, comprising Chamoli, Dehradun, (Mussoorie, Landour), Pauri Garhwal, Haridwar, Rudraprayag, Tehri Garhwal and Uttarkashi. But it’s in the offbeat Kumaon that I found paradise. This comprises Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh and Udham Singh Nagar.

Road to Tanakpur

From Delhi, taking National Highway 24, we reach Tanakpur in about seven hours. It is a good highway with plenty of dhabas; our breakfast is at Shiva Dhaba run by Mama Yadav—decent food and clean toilets.

We don’t know Tanakpur and it comes as an emerald surprise. Lined with sal and sagoon trees, the green fragrance envelops us as we open the windows to let in the fresh air. Tanakpur is a municipal board in Champawat district of Uttarakhand with a population of around 1,50,000.

Tanakpur is famous for being the gateway to the Purnagiri Temple, an adishakti peeth, and gateway to the ‘Kumaon Himalayas’. It is also the route for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. It is also the business hub of Kumaon region, located on the banks of Sharda river, forming the Indo-Nepal border. It is the last flat plain before one enters the mountainous terrain of Kumaon and the unique topography makes it an ideal green retreat.

Sharda Ghat, Tanakpur

Rivers have been venerated across civilisations, and Sharda River is no different. The clear waters and blue skies against the mountainous backdrop make this a picture perfect spot. A small temple is dedicated to Sharda, the goddess of learning, on the ghat. Ghats are small concrete structures with steps leading to the river bank. Pilgrims normally perform many rituals here.

The river is also known as Kali and Mahakali, ‘Kali Ganga’ among the locals. While I walk around trying to find my perfect place to bask in the sun, I watch the water birds skittle to and fro. Brave youths inflate big tubes and sail over the waves. The softly flowing river weaves a magical spell.

Indo-Nepal Border, Tanakpur

The barrage road under NHPC on the outskirts is enthralling. This small bridge connects India with Nepal. During the day, you can rent a motorcycle or scooty and ride across the barrage. Around sunset, you are allowed to take a walk on the bridge. Indians don’t need a visa or passport, they can just show their Aadhar card.

Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary

The thickly forested sanctuary between Haldwani and Champawat is spread over 270 sq km. This is the third tiger reserve in Uttarakhand after Corbett and Rajaji National Parks and it was declared a sanctuary in 2012. The safari track going through the dense Sal trees and over the perennial Nandhaur river bed is an adventure seeker’s delight. It needs some good off-roading skills to steer through the core of the forest. Alive with bird calls and many species of trees and herbal plants, the forest is home to the tiger, Asian elephant, leopard, small Indian civet, jackal, wild boar, flying foxes and sloth bears and more animals. There are over 200 species of birds such as the rare great pied hornbill, grey and red jungle fowls, partridges, brahminy ducks, darters, rosy pelicans, pin tails, storks, the great Indian horned owl, mallards and herons. Butterflies cross your path often here, as do monkeys. There is a temple within the forest and also a lodge run by the forest department.

At dusk, we did see a herd of elephants enjoying their mud bath before heading off to sleep. A scared Sambhar deer also crossed our path on the way out. Fireflies float around in the dark and the green trees look like tall monsters during the night here. Best to take the morning safari.

More Attractions in Tanakpur

The road to Purnagiri Temple is a wildlife corridor and we did almost run over a jackal here. Leopards and elephants cross the area often, the villagers say.

The beautiful forest road also has the Boom temple, which is under a trust and the founder is Guru Maa. No one talks about her. You are not allowed inside the main sanctum unless wearing a dhoti and only designated priests can perform puja here. It does house a charitable skin clinic.

You can go for rafting, hiking, angling, paragliding.

Road to Champawat

Champawat town is the district’s administrative headquarters. It is a 60 km drive from Tanakpur, takes about two and a half hours. The mountainous road takes us through Shyamlatal, where a beautiful lake is located. This is approximately 25 km from Tanakpur.

The city is named after the Champawati stream that flowed through it. It was the capital of the Chand dynasty (700 CE–1790 CE). Legend says that the Kurmavtar, tortoise incarnation of Lord Vishnu, took place in Champawat.

As per Vayu Purana, Champavati was the capital of the nine kings of Puri Naga Dynasty. Champawati, the sister of the kings, prayed to Lord Shiva here and a temple is dedicated to her within the Baleshwar Mahadev Temple.

Swami Vivekananda Ashram, Shyamlatal

Shyam means dark and Tal means lake. The lake gets its name from the blackish mud. This natural lake, located in a beautiful hamlet, is surrounded by hills. Sunsets here are a surreal experience.

A narrow drive leads to the idyllic Swami Vivekananda Ashram. Swami Virajanandaji Maharaj, one of the four disciples of Swami Vivekananda, chose this spot for his intense sadhana. The ascetic joined the Baranagar Monastery in1891 and got mantra diskha in 1893. In 1897, he was ordained into sanyasa by Swami Vivekananda. He compiled many books here.

The ashram constitutes an important part of the village’s daily life. The children are given self development lessons here after school. A dispensary also runs on the premises. You can book a room to stay and volunteer in the daily activities or take a spiritual retreat. It primarily relies on donations for meeting the expenses.

Tea Garden, Champawat

Once again, driving up the curvy roads, we reach the tea gardens run by the government. Spread over 21 acres, these lush gardens stimulate the five senses. The breeze, the silence and the beautiful birds make this a cool tranquil spot. As far as the eye can see, there are green trees swaying in the breeze. The soothing chatter of whistling thrushes, mynas, sparrows and magpies is music for the soul.

Ancient Naula, Champawat

This is a natural fresh water spring at the entrance of the Baleshwar Temple. A sacred source, this water is used for the worship at the famous Shiva temple.

Baleshwar Temple, Champawat

The stone sculptures at this temple leave one awestruck. Beautiful ancient symbols of love, deities, elephants and more nature related motifs, the temple was built by the Chand dynasty. The construction began in 1390 AD by Garud Gyan Chand and the subsequent rulers went on adding and repairing.

The main sanctum is dedicated to Lord Shiva, also known as Baleshwar. There are two more temples in the compound, one dedicated to Ratneshwar and other to Champawati Durga. Surrounded by homes and trees laden with lemons and oranges, this temple carries us back to an era lost in time.

Kotwali Chabutra, Champawat

Said to be the area of justice, this platform too was made by the Chand Dynasty. The walls of the platform have stone carvings similar to the Baleshwar temple. It is believed that there was a chatri on top, with three remaining pillars being the evidence.

More Attractions in Champawat

Other ancient temples are Kranteshwar, Tadkeshwar, Rishneshwar, Dikteshwar, Mallareshwar and Maneshwar.

You can find a lot of fast food in the local market at Champawat. A small dhaba also offers local Kumaoni fare such as gehad ki dal, kadi and tandoori roti.

There are also many shops selling native pulses and grains that you can take home such as rajmas, soya beans, hemp seeds. You can also take home big lemons, oranges, colocasia and the famous Indian sweet bal mithai. Forget the chips and enjoy some groundnuts as you walk around. Do check out the spices too. All the vendors are friendly and people are simple and honest.

Wooden homes are common and children enjoy their games of marbles in the open.

Best time to visit

September to March, if you like walking around. The days are pleasant and the nights cool. Stay up late and do some star gazing also.

Where to stay

We stayed at Prateek Homestay in Tanakpur. There are government rest housess and hotels too.

How to reach Tanakpur

You can drive from Delhi. Or take the train to Tanakpur. From there, you can hire a cab and go to Champawat and other hill stations.

Ideal holiday time

One Week